Mister Magnolia

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Mr Magnolia has only one boot. He has an old trumpet that goes rooty-toot – And two lovely sisters who play on the flute – But Mr Magnolia has only one boot.

In this wittily rhyming picture book, Mr Magnolia has a full and happy life except for one serious omission – a boot. But one day, he receives a mysterious parcel, and at last, Mr Magnolia can splash in the puddles with everyone else!

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Mr Magnolia’s trumpet goes ‘rooty-toot’. Can you think of other words that can be used to describe the sounds that different instruments make?
• Make up a rhyme / story which explains what happens to the matching boot that Mr Magnolia is missing.
• Find all of the adjectives in the book. Can you think of synonyms for these words?
• Look at the rhyming words within the story. Can you think of other words that rhyme with these?
• Mr Magnolia has lots of medals. Where might he have got these from?
• Mr Magnolia’s dinosaur is ‘magnificent’ can you make up a mnemonic to help you remember how to spell this word?
• Make a new rhyme / story about Mr Magnolia.
• Think of some questions that you could ask the author if you had a chance to interview him. Could you role-play some of the responses that he might give? Watch this video to find out some information about him:

Maths

• Count the animals that can be found in the story. Can you sort them into different groups using Venn and Carroll diagrams?

Science

• Think about the pond habitat in Mr Magnolia’s garden. What other creatures might live there?
• Mr Magnolia’s owls are learning to hoot. Think about the sounds that different animals make. Why do they make different sounds?
• What forces are taking place when Mr Magnolia rides his scooter or when he slides down into his pool?
• Can you plan an investigation to find the best surface for scooting / sliding on? Which one has the most / least friction?

Art

• Design a new boot for Mr Magnolia.
• Design a new outfit that Mr Magnolia might like to wear.
• Draw a picture of a gift that Mr Magnolia might give to the girl as a thank you for his new boot (see Resources below).
• Find out about the author / illustrator, Quentin Blake. What other illustrations has he drawn? Can you try to create a picture in a similar style / using similar techniques? Watch these videos for some ideas:

Music

• Mr Magnolia’s trumpet goes ‘rooty-toot’. Can you think of different types of sounds that instruments make? How are these sounds made?

Geography

• Look at the flags in one of the illustrations. Can you find out what / where they represent?
• Draw a map of Mr Magnolia’s house, including the different places shown in the illustrations.

Physical education

• Can you learn to juggle like Mr Magnolia?

PSHE

• Look at Mr Magnolia’s body language within each illustration. What does this tell you about how he is feeling at each point?