£5.00 (inc. VAT)
KS: R & KS1
Year Group: Reception
Literary Theme: Talents & Powers
Author(s): Julia Donaldson
Labels, writing in role, thank you letters, own version narratives
Own version ‘overcoming’ tale
Two+ weeks, 10+ sessions
Telling a tale, Spring 1. This sequence works particularly well around Chinese New Year
Updated for the 2021 Statutory EYFS Framework
In this ten-session sequence, which we suggest will take 3 weeks to cover, the children discover a magic paintbrush and are asked what they would paint with it. Then, through the story of The Magic Paintbrush, they meet Shen who loves to paint and draw. Shen is presented with a magic brush but she is to only use it for good.
In the story, she overcomes a greedy Emperor who sets his dragon upon Shen. The children create their own dragon-like monsters through playing Mix and Match Monsters and record ideas by drawing and labelling a diagram. They then write an own-version narrative by changing the items that their main character paints and including their own monster that the main character overcome.
With her magic paintbrush, Shen can paint steaming pots full of fish and oysters to feed the hungry people in her village, but when the evil emperor hears of her gift he commands Shen to paint gold for him instead. She is determined to keep her promise to paint only for the poor, but how can she match the emperor's mighty power?
In The Magic Paintbrush, Julia Donaldson's brilliant verse combines with beautiful illustrations from Joel Stewart, creator of The Adventures Abney and Teal, to bring vibrant life to a traditional tale of how a little girl's integrity can withstand the corruption of power and greed.
Chinese New Year, China
