Quiet                                          

 

Tom Percival, ill. Richard Jones,
Simon & Schuster
Age 5-7

This is a story about a little bird living a happy life in a bustling woodland where her main problem is making herself heard amongst a cacophony of birdsong.

One day she finds she has to make herself heard despite the noise around her when she discovers the woodland is under threat, endangering all the creatures who lived within it. Courageously, she finds a way to make the other creatures listen to her and encourages them to work together to face the threat.

This is a story about finding your voice, bravery, teamwork and peaceful protest. It also highlights the rich diversity of living things who make their homes in forests and woodland and the reality that these habitats are under threat.

A beautiful picture book with soft and colourful textured images which bring the forest to life and convey the threat facing the woodland creatures powerfully

Share the story

Read aloud
As you read the story aloud pause at key points such as when the little bird tried to speak but couldn’t or when the wood pigeon said they should all leave the wood. Talk about what your child thinks might happen next – or what they would like to happen next.

Join in
With the sound effects and some of the dialogue eg Thump – the young bird’s words or the pigeon’s dismissive response.

Talk about the story
◼︎Talk about all the different creatures you can see in the wood
◼︎Talk about the little bird and think together about how you might describe her.
◼︎Talk about unfamiliar words and what they might mean eg ‘overwhelming’ or  ‘ominous.’

Things to make and do

Make a soundtrack for the story
Find a recording of the dawn chorus or make your own version using jingle bells or household implements such as cutlery. Find something to make the sound of diggers either drums or saucepans.

Tell the story with sound effects
Make your sound effects or play your recording while reading the story aloud.

Make an information book about woodland animals
Use the links below to find out more about woodland animals and make a zig zag book with a drawing and sentence about a selection of animals.

Make a picture
Use soft chalk pastels or crayons to make a woodland scene with some of the animals and birds from the story.

Find out more

Find out about woodland animals  

Find out more about writer Tom Percival

Read another book by Tom Percival, titles include:
The Invisible
Perfectly Norman
Ruby’s Worry
Ravi’s Roar

Find out about illustrator Richard Jones
Read a book written and illustrated by Richard Jones:
Where Have you Been Little Cat?
Little Bear
Perdu