The sky is falling children's book

The Sky Is Falling (The Guests of War Trilogy, #1) by Kit Pearson

Jill S

313 reviews269 followers

September 22, 2020

Man, this book holds up. Definition of a comfort read for me. I love this story and Kit Pearson's writing. I will never tire of Norah, Gavin, the Ogilvies, and this book.

canadian young-adult

June 25, 2022

I read this book as a child for the first time, right around it's publication time because my Mom is an avid reader and always made sure I had the newest books from the library to ensure I had new things to read. I must have read it 3 or 4 times as a kid (and the whole series).
So today I go to look for the series, to gift to a little girl who has been asking about kids in Ukraine, as I feel it's a good representation of what happens when children are ripped from their parents because their parents have to go fight in a war. Plus it's based on a true story AND I know it's an excellent book.
And what do I find. .. not the classic covers I remember (as seen in this edition that I own). Nope. Instead the covers are blah and boring looking with "Puffin Classic Collection" across the top. Say what?!?!
Am I really that old. So I did the math... yep this book was released 31 years ago... so yes, yes I really am that old I guess.
I'm still buying the series for the little girl as books can be timeless and (with the exception of how they communicate) emotions and feelings about being abandoned, lost, or scared never change.

own-print

June 6, 2019

4.5 stars. This book was difficult to read in parts. I can not imagine being ripped away from my family to live with strangers, in a foreign country no less, let alone at the age of ten. However, I soon came to enjoy following the story, and the climax was so gripping I couldn't put the book down. The resolution didn't really resolve much, and left a large unanswered question that annoyed me, so I'm going to have to read the next in the series soon.

fiction guests-of-war

April 24, 2016

I read this book in seventh grade and had a lot of difficulty putting it down. It was one of the best books I'd read at the time and a favorite.
The characters were excellent and developed. It was also really easy to identify with Norah, the main character. Usually I have trouble doing that.
It was also a chance to look at different part of WWII history and of course there were plenty of amazing details about Toronto at the time.
I really love and and recommend this book.

canadian-lit drama historical-fiction

Kirsten

633 reviews56 followers

May 2, 2017

I received this book from a friend when I was 10 - she forgot about my birthday party and didn't show up, but still managed to give me a gift which, in my books #punintended, makes you an A+ person. I had never really read historical fiction before, and was willing to read anything and everything someone put in my hands, so I started reading without hesitation. ..

And absolutely CONQUERED this book.

This book brought reading to life in a whole new way for me. In this book I discovered my interest in history, the horrors of war, and the power of writing to move you to places you never knew you could be moved. I connected with Norah on so many levels - as I'm sure many young girls did - and I found myself passionately angry at her parents for sending her away, righteously indignant that Aunt Florence could spoil Gavin so much, and heartbreakingly sad that Norah wasn't with her parents for Christmas. This book hit the Middle C #teamromo in ways I could never begin to describe, and reading it again all these years later I am still blown away by the innocence, honesty, and brilliance that is Kit Pearson's writing. I recommended this book to many people while working at Indigo, and was overjoyed to rediscover that I wasn't wrong in doing so.

This book makes me ache - for those families destroyed by war and life's cruel ability to snatch away the innocence of youth at so young an age. Absolutely beautiful.

Fun side note: now that I've lived in Toronto, I can actually picture everything that was being described. As a kid I had no idea where Yonge and Bloor was, but now I can picture it and smile like an idiot to myself as I say to myself "I lived there!" Ah, the simple joys of being a former Torontonian.

2015-time-capsule historical kidlit

July 17, 2016

Fabulous nostalgic visit to the book every 9 year old Canadian girl read when I was growing up. This books holds its own as an adult.

2016

Emma

216 reviews184 followers

February 22, 2012

In the summer of 1940, ten-year-old Norah and her friends spend their days watching the planes fight above their village in Kent. The war has certainly brought excitement to Norah’s life, but all parents see is the danger. Once they decide to send Norah and her five-year-old brother Gavin to Canada until the war ends, Norah realizes that there is no way to persuade them otherwise. While the ship ride from Liverpool to Montreal is full of excitement, the idea of living with strangers in a foreign country terrifies Norah. After staying at a University in Toronto for weeks, a family is finally found for Norah and Gavin. The only problem is that they originally only wanted a boy. Mrs. Ogilvie and her grown daughter live in an enormous house in Toronto. While Mrs Ogilvie immediately fall in love with Gavin, she shares Norah’s stubbornness and the two clash almost instantly. While a girl from her village is also in Norah’s class at school, the teacher treats Norah with sarcasm and the students tease her and call her a coward for leaving England. When the war might be go on for longer than Norah first believed, she has to find a way to accept her new home.

I first read this book maybe twelve years ago and I loved the series. However, I recently read Kit Pearson’s newest book, The Whole Truth. I found it disappointing, and that made me doubt whether The Guests of War trilogy was as good as I remembered. The first book in the trilogy follows Norah as she and her brother leave England for Canada during the Second World War. I was probably ten or so the first time I read this book, but this time it was just as hard to put down. It’s one of the best historical fiction books I’ve read for children. I might be a bit biased towards this book because it takes place in Canada, but I thought Pearson realistically portrayed World War II from the eyes of an English child forced to leave her home. One thing I found rereading this book in my twenties is that it was much more of an emotional read than it was the first time. As Pearson points out in the afterword, for some children being guests of war may have been an adventure, but Pearson did an excellent of conveying what it was like for some children who didn’t want to leave (like Norah.) While Norah could be much too headstrong and stubborn at times, I think her actions were very realistic. Who wouldn’t act out when they’re forced to leave everything they’ve ever known and live somewhere completely different than what they’re used to? Plus, Norah is only ten-years-old. I will definitely be rereading the other books in the series, the last of which is told from Gavin’s point of view. Overall, this book is a must read for children interested in World War II.

