The Green Ship: Celebrate Quentin Blake’s 90th Birthday

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The sadness in it is subtle enough for children not to notice, and has an underlying message that life goes on. Blake’s use of frame, double-page spread and colour provides an opportunity to discuss the visual literacy involved in reading picture books. He taught illustration for over twenty years at the Royal College of Art, of which he is an honorary professor. To adults of a certain age this will bring back memories of childhood, when you could spend the day exploring and befriend people of a different generation from you which would benefit both, sadly and understandably doesn’t happen today.

The Green Ship | Centre for Literacy in Primary Education - CLPE The Green Ship | Centre for Literacy in Primary Education - CLPE

This really is a book that highlights the power of the imagination, and the importance of harnessing it. A delightful story about children who discover a ship made of trees and bushes in the middle of the forest. I found that using this book was a great way for children to use their imagination, and this was aided greatly by Quentin Blake's fantastic illustrations. On the page facing the text, ‘I t seemed as though we were heading southward through tropical seas’, there is a sequence of three framed pictures. Throughout the summer she, the Bosun and the two children sail the Seven Seas visiting exotic faraway places and having wonderful adventures.Two children climb over a wall and discover a large and wild garden with a green ship made out of trees and bushes. saw something absolutely astonishing‘ making the reader breathe in with anticipation as to what they will find on the next page. Sneaking over the wall into the garden next door to their holiday home, the pair discover a wild garden, at whose heart is the eponymous green ship, made out of specially shaped bushes, two tall trees for masts, and a raised garden shed functioning as a wheel house. Even children who may not be strong readers can look at the pictures and work out the story that is being told. I thought it was lovely that it was dedicated to Joan Aiken, as the story here has the kind of quirky appeal I associate with her work.

The Green Ship: Celebrate Quentin Blake’s 90th Birthday The Green Ship: Celebrate Quentin Blake’s 90th Birthday

I personally struggle to see how I would use this book in a classroom, but think it could be used to explore imagery and art. Rich, sumptuous images fill the pages of this enchanting celebration of the infinite scope of the human imagination. You’ll see my updates as I’m reading and know which books I’m liking and what I’m not finishing and why. The techniques are good because his illustrations are unique with bold outlines for the picture and a variety of different colours. I would recommend this book for use in Literacy, or just for a good 'Story Time' book at the end of the day.On climbing aboard they enter their own fantasy world, which they share with two equally imaginative adults. Turns out the ship is "run" by two adults, who encourage the children to embrace their imaginations and travel the world in the ship. Quentin was the inaugural Children's Laureate (1999-2001), an experience he recorded in his book Laureate's Progress. This book would be a great stimulus for further discussion such as the relationships in the book and the 'adventures' the ship goes on - scenery description. On either side of these were two tall thin trees, with not many branches that were obviously meant to be the masts.