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On the Way Home
Claire has hurt her knee so she sets off home to tell her mom all about it. On the way she meets her friends and tells them each a different story on how she got her scrape. Was she dropped by a wolf, a slithering snake, an enormous dragon, or a hairy gorilla? Just how did that scrape happen? Playful and creative, this is a fantastic journey of the imagination that every child can relate to.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
12 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Jill Murphy
87 books340 followersJill Murphy was a London-born English children's author, best known for The Worst Witch series and the Large Family picture books. She has been described as "one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land."
Jill Murphy was born in London and attended the Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon which, together with the boarding school stories she enjoyed reading, provided much of the material and inspiration Miss Cackle's Academy in the The Worst Witch, which she started when she was 15. She put the book on hold as she attended both Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools, but continued to write it whilst living in a village in Togo, West Africa for a year and then whilst working as a nanny back at home. The book was published when Jill turned 24 and proved an instant success. However, Jill continued working as a nanny until the publication of The Worst Witch Strikes Again prompted her to devote herself to full-time writing. The Worst Witch stories have become some of the most outstandingly successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list and have sold more than 3 million copies. They were also made into a major ITV series. She was also well known for her picture books and was commended in the 1980 Kate Greenaway Medal for Peace at Last. A Quiet Night In was shortlisted for the same medal in 1994. She was perhaps best known for the very popular Mr and Mrs Large picture books, which detail the domestic chaos of an elephant family. Five Minute's Peace won the 1987 Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award, as well as being shortlisted for the 1986 Children's Book Award. All in One Piece was highly commended for the 1987 Kate Greenaway Award and shortlisted for the 1987 Children's Book Award. The Last Noo-noo won the 0-5 category of the 1995 Smarties Book Prize and in the same year was shortlisted for the English 4-11 Outstanding Children's Book of the Year, going on to win the 1996 Sheffield Children's Book Award. It won the 1996 Gateshead Gold Award. In the same year it was adapted as a play and performed at the Polka Theatre, London.
Jill Murphy was born in London and attended the Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon which, together with the boarding school stories she enjoyed reading, provided much of the material and inspiration Miss Cackle's Academy in the The Worst Witch, which she started when she was 15. She put the book on hold as she attended both Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools, but continued to write it whilst living in a village in Togo, West Africa for a year and then whilst working as a nanny back at home. The book was published when Jill turned 24 and proved an instant success. However, Jill continued working as a nanny until the publication of The Worst Witch Strikes Again prompted her to devote herself to full-time writing. The Worst Witch stories have become some of the most outstandingly successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list and have sold more than 3 million copies. They were also made into a major ITV series. She was also well known for her picture books and was commended in the 1980 Kate Greenaway Medal for Peace at Last. A Quiet Night In was shortlisted for the same medal in 1994. She was perhaps best known for the very popular Mr and Mrs Large picture books, which detail the domestic chaos of an elephant family. Five Minute's Peace won the 1987 Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award, as well as being shortlisted for the 1986 Children's Book Award. All in One Piece was highly commended for the 1987 Kate Greenaway Award and shortlisted for the 1987 Children's Book Award. The Last Noo-noo won the 0-5 category of the 1995 Smarties Book Prize and in the same year was shortlisted for the English 4-11 Outstanding Children's Book of the Year, going on to win the 1996 Sheffield Children's Book Award. It won the 1996 Gateshead Gold Award. In the same year it was adapted as a play and performed at the Polka Theatre, London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 10, 2013
‘On the way home’ is a fantastic story about a girl named Claire who hurts her knee. We follow her journey home where she meets many of her friends who as her how she hurt her knee. She tells each of them a different imaginative story of how she hurt her knee. It involves a lot of fantasy ranging from snakes, witches, ghost and aliens. When she finally gets home, she cannot resist telling her mother the truth about her how she hurt her knee and starts crying and demands the “biggest plaster in the whole box”. Children can really empathise with the Claire how really want to impress her friends with her bravery, however, she could not resist telling her mum the truth.
This book is suitable for children aged 5-7. It could be enjoyed as a read aloud book with the class or it can be used in literacy lesson to encourage imagination, descriptive talk and understanding characters.
This book is suitable for children aged 5-7. It could be enjoyed as a read aloud book with the class or it can be used in literacy lesson to encourage imagination, descriptive talk and understanding characters.