5/5

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Macklin

688 reviews28 followers

May 18, 2016

Read this in Grade Four for a book report. I did not like it because I was reading it for school.

I have read three times since then and got my mom to read to me. She read the rest of the trilogy to me as well and yeah I love it.

This was my first Kit Pearson book and to this day she remains my favourite Canadian author. I have read all her novels and have enjoyed every one of them. I like how she makes the country not this barren cold land, but one that is full of life and people.

booksiown canadian

Erin

2,849 reviews491 followers

November 3, 2013

One of my favorite book series as a young elementary student. I think it was around that time that I became interested in history. "The Sky is Falling" tells the tale of two fictional children, Norah and Gavin, who along with other British children enter and live in Canada during WWII. To me it added another facet to our countries involvement far beyond that of our veterans that we saw on Nov. 11th.

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Iris

25 reviews4 followers

July 31, 2013

I loved this! It was so cool to read about the lives of the many children who were sent away to Canada from England to find refuge from the war. Although in Norah ( the main character)'s case, she hated living with the Oglivies. All she wanted to do was go home and many people even called her a wimp from escaping from the "exciting" war. But as the novel goes on she realizes what it means to adapt, to nurture and to start fresh in her new life. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

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Alex

144 reviews18 followers

May 9, 2020

This would have been one of my favorites as a kid - Anne of Green Gables vibes with a touch of melancholy. Onto the next one.

Except for J.K. Rowling, Kit Pearson was absolutely my favourite author growing up. I first read this series in grade three or so, and probably rocketed through them another dozen times as a kid, along with everything else she ever published. Norah was far and away my favourite heroine, because she was so real, not at all like the flat, perfect characters in other books I'd read. It was okay to have feelings, Norah taught me, and it was okay that they weren't always nice, and yes, it was fine to not like your kid brother sometimes. The WWII backdrop sparked my interest in both the time period specifically and history (and historical fiction!) more generally, an interest I've kept up ever since. I've often wished I could meet Kit and tell her exactly how much her books meant to me (and maybe one day I'll do that Awake and Dreaming tour and tell her so for real!) My original copy of The Sky is Falling came from a library book sale, and I read it so often that its cover came off and had to be tucked inside the title page for safekeeping.

I haven't read these books in years, but the Penguin Classics editions showed up on Overdrive the other day and I couldn't help but grab them. To be perfectly honest, I was a little afraid I'd be bored, reading them as a grownup, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the opposite was true. A major reason these books are so good is that Pearson doesn't talk down to her audience: the horrors of war, while not generally front and centre, are made clear. Pearson's grasp on what it's like to be a young girl experiencing trauma is very, very good, and in some ways I think I was able to appreciate it more now as an adult than I could as a child (it's also entirely possible that I just cry a whole lot more readily as an adult than I did as a 10-year-old). There's more nuance here than I could easily pick up on as a kid, and I'm glad I decided to re-read these as a grownup. Norah's relationship with her parents and the Aunts, how difficult her parents' decision to send her and Gavin away really was, the singular horror of going out for lunch and coming home to find your house flattened, the reality of living in a new place. ..all of it continues to resonate. I still love these books.

When Norah and Gavin are told they are going on an “adventure”, Norah is outraged and Gavin does not understand what is happening. Norah, aged 10, and Gavin, aged 5, are to be evacuated to a safer location. It is the middle of World War 2 and their parents are worried. Norah and Gavin are sent to Canada where they live with a nice but strict and stubborn family. There journey over is full of surprises and learning experiences. As Norah adjusts to new rules and lifestyles, how will Gavin adjust to a life without his mommy? When Norah decides to do something rash, will it change her life forever, or will it make her closer to her host family.

As the first in a series of 3, this book sets the standard very high. It is very emotional and it definitely makes you think about what that would be like. Norah is very easy to relate to in some ways, and it is impossible to not feel bad for Gavin. I loved the way the author stuck to the facts as much as she could, and how realistic the fiction parts were. I did not like that it was so sad. It made me cry for ages. I would recommend this book to all ages. Younger children will look at Norah and see a kindred spirit, while adults will think about how hard it would be for the parents and other adults in this book.

This book was chosen by my colleague for my Mother-Daughter book group and I'm incredibly happy she picked it!

Not only did the mothers love it, but we ended up fighting over who gets to read the next one on their kobo (I won as I had already downloaded it!).

The story is a simple one- Norah and Gavin are children living in Britain whose parents decided to send them to Canada to avoid the bombing of WWII. They are sent to a rich mother and daughter in Toronto and the story is just about Norah adjusting to her new life.

The story is simple, but the characters are complex and their development is what makes this story touching and beautiful.

I'm a huge fan of Kit Pearson- I've never given her anything less than 5 stars but this one just blew me away. Norah just lept of the page for me. Her anguish, confusion and anger was just palpable. The story was wonderfully written and being an immigrant myself, I could really sympathize with Norah as she tried to find her way in her strange new home.

Memorable story full to the brim with emotional characters and simple yet elegant writing by one of Canada's best children's authors.

book-group childrens

I read this book for a sixth grade assignment, for which I had to make a film strip with sound effects and give a class presentation. I returned to this book more than once when I was young. Though I have not read it for many years, I still remember how vividly if affected me as a child and would recommend it for any young reader.

I also remember how much fun I had working on the film strip sound effects with my father. We did so much with a few low cost items, most of which we already had around the house -- no professional tapes for us! The teacher loved our efforts and kept my project over to use as an example for future classes, a rare honor for me.

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Isabel

23 reviews1 follower

Convincing story of two British children sent to Canada for
safety during World War 2. Rebellious Norah does not want to
go, preferring to stay at home and fight the good fight.
She resents taking responsibility for little brother Gavin.
Spirited Norah meets her match in her foster-mother.

