The author uses the phrase ‘a fountain of dancing stars sprang up from the ground’ to describe the fireworks. Can you think of other ways of describing your favourite fireworks?

A really lovely story about a baby barn owl called Plop who does not follow the stereotypical owl instinct of being nocturnal due to the fact that he does not like night time, and dread being out in the dark. The story is set as Plop being the main protagonist, in which he describes the world at night is ‘nasty’ and repeats the phrase “I don’t like it AT ALL", adding extra emphasis to the fact he doesn't like the dark. As the story goes on, Plop meets many different characters, and experiences many new things, helping him to move beyond the negative mage he has previously built up about the dark. Protagonistul nostru este un pui de bufniță de hambar pe nume Buf. Toți știm că bufnițele sunt niște păsări de noapte, însă Buf are frică de întuneric și nu îl înțelege. Thinking of adjectives: Plop is described as being 'soft', 'fluffy' and 'fat'. Can you think of any synonyms for these words? This is a lovely read for a parent, I really empathised with Mr and Mrs Barn Owl. I enjoyed the repetition of the hunting expeditions and their never-endings quest to fill their son's stomach.

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My son didn't sound keen when we started, but very soon warmed to the main character. It certainly helped that he had the name 'Plop'! Suitable for ages 5 to 7, you'll find engaging, differentiated worksheets and a whole range of activities that you can use effectively in your classroom. Buf închise ochii strâns și așteaptă. Fetița își scoase repede o cizmuliță, apoi își dădu un ciorap jos. Mai avea o pereche fiindcă cizmele îi erau prea mari.

On 13 February 2022, the BBC broadcast the story on their CBeebies Bedtime Story programme, read by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Write a report about owls. What is their habitat? What do they eat? What special abilities do they have? Plop makes an ‘EEEEEEEK’ sound for the young lady. Think about the different noises that animals make. How do they use these to communicate with each other?Ilustrațiile mi s-au părut extrem de frumoase, hazlii și potrivite pentru poveste. M-am amuzat de multe ori când am văzut ce rotofei este Buf în viziunea ilustratorului Paul Howard. What's more, because all of the activities are based on a popular book, you can be sure that your children will stay interested and engaged. This will boost their learning experience and help them to do well. Mrs Barn Owl explains that the dark can be ‘silver or blue or grey or lots of other colours’. Can you paint a picture showing dark scenes in different colours? Can you plan and write a story about another animal who is afraid of something that animal normally likes?

The chapter titles all begin with ‘Dark is?’. Can you think of other ways of describing the dark? Could you write another chapter for the story linked to your description? Who might the owl meet in your chapter?

It could be a lovely warm and helpful read for children scared of the dark, but for any child, animal books are a hit, and to read about an owl being afraid of his natural environment is a novel idea and intriguing. E un artificiu rotitor. Când am aterizat, băiatul a crezut că sunt un artificiu rotitor. O, nu-i așa că e frumos? Și el a crezut că eu sunt un asemenea artificiu. This was the first class novel I used when I started my teaching career with a Y1 class in 1990 - the edition I have was published by Puffin in 1973 but the first edition was released in 1968 so it’s 50 years old... but I think it’s a classic that would be welcomed and loved by Y1 children today. Lots of children are afraid of the dark, but this story is great for teaching children that the dark isn't so scary after all. It could even be used at home, as well as at school.