March 6, 2018
I chose this book because Jill Murphy is a recognised author; she has won many prizes including a Commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal for ‘Peace at Last’ (Flood, A. 2017). In addition, the cover page was engulfed with ugly creatures, which I do not like and reminded me of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak.
The story is about Claire, who grazes her knee, then walks home to tell her mother.
On the way home, Claire meets many friends and to each describes a different adventure with different icons (seen on the cover page) and how she gets hurt. This tale repeats with each friend; a similar perspective is noted in Voices in the Park by Browne. Claire finally reaches home to tell her mother the truth and gives her a plaster.
The title and author are clearly printed above and below the picture on the cover page. All the ghastly icons in the picture, follow Claire, who is pictured on the left and walks towards the left of the page.
Murphy uses a small font, printed below the pictures per page. She writes in third person giving identity to the main character called Claire. The story has good use of italics which emphasis feelings and emotions. Onomatopoeia words such as ‘squeezed and squashed’, slow the story yet engage readers. The use of repetitive words gives a different dimension to the story, for instance, when Murphy repeats ‘miles and miles’, she makes a point referring to the distance Claire fell.
Apart from the beginning and ending pages, the book looks similar to a comic magazine. Many landmarks are visited such as the graveyard, the canal and the garage, some KS1 children may be unaware and need a prior introduction to them to fully understand the story. Each page illustrates three small pictures. The pictures are framed with straight contours when Claire talks to her friends alternatively, pictures which report the accidents are highlighted with wavy edges and they bleed. This gives the reader a feeling of excitement and involvement.
Murphy uses bright sharp hues of red, green, blue, yellow and grey colours in the book (Harding 2008 p. 57). Claire’s hair, copper red, is prominent and seen on every page. The colour of the sky remains a constant blue throughout the book; this suggests the story happens in one day.
This book is appropriate for a KS1 child because the story is written in the third person and written close to spoken language. The KS1 child can associate Claire’s story with their falls and accidents.
The story did not appeal to me however, I did like the ending because Claire thankfully speaks the truth; this is good moral for a child to use and remember.
References
Harding, J. and Pinsent, P. (2008) What do you see? International Perspectives on Children’s Book Illustration.
Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Flood, A. (2017) ‘Jill Murphy: I just wanted a book on the shelf’. The Guardian. 25 January 2017
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201....
Accessed 5/3/2018
The story is about Claire, who grazes her knee, then walks home to tell her mother.
On the way home, Claire meets many friends and to each describes a different adventure with different icons (seen on the cover page) and how she gets hurt. This tale repeats with each friend; a similar perspective is noted in Voices in the Park by Browne. Claire finally reaches home to tell her mother the truth and gives her a plaster.
The title and author are clearly printed above and below the picture on the cover page. All the ghastly icons in the picture, follow Claire, who is pictured on the left and walks towards the left of the page.
Murphy uses a small font, printed below the pictures per page. She writes in third person giving identity to the main character called Claire. The story has good use of italics which emphasis feelings and emotions. Onomatopoeia words such as ‘squeezed and squashed’, slow the story yet engage readers. The use of repetitive words gives a different dimension to the story, for instance, when Murphy repeats ‘miles and miles’, she makes a point referring to the distance Claire fell.
Apart from the beginning and ending pages, the book looks similar to a comic magazine. Many landmarks are visited such as the graveyard, the canal and the garage, some KS1 children may be unaware and need a prior introduction to them to fully understand the story. Each page illustrates three small pictures. The pictures are framed with straight contours when Claire talks to her friends alternatively, pictures which report the accidents are highlighted with wavy edges and they bleed. This gives the reader a feeling of excitement and involvement.
Murphy uses bright sharp hues of red, green, blue, yellow and grey colours in the book (Harding 2008 p. 57). Claire’s hair, copper red, is prominent and seen on every page. The colour of the sky remains a constant blue throughout the book; this suggests the story happens in one day.
This book is appropriate for a KS1 child because the story is written in the third person and written close to spoken language. The KS1 child can associate Claire’s story with their falls and accidents.
The story did not appeal to me however, I did like the ending because Claire thankfully speaks the truth; this is good moral for a child to use and remember.
References
Harding, J. and Pinsent, P. (2008) What do you see? International Perspectives on Children’s Book Illustration.
Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Flood, A. (2017) ‘Jill Murphy: I just wanted a book on the shelf’. The Guardian. 25 January 2017
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201....