Realistically portrays the adjustments a child must make
to a new country, and to growing up.

zf-kids-11-12

As a kid, this was my favorite book. Norah and Gavin are two siblings from England. They are growing up in WWll. For their protection, they are sent against their will (especially Norah's) to Canada to live with a host family to keep them safe.
I haven't read this in a while, but I liked it so much as a kid that I just might read it again.

favorites

This was a surprisingly powerful book. It is one of those books that when I finished it, it was like I'd done something important. It's not the type that I would usually choose, but I am glad to have read it. It's one that I would recommend to just about anyone. It's a fast read because you can't put it down.

Yarn for youngsters. WWII evacuated children from England live in Canada.

A book written for children, but also a book that can be enjoyed by adults. A lovely read.

Dawn

188 reviews3 followers

World View - Secular

Read Aloud 12 yrs+
Independent Reader 14 yrs +

Setting:
Location - Britain, Toronto, Ontario
Time Period - WWII, 1940, Battle of Britain

Review

This is book one in the War Guests Trilogy. Although it is a highly acclaimed book which contains high quality writing, the questionable moral values conveyed during the story raise concern in regard to the target audience. It seems to be aimed toward grades 5 or 6, however I would suggest that it is far more appropriate for an older reader who is less likely to emulate Nora’s behavior.

It follows the story of two young British children being sent to Canada to escape WWII. It is an emotional story told from Nora’s perspective. The author does a wonderful job of demonstrating how scary and stressful it must have been for young children to be sent from their homes and parents to a strange place. Nora tends to be somewhat nasty to everyone almost the entire time. This is understandable, as it makes sense that some children would definitely act out under those circumstances. The adults tend to be unpleasant, controlling or wishy-washy. They are introduced only through a child’s eyes so although they are somewhat one sided, they are believable making Nora seem very alone.

Sadly, one of the strong underlying themes of the story seems to be the idea that you may be dishonest as long as you word it correctly and you feel justified in doing so. Nora lies to her parents, teacher, guardians, friends, the librarian, a police man and her brother. Aunt Mary lies to Aunt Florence. Aunt Florence asks Nora to lie through omission, asking her not to tell her parents that her brother is being kept home from school. To be clear this is not one sweeping lie that has grown out of control. Almost all of these incidents are stand alone situations where Nora deceives someone then justifies her actions. If you believed the message conveyed by this book, none of these instances were lies because they were “only” carefully worded deception and misleading remarks not exactly outright lies. Although Nora is called on her poor relationship and attitude towards Aunt Florence the book never directly addresses her dishonesty. It mentions that she can now write an uncensored letter to her parents later in the book, but that is the extent of it. This theme has made an otherwise educational story inappropriate for the age group it was written for, as it seems to condone dishonesty.

Teacher Application

Nora tends to be selfish and self centered looking at the world from her very narrow point of view. This is understandable as a child’s view of the world is based solely on their small experience. This however might lead to a very one sided understanding of the War Guest situation. It is important that students understand the sacrifice made by the families who hosted the war guests. The planning and preparing involved in bringing them to Canada in a safe and orderly manner to protect both the children and the Canadian population should also be discussed.
Students need to understand that children were dying in Britain. Parents weren’t being over cautious or paranoid. The fear of a German invasion was very real, and many people were killed in the bombings. Parents sent their children not because they wanted to, but because the alternative was so bleak.

This story doesn’t touch at all on Canada’s roll in the war other than to take in war guests. As such this needs to be paired with teaching on what Canadians did in Europe.

Parental Warning

Dishonesty condoned repeatedly: See review above.

Disrespect of Authority:
Nora is very disrespectful to everyone in authority over her. Even after she makes amends with Aunt Florence she continues to disrespects her behind her back. “ How wonderful to be able to be so wicked, to make fun of her Aunt Florence with someone who knew her!”

Church is presented in a negative light:
“Grown-ups seemed to go to church to observe and gossip and waste valuable time.” Although some children may feel this way, it is a disrespectful and somewhat ignorant thing to say without any reference to the adults’ beliefs or indication that the author has any understanding of the Christian faith. It would have been far better if she avoided this statement at all.

canadian-history

This is another book that I remember well from reading when I was younger. ..

Did you know that during World War II, many children were sent overseas by their parents, to be away from the perils and emotional stress of war?

The Sky Is Falling tells the story of two such children - ten year old Norah and five year old Gavin, who feel as though they only have each other when they are sent across the ocean to live with Ogilvies, a host family who are willing to take them on.

The last thing that Norah wants to do is go across the world to stay with strangers, and it's not easy to fit into a new country, or with a new family far away from home. I still remember how vividly I empathised with Norah, struggling to fit in at school and terribly ashamed when she finds herself wetting the bed again on top of already feeling unwanted at her new home.

With the war so far removed from our times, I think this book is an important one to read and consider for readers of all ages for the story it tells, taking us back to the chaos of war-time and how it affected people of all ages.

canadian-lit favorites

I first read this book when I was about 12 or 13 and read it again when I was in my mid-twenties and enjoyed it both times, although my second time reading it has left more of an impression. While it is a story of two siblings leaving home as a result of WWII, it is also a story of a young girl who is about 11 or 12 being forced to grow up beyond what she wants and expects. While Norah is rebellious, she is only so due to the fact that her hosts, especially the mother, pays little attention to her, thinking that Norah is adjusting fine, when in fact she is probably not adjusting as well as her younger brother is. It also doesn't help that she is leaving home at time in her life when she is starting to not only rely on her parents for advice, but also when she has established a life in her small English village.

