Christopher Nibble

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Draw a map of Dandeville, showing Christopher’s house, the library, Daisy Chain Hill and other places mentioned in the story. Could you use a key to show the different places? The tale is an allegory of consumerism which can be explored with the children. The environmental theme can be further developed by using other books; Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker, One World by Michael Foreman and Sally and the Limpet by Simon James would be some of my favourites. 5. Christopher to the rescue! When reading the book with the children it is the perfect time to start thinking about Christopher’s character and what they think he should do at this point. Hot seating the poor guinea pig in his moment of decision would be ideal. You could use a conscience alley to explore for and against devouring the plant, and wider discussions with the children about truth and honesty will also present themselves. Use natural objects to create your own artwork. Look at the work of Andy Goldsworthy for some inspiration. Christopher Nibble loves munching dandelion leaves. And he's not alone. All the guinea pigs in Dandeville eat dandelion leaves for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But no-one seems to do anything when the dandelions begin to dwindle. They just carry on munching. In fact the guinea pigs of Dandeville are heading for eco-disaster . . .

So what for the next tale of Christopher Nibble? So far Christopher’s world has been about the natural cycle of life. His home town Dandeville is a very green and harmonious world and Christopher likes to help keep it that way. Written and illustrated by Charlotte Middleton and adapted for the stage by Claire Alizon Hills, Topsy Turvy Theatre, the company who brought you Ruby Flew Too! and Isabel’s Well, proudly present the charming Christopher Nibble in a tale of dandelion daring-do!

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In the next story, then, Christopher would surely be encouraging the residents of Dandeville to help him in his next environmentally-friendly quest, whatever that might be… Christopher Nibble loves munching dandelion leaves. And he's not alone. All the guinea pigs in Dandeville eat dandelion leaves for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But no-one seems to do anything when the dandelions begin to dwindle. They just carry on munching. In fact the guinea pigs of Dandeville are heading for eco-disaster . . . But that's where Christopher Nibble steps in. He discovers the last dandelion growing outside his bedroom window and, rather than eat it, he does his horticultural research in the library and then nurtures the dandelion patiently until it has produced a perfect head of tiny seeds. Then he blows the seeds from a hill high over Dandeville so that each dandelion seedling takes root and grows into a new plant.

Christopher has to be very patient while he waits for the dandelion to grow. When have you ever had to be patient? high energy storytelling, bringing fun meaningful theatrical experiences to children aged 2-7 and their families too! Why not create an entire restaurant area in the classroom complete with table cloths, place settings, menus and a specials board? The children could roleplay the heyday of dandelions and be assigned individual roles, such as waiter, cook, maitre d’, and a whole range of different types of customer. Then it will be all change as the dandelions run out and the class could set about creating new menus using all of the vegetables they don’t like. The guinea pigs of Dandeville love munching dandelion leaves so much that slowly but surely dandelions are disappearing from all over town.The tale follows events in the town of Dandeville, where not only Christopher and the Nibble family, but also the entire town are extremely fond of the local delicacy… dandelions of course Key Stage 1 Think of positive words that Christopher might use to describe dandelions and negative words to describe cabbages! Using a poem as a model is a super way to scaffold children’s own writing and, of course, Roger McGough’s Sound Collector would be a perfect poem to enjoy and use to create your own class poem together. Christopher Nibble and his best friend Posie have been busy growing plants and food in their garden whilst taking care of their six hairy pet caterpillars. Katie and all of the other children around the world have just received the news that every child fears…Christmas is…CANCELLED!

Christopher Nibble by Charlotte Middleton is a wonderful topic book to use whilst teaching and learning about plants and growth in KS1. The Kenton Theatre (Henley on Thames) Management Society LTD | Registered Company Number: 00906767 | Registered Charity Number: 253021 No doubt someone in school will have a pet guinea pig at home who may like to come in and visit the children. This is a perfect opportunity for some observational poetry or an ‘ask the expert’ session. It’s Christmas Eve, and having tumbled to earth through the night sky, Elva sets out on a journey to find her best friend – a little girl she hasn’t even met yet. Has the lost present got what it takes to find her way through the cold winter night? Will she arrive in time for Christmas morning? Will Elva be everything the little girl wished for. Christopher’s Christmas

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Some budding Jamie Olivers may want to create and concoct interesting meals with dandelions, which of course will require shopping lists of ingredients to be written along with recipes. The story takes place in dandeville, all the guinea pigs enjoy eating dandelion all the time. Until one day, no more dandelions can be found... Christopher’s Christmas is written especially for children aged 2-7 and their families and is a Makaton Friendly performance. Told using beautiful puppets and stunning scenery, Christopher’s Christmas is a collaboration between the creator of Christopher Nibble, Charlotte Middleton, and Claire Alizon Hills of Topsy Turvy Theatre.