Accessed 5/3/2018
November 27, 2012
This book was read twice to my year two class on my placement, of which they undertook two associated activities related to this book.
The story revolves around the main character, Claire, who has hurt her knee. Unbeknown to the reader at this point, no one knows the rationale as to why she has injured her knee. On the way home, Claire meets several friends and she informs them of imaginative and unrealistic scenarios as to how she injured her knee. Scenarios include a wolf attempting to take Claire home for his tea and a witch attempting to take Claire in the witch’s shopping bag. On all occasions Claire manages to break free thus injuring her knee in the process. When Claire finally arrives home, she informs her mother she hurt her knee as she fell off a swing. Claire then begins to cry and her mother offers Claire a plaster.
The book was an excellent resource for my lessons and associated activities. The first lesson I delivered focused on adjectives. Murphy uses a variety of adjectives to describe the characters such as “wicked old witch” and “great, hairy gorilla”. During the lesson I would stop and ask the class how Claire described the characters who attempted to take her. This was due for two reasons. Firstly, I would ask the class for feedback on any unfamiliar vocabulary such as “vast”. Secondly, this was to re-iterate the focus of the lesson, by asking the children which adjectives Claire uses to describe the characters. The children then had to re-call scenarios from the story in the activities, using adjectives, which was successful.
The second activity a week later involved imaginative and creative thinking. Again, I read the book in the same manner as I did the week earlier. This time, the children had to make their own story parallel to Claire’s adventure. The children had to pretend they were injured and the rationale as to why they were injured. This activity invoked creative thinking from the whole class, of which the teacher and I were extremely impressed. The only assistance the children needed were with spellings and there was no encouragement needed for them to make their own stories. This shows the class were engaged.
The book has excellent illustrations which complement the text and this was extremely useful to the EAL children who had ambiguity following the book when I read it to them. Above all, this book invokes creative thinking and shows everyone, especially children, have the ability to act creatively, as seen with Claire’s imaginative skills. This book also demonstrates the naivety of children. Claire managed to convince her friends of the terrible journey she had on her way home, but Claire knew not to tell these stories to her mother. This shows children are aware who they can and cannot be creative with.
Another theme of this book is care giving and safety zones for children. When Claire reached her safety zone of her house, she began to cry to her mother and Claire was honest with her as to why she hurt her knee. Claire’s mother also offered Claire a plaster. This shows that Claire’s real emotions could only be shown to her mother, a sign of nurtured attachment. Claire also received the assistance of her mother to heal her injured knee, by the offering of the plaster.
I was careful not to say the word “lie” throughout this review as Claire used creative thinking, something which a child should never be criticised for.
The story revolves around the main character, Claire, who has hurt her knee. Unbeknown to the reader at this point, no one knows the rationale as to why she has injured her knee. On the way home, Claire meets several friends and she informs them of imaginative and unrealistic scenarios as to how she injured her knee. Scenarios include a wolf attempting to take Claire home for his tea and a witch attempting to take Claire in the witch’s shopping bag. On all occasions Claire manages to break free thus injuring her knee in the process. When Claire finally arrives home, she informs her mother she hurt her knee as she fell off a swing. Claire then begins to cry and her mother offers Claire a plaster.
The book was an excellent resource for my lessons and associated activities. The first lesson I delivered focused on adjectives. Murphy uses a variety of adjectives to describe the characters such as “wicked old witch” and “great, hairy gorilla”. During the lesson I would stop and ask the class how Claire described the characters who attempted to take her. This was due for two reasons. Firstly, I would ask the class for feedback on any unfamiliar vocabulary such as “vast”. Secondly, this was to re-iterate the focus of the lesson, by asking the children which adjectives Claire uses to describe the characters. The children then had to re-call scenarios from the story in the activities, using adjectives, which was successful.
The second activity a week later involved imaginative and creative thinking. Again, I read the book in the same manner as I did the week earlier. This time, the children had to make their own story parallel to Claire’s adventure. The children had to pretend they were injured and the rationale as to why they were injured. This activity invoked creative thinking from the whole class, of which the teacher and I were extremely impressed. The only assistance the children needed were with spellings and there was no encouragement needed for them to make their own stories. This shows the class were engaged.