canadian historical-fiction young-adult

This is the first book I've been asked to read for my Children's Literature class. And while this novel may deserve more than the three stars I've given it, but I will leave it up to someone else to do. This book has a few hallmarks I have known to be successful with kids who are and are not me: Kids on their own (Norah and her brother are not orphaned, but they are sent to Canada alone - and what kid doesn't love to dream of independence?), a quirky and not-femme main female character (Norah prefers collecting war shrapnel and building forts), and an evil older adult (though this is eventually rectified). My favourite scene is (of course) the discovery of the local library in her new Canadian neighbourhood, where she gets to finish her favourite series and meet a new friend. aww... <3

gr 4-6 248pgs

1940 Ringden, England. 10 year old Norah and her 5 year old brother Gavin are forced to leave their tiny village because their parents want them to go to Canada where they will be safe from the war. Norah is furious with her parents for sending her and Gavin is too young to understand. When they arrive in Canada, they are sent to live with Mrs. Ogilive and her adult daughter Mary. Mrs. Ogilive spoils Gavin who reminds her of her son Hugh who died in WWI, while Norah feels that all Mrs. Ogilive does is order her about. Norah's adventurous spirit is always getting her into trouble with Mrs. Ogilive. Norah can't wait for the war to be over so she can go home!

Great story about "war guests" in Cananda. I would recommend this story to someone interested in WWII.

historical-fiction-gr-4-6 historical-fiction-over-100-pgs

Amanda

346 reviews4 followers

gr 4-6 248pgs

Great story about "war guests" in Cananda. I would recommend this story to someone interested in WWII.

grade-4-6 historical-fiction

Leah

624 reviews86 followers

This book has been on my shelf since my Grannie gifted it to me Christmas 1998 <3 Love you Grannie! The book was about Norah and her little brother Gavin evacuating England and coming to Toronto Canada to live with a family of strangers. There's many Toronto call outs, like Union Station, The Royal York Hotel, Young street, etc which made me feel patriotic. The way the Canada dealt with helping Britain out with the war made me feel so proud to be Canadian. How they rescued around 15,000 children amazes me. But not only all of this but the fact that the book was very well written. Pearson does and excellent job of going into the minds of children and how they think and feel. It actually made me reminisce of my own childhood and the way I use to view situations and people.

own-the-book

Norah Stoakes feels safe as she and her friends watch the skies for German planes near her home in England, but her parents feel differently. They decide to send Norah and her brother, Gavin, to Toronto, Canada, for the duration of the war. Mrs. Florence Ogilvie, a rich widow, and her daughter, Mary, agree to become their guardians. Five year-old Gavin quickly takes the place of Aunt Florence’s dead son, Hugh, as she lavishes him with gifts and affection. Norah feels so home-sick that she alienates herself from Gavin, her guardians, and her classmates. Then, she makes friends with a bullied Jewish boy, and her attitudes begin to soften.

I read this when I was younger and really enjoyed it. Reading it again, I wished for more wrap up in the story line. But I guess a good YA book ends with a beginning. This time around I was at times frustrated with how Norah acted toward the people who were trying to help her and was annoyed that she couldn't change her attitude a little bit because it would have made her life so much easier! I definitely recommend this read for a young person. I think it's a light glimpse into the life of a child influenced by WWII and will get a child thinking, but not overwhelm them with the war stuff.

Ah!!!! I just LOVED this book, I have to say that this is one of my favourite historical fiction books ever!! And the fact that this is a Canadian book doesn't hurt either! The writing is so poetic and beautiful,I guarantee that almost everyone will love this one! It should be a classic ( at least for Canadians)!!!

I can't say enough good things about this novel!

5/5 stars!

P. S I read this novel during the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010, giving me many happy memories.

books-i-loved-as-a-kid

The Story of Chicken Little: The Sky is Falling

© Written by Tasha Guenther and illustrated by Leanne Guenther
Fairy tale based on the original story first collected by Danish librarian Just Mathias Thiele.

There was once a big farm near a vast field, and here there lived a hen named Penny. She was great friends with everyone, and those who knew her gave her many names.

She was a tiny hen. The other chickens in the yard would tease her for her size. They often termed her “Chicken Little.” While Penny surprisingly loved this name, her favorite thing to be called was “Henny-Penny,” given to her by the other fowls that lived nearby. The rhyme was perfect, it was sweet, and she liked it very much.

One morning, as Henny-Penny was plucking worms in the henyard, an acorn dropped from a tree right onto her head! She had no idea what had hit her, however, and so she started shouting:

“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”

She ran around in circles for a while, calmed herself, and then got right to waddling—she had to alert the king!

She waddled and waddled and waddled until she found her excellent friend Rooster-Booster.

“What’s the matter, Henny-Penny?” he asked.

“Oh, Rooster-Booster, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! And we must alert the king!” she cried.

“Oh, we must, we must!” he cried back.

Henny-Penny and Rooster-Booster waddled and waddled and waddled until they saw their wonderful pal Ducky-Chucky.

Now, Ducky-Chucky was basking in the sun near the pond’s edge when he noticed the two chickens fast-approaching.

“Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster: hello! Fine day, isn’t it?” Ducky-Chucky giggled and splashed into the water.

“Oh, Ducky-Chucky, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! And we must alert the king!” Henny-Penny exclaimed.

“Oh, we must, we must!” Rooster-Booster chimed in.

Ducky-Chucky bounded from the pond and joined his friends immediately. As he shook his little webbed feet free of water, he felt the warm sun dry them quickly and wondered how the sky could fall on a warm summer’s day such as this one.

He looked at the concern on his friends’ faces, nevertheless, and shrugged his wonders away.

Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster, and Ducky-Chucky waddled and waddled and waddled until they met up with the brawny Goosie-Brucie floating with ease at the other end of the pond.

“Oh, Goosie-Brucie,” Henny-Penny began, “the sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!”

“Oh, we must, we must!” Rooster-Booster chimed in.

