Dear Diary

by Sara Fanelli

The wild and wacky adventures of a day at school are captured in diary form by a number of involved characters, including Bubu the dog, a ladybug, a firefly, and a chair.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Art, School, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

Sara Fanelli was born in 1969 in Florence, where she studied for a Diploma di Maturita at the Liceo Classico Michelangelo before coming to England, where she studied at the City and Guilds of London Art School, Camberwell School of Art, and the Royal College of Art, London.

She has undertaken illustration work for various publications, including the New York Times, the Independent on Sunday and the New Scientist. Her clients include The Royal Mail, BBC Worldwide, and Tate.

Reviews

[Caroline Nixey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely collage of pictures. Loved the font in a diary, children’s writing format

[Ellie Abrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very nicely laid out, with several fonts and the images look very much like a collage. I liked that the diary for each character seemed to convey a different personality to the reader, as well the various perspectives of the days events from each one. This would be a good book to use in the classroom for introducing the idea of diary writing. However, I do think that they storyline could have been a little more thrilling.

[Alice Maton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this book after getting into it. It is a diary from different perspectives from the same day. It is a bit strange but endearing. There is a view from a chair, spider, dog and more. The layout and design is all over the place making it difficult to follow but a different experience that may attract some children's eye. The illustrations are collage style which I think worked well, also an opportunity for children to create their own. It think it is a simple example of diary writing and understanding other characters perspectives from the same experience.

[Iqra Fiaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very clever story that can be used to teach children about perspectives.

[Rhian Loxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this book for many years now. Sara Fanelli's use of collage and the graphical layout of the pages really make this story visually captivating, even the end pages are covered in doodles and writing that make you feel as if you are peering in to her world. Every page has tiny details which would look fantastic enlarged on the visualiser.

I have always valued the Art and Design aspect of the illustrations, over the content of the story however, I recently realised what a good text this could be for use in KS1 and even early KS2 literacy. The story is composed as several diary entries from a girl called Lucy, a chair, a spider, a firefly, knife and fork, a dog named Bubu, and a ladybug. All the entries intertwine and there is a surprise ending.

This is a great way of modelling how to write a diary entry using level 3 vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation. The story also shows great examples of personification with household objects and insects giving their own perspectives of the days events.

I would thoroughly recommend this book for both its Art and Design and Literacy content, it is a really inspiring and imaginative read.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody is a journaler! Little girls, chairs, self-conscious ladybugs. Fun book but the collage illustrations are a big chaotic.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book written for children, and starts out in a straight forward manner: Lucy is keeping a diary, and records one day in her life. The fun twist is that unknown to her, she is surrounded by journalers who record the same day. These include her dog, a chair in her classroom, ladybug, knife and fork, firefly and spider. Love the idea of introducing kids to multiple narrators in this manner. The collage art is fun and whimsical, and there is lots for kids to look at on each page.

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to be Sara Fanelli. I love her work. It's fun, creative, and imaginative. Dear Diary is a great blend of words and pictures for older kids.

I'm a fan of words and pictures, but not necessarily comics. This is a great example of how I think words and pictures should be blended for older kids.

[Jax Goss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little multiple string story. Yay for non-linear narrative in children's books, say I!