The book has excellent illustrations which complement the text and this was extremely useful to the EAL children who had ambiguity following the book when I read it to them. Above all, this book invokes creative thinking and shows everyone, especially children, have the ability to act creatively, as seen with Claire’s imaginative skills. This book also demonstrates the naivety of children. Claire managed to convince her friends of the terrible journey she had on her way home, but Claire knew not to tell these stories to her mother. This shows children are aware who they can and cannot be creative with.
Another theme of this book is care giving and safety zones for children. When Claire reached her safety zone of her house, she began to cry to her mother and Claire was honest with her as to why she hurt her knee. Claire’s mother also offered Claire a plaster. This shows that Claire’s real emotions could only be shown to her mother, a sign of nurtured attachment. Claire also received the assistance of her mother to heal her injured knee, by the offering of the plaster.
I was careful not to say the word “lie” throughout this review as Claire used creative thinking, something which a child should never be criticised for.
Read
March 4, 2012I am using this book in my placement to encourage imagination, description in talk and understanding of characters in my Reception class for Literacy lessons. The book is about a girl who hurts her knee and on her way home she bumps into lots of different friends. Each friend she meets she has a different story to tell about how she hurt her knee. She tells one friend a big bad wolf tried to eat her up and as the wolf dropped her she scraped her knee. She tells another friend a flying saucer tried to take her away into outer space! She tells someone else a crocodile tried to eat her and knocked her over. She also mentions a snake, dragon, gorilla, witch, big giant and a ghost trying to either eat her or take her away. When she finally arrives home she tells her mum she fell off the swings and starts crying. Her mum puts a big plaster on he knee.
I like this story as it really encourages character description and the story contains lots of descriptive words and phrases to develop children's imagination. Children can also act out different characters by creating masks and getting into role. This incorporates different aspects of Early Learning Goals.
I like this story as it really encourages character description and the story contains lots of descriptive words and phrases to develop children's imagination. Children can also act out different characters by creating masks and getting into role. This incorporates different aspects of Early Learning Goals.
April 29, 2012
‘On the Way Home’ by Jill Murphy, the author of the popular children’s book ‘Peace at Last’, tells the story of a little girl who grazes her knee and meets several friends on her way home. Using her wild imagination she invents various characters and stories about how it happened, from the big bad wolf who tried to take her home for his tea, to the wicked old witch who bundled her into her shopping bag.
This story captures not only the wild and wonderful imagination of children, but at the end of the story it also describes that feeling that everyone has had as a child – that a big plaster will make it all better. It is a story that I remember well from my own childhood and really enjoyed reading. I think it is suitable to read to EYFS children as a class because there are a few words that beginner readers may find difficult to comprehend. Having said this, my 3 year old niece loves sitting by herself and flicking through the pages as its comic strip style illustrations depict the whole story without the need to read through the whole book. More advanced KS1 readers could quite easily read the book independently.
This story captures not only the wild and wonderful imagination of children, but at the end of the story it also describes that feeling that everyone has had as a child – that a big plaster will make it all better. It is a story that I remember well from my own childhood and really enjoyed reading. I think it is suitable to read to EYFS children as a class because there are a few words that beginner readers may find difficult to comprehend. Having said this, my 3 year old niece loves sitting by herself and flicking through the pages as its comic strip style illustrations depict the whole story without the need to read through the whole book. More advanced KS1 readers could quite easily read the book independently.
Read
May 16, 2012This is a hilariously funny book. But also very sweet once you reach the climax. The main character Claire, hurts her knee and on her way home she meets a number of her friends and she tells them all about her bad knee! However, each story she tells to every one of her friends are very different.
First "there was a very big, bad wolf,...[then]... a vast flying-saucer,...a huge hungry crocodile,...a big fat snake...an enormous dragon...a great, hairy gorilla,...a gigantic giant,...a ghastly ghost... [and]... a wicked old witch!" who were the culprits of her bad knee! When in fact, (when she finally reaches her home and sees her mum) she explains: "I was in the playground and I was having such a nice time on a swing, when suddenly, suddenly..... I fell off!...[and she]...burst into tears".
Claire has an excellent imagination. This could be a good book to read with KS1 or KS2 children to motivate them to use their imagination just like Claire in their own story writing.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I laughed all the way through! If you like funny stories, you will enjoy this!