Ducky-Chucky looked back up at the blazing sun and again wondered how the sky could fall on a warm summer’s day such as this one.

Goosie-Brucie wanted to protect his fowl friends, and he wanted to join them on their journey to the nearby palace, but he had a question about the sky above.

“Henny-Penny…” he started. “How do you know the sky is falling?”

“Well, it fell right on my head!” she answered.

Goosie-Brucie puffed his chest feathers instantly and moved right along, shrugging his question away.

Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster, Ducky-Chucky, and Goosie-Brucie waddled and waddled and waddled until they came to the farm fence. They noticed the eccentric Turkey-Perky pecking on the other side.

“Oh, Turkey-Perky, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!” Henny-Penny squealed.

“Oh, we must, we must!” Rooster-Booster chimed in.

Again, Ducky-Chucky, now hot as ever and missing his pond, wondered how the sky could fall on a warm summer’s day such as this one.

Goosie-Brucie again asked aloud, “How do we know the sky is falling?”

“It fell right on my head, I say, I say!” Henny-Penny shouted in desperation.

Now, Turkey-Perky stopped pecking and turned to the group:

“Rooster-Booster, did you see the sky fall?”

“No, I did not,” the rooster replied quietly.

“And, Ducky-Chucky, you look strained: how are you feeling?” Turkey-Perky asked.

“Well, I am concerned, I am hot, and I wonder how the sky could be falling on such a beautiful day,” he replied.

“And Goosie-Brucie,” Turkey-Perky turned to the burly bird, “You do not see any sky falling, do you?”

“No, I do not,” the goose responded.

“Ha-ha! Well, then, I will come with you on your merry way, but we’ve all got some doubts, Penny!” the turkey said with glee. He was interested to see where this adventure would go.

Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster, Ducky-Chucky, Goosie-Brucie, and Turkey-Perky waddled and waddled and waddled until they could see the palace just beyond the farmer’s field.

As they waddled over the last hill of the vast field, they saw a flash of reddish-brown before them. It was Mr. Fox!

None of the fowl friends had met this sly creature before, but they had heard rumors of his trickery and appetite. Henny-Penny and Rooster-Booster were oblivious, though, and desperate to keep moving. Ducky-Chucky suddenly shivered, forgetting the day’s heat, while Goosie-Brucie’s chest became even puffier; Turkey-Perky just stopped and smiled.

“Hello, hello, hello,” cooed the fox.

“Oh, Mr. Fox, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!” Henny-Penny shouted.

“Oh, we must, we must!” Rooster-Booster chimed in. But the other birds stayed silent.

“Ah, yes, the sky is falling! And I know where the king is!” replied a delighted Mr. Fox. He licked his lips and gestured the birds to follow him past a large tree and back over the hill.

Henny-Penny and Rooster-Booster began to waddle and waddle and waddle in the direction of Mr. Fox. Turkey-Perky whispered something to Ducky-Chucky and Goosie-Brucie, and then the three waddled closely behind the rest.

As Mr. Fox led Henny-Penny and Rooster-Booster into a hole in the hill just under the tree, Ducky-Chucky bounded into action. There was a small patch of water beside the opening, and the duck giggled with delight as he splashed his feet loudly.

Rooster-Booster and Mr. Fox re-emerged from the hole, suddenly distracted by all the quacking and splashing. Goosie-Brucie looked at Turkey-Perky, who gave him the signal, and stood right under the tree over the hole. The goose puffed his chest out as hard as he could muster and bumped the trunk, causing the tree to shake. Several acorns fell, covering the hole and hitting Mr. Fox, knocking him out cold. Turkey-Perky pecked and pecked and pecked up the acorns until there was just enough room for the tiny hen to escape out of the hole. “Chicken Little” indeed! By now, she had seen the acorns collapse and knew what had fallen on her head earlier.

Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster, Ducky-Chucky, Goosie-Brucie, and Turkey-Perky waddled and waddled and waddled back home to safety. Henny-Penny hugged her fowl friends and kissed Turkey-Perky on the cheek, grateful that the fox had not eaten them—and that the world was not ending! Instead, they all lived happily ever after.

Printable version of this story

My name is Tasha Guenther. I currently live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, while I finish my Ph.D. in Cultural Studies with a concentration in digital cultures at McMaster University. I am an avid academic essay/book chapter writer, but I also enjoy writing short stories and non-fiction pieces. You can read more of my DLTKsCrafts work here!

Alongside my learning, studying, and thinking about digital platforms and critical theory, I appreciate long conversations with close friends, reading poetry, and taking photos of my cat. Learn more about me here or connect with me on my Instagram, Twitter, VSCO, and Facebook accounts.

Closer to the Stars: The Best Children's Space Books

For the most curious young explorers and intrepid travelers ready to go on a space odyssey and conquer new spaces and worlds, the Bibliogide website has selected 11 best books about space. Training for an astronaut, a cat-astronomer, a guide to the Universe and "horror" stories about black holes - all the most interesting and exciting about the wonderful world of distant stars awaits you!

Cat Ard. Space : big science for little ones

Originally called Astronaut in Training, this book is really structured as a training course with both theoretical and practical tasks, and it's all a fun game . We are told about everything that an astronaut should know - from English (the official language of the ISS) and the laws of physics - to the structure of the solar system and the history of space exploration. Thanks to a small amount of text, simple language, visual illustrations, and, most importantly, extremely interesting information, even a child who has recently learned to read will be able to graduate from the Space Academy on their own or with the help of their parents.

Recommended age: 6-9 years old

Stuart Atkinson. Starry Sky Guide

Lucky Cat loves to look at the stars. He knows almost everything about them and is ready to become your guide through the starry sky. How and where is it right to observe the stars? How are stars different from planets? Who named the constellations and when? What is asterism? How does the starry sky change in different seasons? Why are the stars falling? When you look at the starry sky, a thousand questions arise. When you open this book, you will find answers to some of them. But, of course, not all, because the starry sky is full of secrets and mysteries, and it is waiting for new astronomers who will surprise the world with their discoveries.

