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The Christmasaurus is a story about a boy named William Trundle, and a dinosaur, the Christmasaurus. It’s about how they meet one Christmas Eve and have a magical adventure. It’s about friendship and families, sleigh bells and Santa, singing elves and flying reindeer, music and magic. It’s about discovering your heart’s true desire, and learning that the impossible might just be possible…
Teaching Ideas and Resources:
English
- Look at the character introductions on the first few pages of the book. Can you write descriptions of each character?
- The book begins with the line, ‘This story starts like all good stories do, a long time ago.’ Could you use this as the opening line of your own story?
- Read the prologue and plan / write an alternative story that describes what happens to the last remaining dinosaur egg when it is discovered.
- Write William’s letter to Father Christmas.
- Write Mr. Trundle’s letter to Father Christmas.
- Think of some questions that you would like to ask the elves and Santa in this story.
- The elves like to talk in rhyme. Could you try to have a rhyming conversation (or write a rhyming conversation between some elves)?
- Read the description of the Christmasaurus in Chapter Five. Can you write your own description of a magical creature?
- Santa looks in a book to find out more information about the dinosaur, but there isn’t anything there. Could you write a non-fiction report about the Christmasaurus to help Santa?
- Chapter Five ends with the line ‘It was a Christmas Eve that none of them would ever forget.’ Can you use this as the first line in a completely different story?
- In Chapter Six, the elves look after the Christmasaurus. Can you write some instructions to remind them what to do every day?
- Think of some questions that you would like to ask William and Brenda following the events in Chapter Seven. How might they respond?
- Watch this ‘Virtually Live’ video with the author Tom Fletcher. If you could ask him questions about his books, what would you like to find out?
Maths
- ‘Every step you take away from the last Christmas brings you one step closer to the next’. Can you work out how many days / weeks / months it has been since last Christmas and how many it is until the next?
Science
- The mining elves wait for the Northern Lights before they start to dig up the Christmas toys. What are the Northern Lights?
Computing
- Use graphics software to create some illustrations of the Christmasaurus.
- Create a Christmasaurus ‘game’ using a programming app.
Design Technology
- Design and make a new Advent calendar to give to William and Mr. Trundle.
Art
- Can you create your own illustrations of a ‘Christmasaurus’. What do you think it should look like?
- Create a picture of a Christmas bean and the toys that you would like for Christmas growing underground!
- Create an illustration of Santa’s house based on the description in Chapter Three.
Music
- Compose some melodies to accompany the songs and rhymes in the story.
Geography
- Look at the map of The North Pole Snow Ranch in Chapter Three. Create your own map that shows what you think the real North Pole looks like. Don’t forget to add signs, labels and a key to give more information about the places shown.
PSHE
- ‘And of all the different kinds of beliefs there are, the belief of a child is by far the most unbelievably unstoppable.’ What are your beliefs? How have these changed over time?
- The Christmasaurus believed that he was different from everybody and everything else in the world. How are you similar / different to others? Why is it good to be different?
- Brenda bullies William and turns the whole school into ‘William-hating zombies’. What is bullying? How does it make people feel? What can we do if we are being bullied? What can you do if you know that someone is being bullied?
- Watch the music video for one of the songs from the musical edition of the book. Are you afraid of heights? Do you have any other fears? What can we do to overcome our fears? What happens in the video?