First "there was a very big, bad wolf,...[then]... a vast flying-saucer,...a huge hungry crocodile,...a big fat snake...an enormous dragon...a great, hairy gorilla,...a gigantic giant,...a ghastly ghost... [and]... a wicked old witch!" who were the culprits of her bad knee! When in fact, (when she finally reaches her home and sees her mum) she explains: "I was in the playground and I was having such a nice time on a swing, when suddenly, suddenly..... I fell off!...[and she]...burst into tears".
Claire has an excellent imagination. This could be a good book to read with KS1 or KS2 children to motivate them to use their imagination just like Claire in their own story writing.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I laughed all the way through! If you like funny stories, you will enjoy this!
May 7, 2012
The story starts just after Claire has hurt her knee. We follow her journey home, where she meets lots of her friends, and tells each one a different story about how she got her injury. The stories involve all sorts of fantasy, ranging from aliens to giant snakes to ghosts and witches! At the end, Claire gets home to her mum, who gets the real version, and administers "the biggest plaster in the whole box". Children are able to empathise with Claire, who wants to impress her friends with her bravery, but who can't hide the truth from her mum!
I have used this story to great effect in Year One, as a plenary to a Big Writing lesson where children wrote alternative endings to a familiar text. The repetition in the book is useful for encouraging familiarity with the story, and the attractive illustrations reflect the story well, making it particularly useful for young children and those with communication and language SEN and those with EAL. However, the flip side of the repetitiveness of it is that it is a bit long!
I have used this story to great effect in Year One, as a plenary to a Big Writing lesson where children wrote alternative endings to a familiar text. The repetition in the book is useful for encouraging familiarity with the story, and the attractive illustrations reflect the story well, making it particularly useful for young children and those with communication and language SEN and those with EAL. However, the flip side of the repetitiveness of it is that it is a bit long!
January 8, 2014
This book is about a girl called Claire, who hurts her knee. She makes her way home and encounters her friends one by one and tells each of them a different story about how she got hurt. When Claire gets home to her mum, we find out the true story about what happened to her.
This story follows a pattern each time that Claire tells her friends what happened. I liked the diversity of the characters in the book as it reflects a multicultural environment.
Although I did like the repetition, I also eventually began to dislike it as I felt that there were a few too many accounts of what happened to Claire and I began to get a little bored whilst reading.
This book would be suitable for children aged 5 to 8 years old.
This would be a great book to use to read to the whole class. I also think that after the book is read to the class, they could do further work on it such as creating their own story of what could have happened to Claire and they will have to use their imagination. This story could also be linked with Drama, as the children could act out each scenario.
May 1, 2012
On the Way Home is a fantastically illustrated book and the pictures really feature what is happening in the book meaning it would be a useful book to use with children with EAL, visual learners and children with SEN.
The book involves a little girl, called Claire, who has hurt her knee and is on the way home to tell her mum. On her way home she bumps into several of her friends and she makes up several different fictional stories which she describes to them.
I used the book with a reception class and believe that it is ideally suited for that level of ability. It can be adapted to focus on several different strands of the EYFS curriculum including both Communication, Language and Literacy, Personal SOcial and Emotional development and Knowledge and understanding of the world.
The book involves a little girl, called Claire, who has hurt her knee and is on the way home to tell her mum. On her way home she bumps into several of her friends and she makes up several different fictional stories which she describes to them.
I used the book with a reception class and believe that it is ideally suited for that level of ability. It can be adapted to focus on several different strands of the EYFS curriculum including both Communication, Language and Literacy, Personal SOcial and Emotional development and Knowledge and understanding of the world.
April 25, 2012
One of my old time favourites, by Jill Murphy, beautifully illustrated and full of adventure. It’s about a little girl called Clare who has hurt her knee and is off to tell her mother all about it....’on the way home’ she meets many friends who enquire about her grazed knee and tells them all about it. She creates many imaginative stories about how this has happened but what has really happens we find out at the end!! Children would easily relate with Clare and how from time to time we all exaggerate things to seek attention. It is quite a long story so more suitable for 7-8 year olds for independent reading but can be read to younger children by skipping some of the pages.
April 19, 2012
I liked the illustration but te book was too long. Claire has a vivid imaignation and uses it to explain a very normal event - bumping her knee. Lovely idea but by the 6th imaginative event I had had enough!
May 5, 2016
One of the best children's books I have ever read.
April 30, 2020
SBC Summer Text
This book is the story of a girl who has hurt her knee and wants to go home to her mum to tell her all about what happened. On the way home the girl meets a variety of different characters whom she is friends with. When they ask how she came to hurt her knee, Claire starts to tell stories that become more and more dramatic each time she tells it. This story encapsulates how children sometimes exaggerate stories to make themselves seem more impressive, or perhaps just to make themselves feel better about what has happened. It is only when Claire gets home to her mum that we discover the real story behind what happened to her knee.
This story is very relatable to children I feel, as they are drawn to the wild stories being told by Claire and take great enjoyment at the fact the stories get more and more dramatic. The heartfelt ending where we find the real reason behind her sore knee brings the story back to a more realistic version and is relatable to any child who has fallen over and seeks comfort in a parent or carer to make them feel better with the use of "a very big plaster".
This would be a great story to use with children as an example of a familiar text, as the settings and characters Claire meet are all likely to have been experienced by most children - most children having had some experience of a park and who they might meet on the journey home. The descriptive language of the stories told by Claire encourage children to think about the use of adjectives and expression in their writing, "a great hairy gorilla and it came creeping out of a garage as I passed by and it tried to drag me away". The way the spoken language is written in the book is also similar to that of how a child might tell a story themselves, so they can draw similarities with events they might have come across or stories they may have told, with the added use of language to encourage expression and description. The repetitive nature of the structure of the story also makes it easier for children to engage and remember key phrases and sentence structures that they may be able to use in their own writing; "Look at my bad knee!", "How did you do it?", "Well...". This would be a really interesting sentence starter for children to use as a stimulus to inform their own creative writing; can you think of your own version of the story of how Claire hurt her knee?
This book is the story of a girl who has hurt her knee and wants to go home to her mum to tell her all about what happened. On the way home the girl meets a variety of different characters whom she is friends with. When they ask how she came to hurt her knee, Claire starts to tell stories that become more and more dramatic each time she tells it. This story encapsulates how children sometimes exaggerate stories to make themselves seem more impressive, or perhaps just to make themselves feel better about what has happened. It is only when Claire gets home to her mum that we discover the real story behind what happened to her knee.
This story is very relatable to children I feel, as they are drawn to the wild stories being told by Claire and take great enjoyment at the fact the stories get more and more dramatic. The heartfelt ending where we find the real reason behind her sore knee brings the story back to a more realistic version and is relatable to any child who has fallen over and seeks comfort in a parent or carer to make them feel better with the use of "a very big plaster".
This would be a great story to use with children as an example of a familiar text, as the settings and characters Claire meet are all likely to have been experienced by most children - most children having had some experience of a park and who they might meet on the journey home. The descriptive language of the stories told by Claire encourage children to think about the use of adjectives and expression in their writing, "a great hairy gorilla and it came creeping out of a garage as I passed by and it tried to drag me away". The way the spoken language is written in the book is also similar to that of how a child might tell a story themselves, so they can draw similarities with events they might have come across or stories they may have told, with the added use of language to encourage expression and description. The repetitive nature of the structure of the story also makes it easier for children to engage and remember key phrases and sentence structures that they may be able to use in their own writing; "Look at my bad knee!", "How did you do it?", "Well...". This would be a really interesting sentence starter for children to use as a stimulus to inform their own creative writing; can you think of your own version of the story of how Claire hurt her knee?
September 10, 2020
This picture book by Jill Murphy reflects a child's fantastically vivid imagination perfectly. Claire is a young girl who hurts her knee falling off the swing in the park who then pretends her injured knee is from a variety of other situations including; being carried away from a spaceship, grabbed by a dragon and fighting off a wolf. It's a lovely book for a Year 1/2 classroom opening the floor for a discussion into telling lies and being honest. However I feel the ending lacked a consequence of Claire telling these lies which could have provided a valuable moral lesson for children reading it. Nevertheless, it is a fun and engaging book, with a diverse variety of characters, for Early Years to listen to and Key Stage 1 to read and discuss.
I think the illustrations in this book are fantastic as they are so detailed and the story could definitely be told by the pictures alone. This combined with the dialogue written below each illustration means this picture book is accessible from Early Years to KS1.
I think the illustrations in this book are fantastic as they are so detailed and the story could definitely be told by the pictures alone. This combined with the dialogue written below each illustration means this picture book is accessible from Early Years to KS1.