Recommended age: 6–10 years old

Vyacheslav Klimentov, Julia Sigorskaya. Onward to space! Discoveries and achievements

After this book, many boys and even girls will surely want to become astronauts. And it is possible that one of them will finally make a historic flight to Mars. But all the deadlines have long passed! If you remember, Ray Bradbury began the exploration of the red planet in 1999, but due to the slowness and sluggishness of mankind, the writer had to shift the date 30 years ahead. Let's hope that this richly illustrated book, written in a very sensible and exciting way, will at least partially correct the current situation.

Recommended age: 10 - 15 years old

Olivia Koski, Jana Grsevich. A space tourist guide to the solar system: a scientific approach to choosing the best route

You can spend your holidays lying on the beach or in a hammock in the country. The authors of this book offer more interesting vacations - go on an interplanetary journey, ski on the sands of Mercury, admire the giant canyons of Mars, skydive on Saturn ... You will find many amazing space tours in a guide to the solar system. Of course, this is not possible today and not tomorrow, but it is possible!

Recommended age: 9-15 years old

Dmitry Kostyukov. Space: incredible stories about rockets and space stations, about heroes and inventors, about jumping on the Moon and aliens, about the smell of space and 16 sunrises a day, about weightlessness and flying at a speed of 28 thousand km / h!

Cosmos is a picture book. Collages for "Cosmos" are unusual in that they are all made by hand, they use a huge amount of authentic material: chevrons from space suits, photographs from near-Earth orbit taken by cosmonaut, Hero of Russia Oleg Kotov. Vertical and horizontal turns alternate - this allows you to better convey the dynamics of the launch or show the rocket assembly process in detail. In general, it turned out to be a kind of mini-encyclopedia, interesting, unexpected and quite informative, despite only 75 pages.

Recommended age: 8 – 12 years old

Efrem Levitan. Fabulous adventures of a little astronomer

The main character of this scientific fairy tale is a boy Seryozhka, who once made friends. .. with the Sun. And then with other heavenly inhabitants. Following Seryozha, readers of this book will get acquainted with the planets of the solar system, with the most famous constellations, learn a lot about the size of our Galaxy, about whether it is the only one in the Universe... scare and always surprise - just like the starry sky above us!

Recommended age: 6-8 years old

Efrem Levitan. Black holes. Space Horrors

Another book by the famous popularizer of astronomy, teacher and writer Ephraim Levitan tells about the most mysterious and dangerous phenomenon in our universe - black holes. Scientists do not know much about them, so not only children, but also adults will learn a lot of new information from this story. You will learn about wormholes and magical tunnels in space, supernova explosions and possible time travel.

Recommended age: 8-13 years old

Lev Oborin. Solar system. Cosmic verses and scientific comments

It would seem that you can tell children about the solar system? List the most famous planets and name the Earth's satellite the Moon? But science is developing and the study of space is ongoing. So people's understanding of the solar system at the beginning of the 21st century has expanded significantly. Space poems of the poet, writer and young father of two sons Lev Oborin are accompanied by the latest scientific facts. Illustrator Eya Mordyakova came up with a cute character who makes an exciting journey, moving further and further away from the Sun with each page.

Recommended age: 5–10 years old

Satine Oganjanyan. Yuri Gagarin

Do you know why the future cosmonaut number one stayed in the first class for the second year? And how did he dine on potatoes and cutlets in zero gravity and have tea with the British queen? Open this book and Yuri Gagarin himself will tell you the story of his life. From the age of 15, he began to master the craft of a foundry worker, went in for sports and, with a height of 1 m 57 cm, led the basketball team to the champions of the city. And then the passion for space began: skydiving, flight school, Star City and the first flight around the Earth.

Recommended age: 7-11 years old

Raman Prinja. Planetarium

The book invites readers on a tour of the amazing museum: they will have an exciting journey through the solar system and the Milky Way to the most distant galaxies. Flipping through the pages, the children will get acquainted with the history of astronomy and the tools with which you can observe celestial bodies, with the planets that make up the solar system, with dwarf planets and exoplanets. They will be able to look inside the most mysterious object in the Universe - a black hole, admire the famous constellations of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and find out what types of galaxies are. They are waiting for stories about how stars are born and die, and many more amazing secrets and wonders of the incomprehensible cosmos.

Recommended age: 11–16 years old

Daria Chudnaya. Animal Cosmonauts: The First Conquerors of Space

Did you know that not only the famous pioneers Belka and Strelka, but also guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, mice, newts, frogs, snails, hamsters, geckos, fish, cockroaches have been in space , quails? And that there were much more dogs than two? And that they were all mongrels and repeatedly changed their official names? You are waiting for fascinating details about the early pages of the history of space exploration. The publication was prepared based on the materials of the Museum of Cosmonautics and is a successful attempt at a popular presentation of verified scientific information.

Recommended age: 10 - 14 years old

Read more about these books on the site Bibliygid. Even more informative and very exciting books about distant galaxies and the conquest of space - in section "Astronomy".

Ard, K. Cosmos: big science for small ones / Cat Ard ; [artist] Sarah Lawrence; [translated from English by T. Dolmatova]. - Moscow : Books by Willy Winki : AST, 2019. — 48 s. : ill. — (Big science for little ones).

Atkinson, S. Sky Guide / Stuart Atkinson; illustrations by Brendan Kearney; [translated from English by Artyom Andreev]. - Moscow: AST: [Avanta], 2019. - 55 [8] p. : ill. - (World scientific pop for children).

