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Slug Life

 

Moesha Kellaway
Rocket Bird Books
Age 5-7 years

Stevie, the World’s grumpiest slug, is sent to self-esteem classes to find out reasons why he should be be proud to be a slug. We follow his experiences as he learns about their role in the food chain and their superhero powers such as being able to walk on ceilings with their powerful foot and producing an amazing liquid crystal (slime) which helps them move, navigate and find a mate. Stevie is convinced that slugs really are superheroes and decides to write a book about them for small humans…

This is a highly entertaining celebration of slugs challenging the generally accepted view that slugs are revolting and damaging creatures and showing they are in fact – SUPER!

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Share the story

Read aloud
Read the book aloud to your child. Children unfamiliar with the layout may need help navigating the text diagrams and captions so pointing to where you are reading the text might help.

Look through again. There is a lot happening on each page so take time to look and talk.

Join in
Encourage your child to join in when you read it again either with the captions or bits of Stevie’s narration.

You could suggest that they show the book to another member of the family, pointing out some of the most interesting pages or facts.

Talk about the story
▪︎Count the slugs hiding in the garden patch picture
▪︎Look back at the different slugs in the book then choose your favourites
▪︎Talk about some of the most surprising facts you discovered in this book
▪︎After reading this book, what would your child say to someone who thinks slugs are disgusting?

Amy shared Slug Life with Joshua 5 and Sofia 7

I really liked how the book is a mix of fiction and non-fiction.

Joshua really enjoyed reading the book with me, counting the slugs and picking out words he can read now. Then Sofia read it to him. We talked a bit about self-esteem and what they would do if someone called them "disgusting" or said "Ew!" about them. I asked them, after reading this book, what would you say to someone who said slugs are disgusting? 

"Don't say that! Their slime is actually liquid crystal and fun to see, so don't bully slugs!"

They decided to draw some slugs, and they loved the idea of writing a slug menu so we might do that later on. 

 

 

Things to make and do

▪︎Go on a slug safari together. Look out for slugs, snails and slime trails when you in the garden, going or a walk or to the park. Binoculars or a magnifying glass could make this even more fun.

▪︎Suggest your child makes a slime trail picture. Use a candle or a light-coloured wax crayon to draw an amazing trail on paper. They could choose to make a pattern or perhaps write words with the candle/crayon saying how amazing slugs are. Use dark coloured paint or ink to wash over your trail.

▪︎Make some slugs out of playdough or other modelling material. You could make up names for them like the slugs at self-esteem class (will all the names you choose begin with S?)

▪︎Look up some of the amazing slugs mentioned such as the blue dragon sea slug and make drawings or paintings of them.

▪︎Make a slug menu, look back at the book or the links below for ideas.

▪︎Watch how slugs move along together and suggest your child tries moving on their stomach like a slug.

▪︎Make a badge or placard to say slugs are super.

Find out more

Watch a CBeebies video about slugs

Find out more slug facts from this Royal Horticultural Society fact sheet

More slug activity ideas

Find out more about the book’s creator

Read another story about slugs Slug Needs a Hug by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross