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Winnie the Witch

by

Valerie Thomas

Illustrated by Korky Paul

Winnie has a problem. She has a black house with black walls, black floors, black furniture and black fittings. Winnie’s cat Wilbur is also black – and when he closes his eyes to sleep, Winnie cannot see him and treads on him. Her solution is to change the colour of Wilbur’s fur so that he stands out better. However, it’s not as simple as she has hoped and eventually (after lots of colour changing for poor Wilbur) she realises it is the house she needs to change.  

This simple story is ideal for discussing disability. It’s particularly effective for explaining what is known as the Social Model of Disability – the idea that it is not the (disabled) individual who needs to change, but the environment/society.

 

Publisher: Oxford University Press

  • Valerie Thomas

    Valerie Thomas was born in Melbourne, Australia, and has lived there for most of her life. She is a teacher, and has taught in primary, secondary, and special schools in Australia and England, as well as lecturing in English Teaching Method in a Teachers College in Melbourne.

    In 1987 her phenomenally successful children's book Winnie the Witch, illustrated by Korky Paul, was published by Oxford University Press and won the Children's Book of the Year Award.  It has since been translated into more than twenty-five languages around the world, and adapted for CD-ROM.  Since then Valerie has written many more fabulous Winnie adventures.

  • Korky Paul

    Korky Paul's bright energetic style is instantly recognisable. With a string of awards to his name, including both the Kate Greenaway Award and the Red House Children's Book Award, he is best-known for his portrayal of Winnie the Witch, everyone's favourite magical mischief maker. Korky has two grown children and lives with his wife in Oxford.

    Korky Paul
    Korky Paul

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