Klimentov, V. Forward, into space! Discoveries and achievements / Vyacheslav Klimentov, Yulia Sigorskaya. - Saint Petersburg ; Moscow: Speech, 2016. - 111 p. : ill. - (Speech about Russia).

Koski, O. The Space Tourist's Guide to the Solar System: A Scientific Approach to Choosing the Best Route / Olivia Koski and Jana Grsewicz; translation from English by V. I. Frolov. - Moscow: Kolibri, 2019. - 223 p. : col. ill.

Kostyukov, D. Kosmos : [incredible stories about rockets and space stations, about heroes and inventors, about jumping on the Moon and aliens, about the smell of space and 16 sunrises a day, about weightlessness and flying at a speed of 28 thousand km /h!] / Dmitry Kostyukov, [artist] Zina Surova. - Moscow: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2016. - 75 p. : ill.

Levitan, E. P. Fairy-tale adventures of a little astronomer / Ephraim Levitan; artist O. Estis. - Moscow: Meshcheryakov Publishing House, 2016. - 64 p. : ill. - (Pythagorean pants).

Levitan, E. Black holes. Space Horrors / E. P. Levitan; illustrations by Ksenia Larichkina. - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2019. - 64 p. : col. ill. — (My first book).

Oborin, L. The solar system. Cosmic verses and scientific comments / Lev Oborin; illustrations by Eya Mordyakova. — Moscow : Livebook, 2019. — 47 p. : col. ill.

Ogandzhanyan, S. Yuri Gagarin / [author of the text Satin Ogandzhanyan; illustrations: Natalia Popova]. - Moscow: Ashet Collection, 2019. - [27] p. : ill., fotoil. - (They were small too. Hachette; Issue No. 1/2019).

Prinja, R. Planetarium / text: Raman Prinja; [translated from English by Andrey Dambis] ; illustrations: Chris Wormell. - Moscow: Makhaon, 2018. - 112 p. : col. ill.

Chudnaya, D. Animals-cosmonauts. The first conquerors of space / Daria Wonderful; artist Asya Mitskevich. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2019. - 63 p. : ill. - (PRO space) (You and your child).

About the new Russian children's book

What is decidedly good in Russia is children's books. Precisely books, because I am talking about books of preschool age, thin notebooks of 15-30 pages. A number of undeniable qualities. First of all, almost exclusively, poems, that is, things are given in a language that children not only love, but create - their native language. (There are no children without their own poems, just as there are no nations without songs.) The second quality (without which the first, that is, the verses themselves, is a vice) is the quality of the verses themselves: excellent. You read, admire, and: who writes this? Nobody. Nameless. A name that says nothing. Writes a high culture of verse. So in my childhood, poets did not write for children. Third: the very theme of these books: real, in contrast to the pseudo-fiction that dominated Russian preschool literature for so long and so recently, to all these fairies, gnomes, flowers and moths that do not correspond to either nationality (the first) or nature (the second). Fourth: unloading from the suffocatingly sugary life of a nursery, with its mothers, nannies, lambs, angels, babies, again not corresponding to any reality (compare the pre-war infant magazine "Malyutka" and the early childhood of Bagrov-grandson, those "mothers" - and that mother), and if they are appropriate, then unfortunately. There are also sheep in the new children's literature, but they are sheep, and they graze in the pastures of Turkestan, and their wool is in tatters, and not curled by a hairdresser. A child turns a toy lamb into a ram (life), why should children turn life (nature) into a toy? After all, the whole thing is in a living ram. And next to the ram is a shepherd, and under the ram is grass, and above the ram is the sky. And the shepherd is dressed in such and such a way, and such and such a song, on such and such a pipe (and from what tree, and how many holes - it is said) plays, and the grass is the grass of a given geographical region, and not lamb "grass", and the sky - and the sky - the sky that was not there above the lawns of my children's books.

Let's start at random. Due to the conciseness of the place, the verses have to be given in a line.

“And you guys live in the city, it's a bit crowded. “Your important houses are like an iron prison.”

And further.

“Don't be proud, Leningraders — It's very stupid to be conceited. - Everyone brings trains - From the village to the cities. - A shirt grows in the fields, - Len will spin a spinner on a spinning wheel, - We are without factories and machines - Let's get canvases for ourselves!

And, in response to the arrogant assertion of the city: — “But you don’t have any in the village — No cakes, no sweets” —

- “Yes, you won’t find cakes, - But we sow rye. - Grain falls into the ground, - It rises as an ear. - A ripe ear is waiting for a sickle, - A compressed ear is waiting for a flail, - And the threshing is finished - Bread goes to the mill. - The peasant will have rye, - There will be flour in the city.

This is "City and Village", but a separate book - "Bread" - 15 pages of large print, and on 15 pages everything, the whole history of bread: Plowman - Harrow - Sower - Rye - Threshing - Winnowing - Mill - To City - Baker - Baker. Song about bread in 10 chapters. I bring the whole baker:

“The sourdough is good, — Three buckets of water, — Yeast for a penny, — Flour — for a quarter. - Yeasted dough came out, - You can't keep it on the reins. - I kneaded it thicker, - It came more. - There is not enough space - The dough comes out. - And I'm dough - shmyak! - Shmyak and that, shmyak and so! - I roll on flour - Along the linden board, - From edge to edge - I roll loaf. - I'll roll it out - I'll bake, - On a shovel I'll put it in the oven.

