Our Writer in Residence Michelle Robinson reads The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
Read the Transcript
Hi, I'm Michelle Robinson and I'm a Writer in Residence with Book Trust at the minute, and over the past few months, I've been sharing ideas on how to keep reading with young children really fun. That's fun for you as well as fun for them. And before I go, I wanted to say the one thing that I really think matters the most.
It's all well and good for me to sit here and say: Here are some tips and make it sound like you need tips and there's a right and a wrong way to do it. The main thing I want to say, there is no right or wrong. If you're reading with young children, if you're making that time to share a book or story with them, you're doing something right. So don't stress and think about what a wonderful thing you're doing. And the one way I always find to remind myself what a magical thing it is to read to someone is to remember back to when I was small and someone shared a story with me.
If you think about what your earliest memories are of being read to or sharing a book with someone and you remember back to that moment and just remember that feeling. So one of my favourite memories is sitting on my Gran's knee. My Gran and Grandad that did not get along. Grandad was very grumpy and he'd always be off in another room being really miserable and Gran would sit me on her knee in front of the fire and turn off the lights, mainly because Grandad didn't like to pay the electricity bills and we'd just watch the flames and she'd read to me from her old poetry book.
Now I don't have my Gran's old poetry book, but I do have a favourite one that I keep. So think about those favourite moments. Think about how nice it feels to be read to. And I'm going to read you a story. I actually don't think I even need the book. I think I know this one by heart. But just in case:
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"
Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-Tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
So there you go. Share a story. You're sharing a wonderful thing. You're making someone feel special, cared for, maybe helping them escape from real life for a few minutes. It's a wonderful thing to do. And if you can memorise a favorite one, then you've always got a story with you wherever you go. So wherever you go, have fun and keep sharing those stories.
