As part of this year’s World Book Day celebrations, the Reception children were fortunate enough to be visited by the wonderful storyteller Wong Swee Yean from Erudite Stories.  

Swee Yean shared a simple story about a little hermit crab who is trying to find a new, bigger shell. On his journey, he meets a friendly turtle in search of food. However, these characters soon face challenges in their journey as they navigate the polluted ocean. The children enjoyed joining in with fun songs, actions and props, while engaging with the important message about the effects that pollution can have on marine wildlife.

This story led to many thoughtful discussions in class, with children considering the actions they can take to make a difference. As part of the story telling experience, Swee Yean creatively used only recycled materials to make her props, inspiring the children to create some very intricate junk modelling of their own. This experience was a wonderful example of the power of storytelling to help explain to the children the wide-ranging subject of global pollution and the importance of sustainability.