What, okay? - Fine. And isn't it better than, for example, such poems (the book is in front of me, of our production):

“In a country where the sun is hot, — A savage lived in a dense forest. - Once near the window - He found a cup - a gift from the fairies. - The savage did not appreciate the gift - He was ungrateful, cruel - And often the cup was hot - He poured boiling water into it. (The question is - what is the cup for? Here they are, "gifts of fairies"!) - And the black boy of the savage - Always angry, ferocious and angry. - He, a poor spoon of the sea (?!), - He beat it painfully on the table. Bypassing the rhyme: beds and pins (why not slobbers and pins, and more harmonious and closer in meaning: slobber, at worst, can be stabbed with a pin), let's move on to the next gift of the fairy:

“But the fairy sent a gift to the baby: — A cardboard, thick, black ball. - She was immediately dressed in that ball. - She barely stood - (as a result of which she began to be called Tanka-Vstanka. And, further:) - Once to Tanechka on the table - Suddenly black Vaska the cat jumped - And threw the poor woman to the floor.

We don’t ask where Vaska’s tables and cats come from in the tropical forests (after a cup that can’t stand boiling water, nothing will surprise us!), let’s ask the author: where - from what places in Russia - does he get this accent: on the floor? Maybe - for the sake of rhyme? But is Tanya's table really so brilliant in the tropics?

Brisons-la, because from the first page to the last - the same mediocre, shameless, illiterate nonsense. "But are all the children's books here like that?" “Not all of them, but she’s not alone (at least there are five more of the same, by the same author, I vouch for the quality), but even if she’s alone, name her, show me at least one such in Russia. Do not show, because it cannot be. Another culture of poetry. Simply - the paper will not endure.

Speaking of paper, excellent. The print is large, black, exactly - clear. And about illustrations it would be necessary a separate article. Names? The same nameless ones. High culture of hand and eye.

Let's take a penny (the price is 1 kopeck) edition of Pushkin's fairy tales. - About the Golden Cockerel, about Rybak and Rybka - on 16 pages of text - 8 pages of pictures, in three colors. And what pictures! No pre-war Knebel can be compared. For a penny, a child can read and see Pushkin's fairy tale with his eyes. Reliability (I hold in my hands). The conclusion is yours. I remember the penny books of my childhood. "Nello and Patrash" Uyda, but without pictures and, it seems - 3 kopecks. Maybe Pushkin was, maybe for a penny, maybe with pictures - but in any case, not for this penny and not with such pictures - first-class.

For the first time in the history of the world, a country has taken a child seriously. To preschool, at most - six years old - seriously. In England, when a child crosses the street, everything stops. In Russia, the child sets everything in motion. "His Majesty the Child" - this was said by Europe, and carried out by Russia.

Themes of children's books, basically, three. Nature (animals, birds, lands - mainly Russia), nationality (tales, traditions and customs of all peoples - mainly Russian tribes) and modernity, if you want - technology. Not gravitating towards the latter, no: oh, how gravitating towards it! I cannot but admit that such books as "Who is faster" - all methods of transportation from an elephant to an airplane (I will say once and for all about the text and drawings: excellent), like "Diving Base" (the entire seabed), like "Clock" - all their individuals, ending with village clocks: a rooster, is a good, wise and necessary deed. Even if technology is an enemy, man must know his enemies. But she is an enemy for me and for one and a half (non-standard) souls, our children were born in her and with her, they should live in her, live with her, more - to create her.

And despite all my love for Perrault's fairy tales (I can still see Donkey's skin fleeing from his terrible home - a huge elm alley, on rams, under the ram's horn of the moon ... I'm only against borrowed, not grafted, unable to graft - false- fiction - Ryazan "elves" rise!) - so, despite all my love for Donkey skin - why is a diver less magical than a fairy?

Ask the children - their answer.

But among all life-magical ones there are also purely magical ones. Take "The Adventures of a Table and a Chair" - about how things got tired of standing still. (Feeling legal!)

"The mirrors rang, - The wolf skin crawled away, - The table said as they walked: - Goodbye: I'm coming."

Without bothering the reader with a retelling of all the (very lively and funny) misadventures of the runaway couple - and very much wishing that he, the reader, would work himself, I will draw his attention to the legitimacy of such fiction. Chair - four legs - and "goodbye! I'm going!" (all four). These are not savages with tea cups. Fantasy is not lawlessness, lawless fantasy is - nonsense.

Nature in Russian preschool literature is as generously represented as technology. There are countless "menageries", but not only animals in cages - and in the wild, each at home, against his background, in his family or pack, with his misfortune, with his own fate. They are especially dearly loved, therefore they are often painted and sung. Owl and Hedgehog - and in this I also see the deepest penetration into the preschool, still involuntary soul. Who among us has not once had his own (tragic) hedgehog? (The hedgehog is gone!) And which of all the birds did not especially gravitate towards the owl: the owl: the brother of the native cat? The current children's books have stirred up my then childhood passion.

Menageries. Of all the available ones, I know two, and one is better than the other. The ingenious menagerie of Boris Pasternak, which is not the place to stop here, because I am talking about an ordinary book, and “Children in a Cage” by S. Marshak is my favorite of all children's books. Let's start with the name. Not animals in a cage, but children in a cage, the very children who look at them. Children look at themselves. Juvenile (preschool!) - elephant, polar bear, brown bear, giraffe, lion, camel, kangaroo, chimpanzee, tiger, wolf dog, just a wolf - who is not there! We will all be there.

“Here's a young elephant - Doused with water. - I washed my head and ear, - And it became dry in the pelvis. - For a good elephant - You need a whole river! Remove the pelvis, - Bring the Fontanka!

And here is the Lion Cub:

“No, wait, wait, wait! - I'll deal with you! - My father in one jump - Dealing with a bull. - It will be a shame if I - Do not catch a sparrow. - Hey, come back while you're still intact! - Mother! Mother! Flew away!

And, for a snack, a juvenile tiger:

“Get out! I'm angry! — I don't want your biscuit. What's good about a biscuit? - Bring me some meat. “I am a tiger cub, a beast of prey!” Do you understand now? "I'm going crazy with anger!" - Every day guests come, - They disturb, pester, - They put umbrellas in the cage.