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Top Cat
Songbirds is a new Phonics series from Oxford Reading Tree. It comprises real stories written by the best-selling author of The Gruffulo, Julia Donaldson. All the stories are phonic stories that support the latest curriculum developments. Oxford Reading Tree Songbirds provide: BLfully decodeable texts that build on pupils' phonic knowledge as they work through the 36 books over 6 stages BLopportunities for segmenting, blending and matching sounds and letter blends BLlively illustrations by a variety of artists BLflexible activities that can be tailored to your phonic teaching BLan exciting interactive CD-Rom to accompany Stages 1+ - 2 Stage 1+ titles practise the sound made by the following letters: BLTop Cat m c t p a o BLSam's Pot s m c t g p a o BLBob Bug r l d b f h i u, s m c t g p a o BLDig, Dig, Dig r l d b, h i u, s m t g p a o BLZak and the Vet v w y z j n k e, r d b h i u, s c t g a o BLMum Bug's Bag w y z j n k e, r d b f h i u, s m t g p a o
- GenresChildrens
8 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
6 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Julia Donaldson
1,226 books1,904 followersGrowing up
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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August 14, 2020یک.
ساعتهای پشت میز نشینی رو محدود کردم به هربار ۴۵ دقیقه
پونزده دقیقه بریک رو هربار یا با اپ ورک اوت ویمن ورزش های هفت دقیقه ای میکنم که عوارض زیاد نشستن چند مدت بعد یقه مو نگیره و از زندگی سیرترم نکنه
یا کتابای کودک کوتاه و پر از نقاشی ای که دانلود کردم میخونم که فضای ذهنیم عوض و کمی سرخوش بشه
🐱🐱🐱
دو.
خب موقع دانلود اصلا به توضیح داخل پرانتز توجه نکردم. بنابراین امروز با کتابی روبهرو شدم که هر صفحه اش کلی نقاشی بود و توی هر صفحه یه جمله چهار کلمه ای و مدام هم این جمله تکرار میشد توی صفحه ها بعدی :))) یعنی به عبارتی ژانر کتاب "سوپر کودک" بوده :))) ولی خب من هنوز بلدم چجوری توی نقاشیای پر از جزییات غرق بشم. بنابراین با دقتی کودکانه به تک تک نقاشیا زل زدم و هیچ عجله نکردم :))
🐱🐱🐱
سه.
اگه به فسقلیا انگلیسی درس میدین یا خودتون فسقلی دارین میتونین اینو براشون هزار بار بخونین
انقد بچه ها رو به گرامر نبندین و از زبان متنفرشون نکنین. به جاش با همین ساز و آواز و قر و فر و مسخره بازی یادشون بدین که اثرش بیشتر و سریعتر و بلندمدت هم هست :دی
ساعتهای پشت میز نشینی رو محدود کردم به هربار ۴۵ دقیقه
پونزده دقیقه بریک رو هربار یا با اپ ورک اوت ویمن ورزش های هفت دقیقه ای میکنم که عوارض زیاد نشستن چند مدت بعد یقه مو نگیره و از زندگی سیرترم نکنه
یا کتابای کودک کوتاه و پر از نقاشی ای که دانلود کردم میخونم که فضای ذهنیم عوض و کمی سرخوش بشه
🐱🐱🐱
دو.
خب موقع دانلود اصلا به توضیح داخل پرانتز توجه نکردم. بنابراین امروز با کتابی روبهرو شدم که هر صفحه اش کلی نقاشی بود و توی هر صفحه یه جمله چهار کلمه ای و مدام هم این جمله تکرار میشد توی صفحه ها بعدی :))) یعنی به عبارتی ژانر کتاب "سوپر کودک" بوده :))) ولی خب من هنوز بلدم چجوری توی نقاشیای پر از جزییات غرق بشم. بنابراین با دقتی کودکانه به تک تک نقاشیا زل زدم و هیچ عجله نکردم :))
🐱🐱🐱
سه.
اگه به فسقلیا انگلیسی درس میدین یا خودتون فسقلی دارین میتونین اینو براشون هزار بار بخونین
انقد بچه ها رو به گرامر نبندین و از زبان متنفرشون نکنین. به جاش با همین ساز و آواز و قر و فر و مسخره بازی یادشون بدین که اثرش بیشتر و سریعتر و بلندمدت هم هست :دی
August 15, 2017
Oh my word - I must remind myself that just because it is written by a famous children's author that it may not be a book that I would want to read myself. The rating is very unfair, I know. I rated it on my enjoyment and not the actual value the book provides. This book is an excellent way to introduce phonics and is an excellent beginner reader. Lovely repetitive words that beginner readers can build on, and the illustrations are super as well. For the learner reader value, this book would score a 5 plus in ratings.
February 16, 2019
There are only 4 words in this book: I, am, top, cat.
Result: my 5-yr-old can already read these words. Wow.
(We live in a country where we teach kids to read when they pass 6.)
Result: my 5-yr-old can already read these words. Wow.
(We live in a country where we teach kids to read when they pass 6.)
June 8, 2020
That book is so funny and it was just so fun
April 12, 2021
This is the first book Maddie has ever read.
April 21, 2014
This collection of short phonetic stories were written and compiled to support young children and encourage progress for early readers. It is one of a number of books written by Donaldson which are designed to progressively get more difficult as children develop their ability to recognise letter sounds, word blends and spelling patterns.
By using repetition, alliteration and different rhyming patterns the stories are designed to help children to gain reading confidence and provides adults with tips that can be used to assist this process. A list of tricky words are also given to make adults aware of those words that children may struggle to read and should therefore be helped with.
This book as well as others in the series should be used both in school and at home during guided reading sessions to engage students who may be starting to read and to stimulate discussions using the illustrations and advice given.
By using repetition, alliteration and different rhyming patterns the stories are designed to help children to gain reading confidence and provides adults with tips that can be used to assist this process. A list of tricky words are also given to make adults aware of those words that children may struggle to read and should therefore be helped with.
This book as well as others in the series should be used both in school and at home during guided reading sessions to engage students who may be starting to read and to stimulate discussions using the illustrations and advice given.
April 23, 2011
It was very good. It was amazing to read my first book - I thought I couldn't do it.
May 25, 2016
Was great to back up reading at school for the kids
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews