Carnival of the Clocks

About this book

It’s a winter evening and something odd is going on in the playground. Everyone in Class One has a clock lantern. Some are circular, some are square. Some are fancy, some are simple. Some say it’s twelve o’clock, some say it’s twenty past two. Class One have made them from tissue paper and willow sticks, and everyone has a different clock.

But why? Well, it’s the 21st December – the shortest day of the year. After today, the days get longer. Hooray! To celebrate, the children of the town process to the beach with their clock lanterns and put them in a big pile. This lantern mountain is lit, to become a roaring bonfire, and then there are fireworks. Whizz! Bang!

Nick Sharratt’s text and illustrations are incredibly effective together. A simple text is given added atmosphere by the use of silhouettes to show the children progressing through the town. Amid the darkness of the winter evening, the clock lanterns are a riot of colour. Similarly, the communal event is a bright point of warmth and excitement for the children.

With accessible font and spaced text, as well as full colour illustrations, this will appeal to a wide range of readers.

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