March 28, 2021
Jill Murphy’s book, On the way home, is a marvelous story about a girl, Claire, who hurts her knee. On her way home, Claire meets many of her friends whom she wants to impress with her bravery. Claire tells them different imaginative stories about a bad big wolf, vast flying saucer which wanted to carry her to a distant planet, a hungry crocodile, big fat snake, a dragon and the way she hurt her knee while fighting with them. However, when she gets home, she cannot avoid telling the truth. She starts crying and telling her mother how she hurt her knee and her mother puts a big plaster on her knee. The illustrations in this book are amazingly detailed as the reader can learn about the story by looking at the pictures alone. What I like the most about the book is diversity of the characters which reflects a multicultural environment.
August 18, 2024
We picked this book up second hand and didn't expect much...
As an adult reading, it seems overly repetitive, outlandish & silly (even for a childrens book) but our 3 year old just loves it and picks this book out to be read regularly.
The book allows for some expressive out-loud reading - more then most, which he enjoys, at first the illustrations didn't strike me as especially good, but the facial expressions of the main character are expressive and believable, whiles having a cartoonish quality to them.
There is something about this book that seems somewhat unique, while it's simple in structure it strikes a tone that doesn't feel tired & derivative...
As an adult reading, it seems overly repetitive, outlandish & silly (even for a childrens book) but our 3 year old just loves it and picks this book out to be read regularly.
The book allows for some expressive out-loud reading - more then most, which he enjoys, at first the illustrations didn't strike me as especially good, but the facial expressions of the main character are expressive and believable, whiles having a cartoonish quality to them.
There is something about this book that seems somewhat unique, while it's simple in structure it strikes a tone that doesn't feel tired & derivative...
October 4, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading On the Way Home by Jill Murphy to Grade 2 students across three different primary schools, and it was a delightful experience. The book is incredibly entertaining, capturing the children’s attention from start to finish. I could see that the students genuinely enjoyed it, engaging with the story and its characters.
From a child’s perspective, this book is a fantastic choice, and I would definitely consider it as a gift for any young reader. Its charm and entertainment value make it a must-have in any child’s library.
From a child’s perspective, this book is a fantastic choice, and I would definitely consider it as a gift for any young reader. Its charm and entertainment value make it a must-have in any child’s library.
December 31, 2023
Purchased this for my nephew for Christmas, as per his request as it was on his reading list at school, and this kid LOVES to tick off a list. It's a classic, with a solid repetitive structure and something kids can really understand. I sort of wish that the kid didn't lie her way across town, though...not sure that's a great message, but again I think I'm just being jaded in my old age most likely!
August 24, 2022
Imaginative and entertaining this is sure to be a hit with young readers aged 4+ with fabulous, detailled illustrations and lots of scope for discussion about 'tall tales' I'm looking forward to introducing this classic story to my classroom library!
November 29, 2021
This was my favourite book as a child! I'm 37 now...just had stitches in my head today and for some reason it has brought back memory of this book!
June 12, 2022
Wonderful classic story about children's imagination that is both accurate and charming by the one and only Jill Murphy.
December 27, 2023
This had tons more words than I remember! Love the pictures, love the interesting things she comes up with.
July 16, 2025
Can't believe this book is almost as old as me!!! Always a joy to read Jill Murphy and to see the delight on the kids' faces when you produce a "real" book for guided reading.
October 27, 2015
Throughout this story Claire bumps into many of her friends on her journey home from school. Each person she meets she explains how she hurt her knee. When Claire explains to her friends how she had injured herself it grabs the attention of friends as she thinks up the most extraordinary reasons of how she had done it. The key component to every story is that Claire is the victim who becomes the hero escaping a horror. For example, a gigantic giant picks Claire up and she punches him on the nose so hard he let her fall. The truth behind her grazed knee eventually comes out when she cries to her mother and confesses she fell off the swing.
Critically engaging with the literature I believe a child reading this may be lead to believe that it is acceptable to become an attention seeker around their friends. However, I do think the stories Claire created were fantastic as she engages with her imagination. All children should be encouraged to express their imagination in a way that is true to themselves and not through lies. By not telling the truth Claire is changing her identity by adapting it to her life experiences. Children like Claire need to know that it is acceptable to be ourselves as she was to her mother. The use of language Claire uses by firstly explaining she was having such a great time and then she fell off gives the reader a sense of her embarrassment. Being embarrassed at Claire’s age for minor accidents is very common. This could explain why she felt the need to exaggerate the truth to her friends. Which saves them from laughing at her. Claire knee her mother would not laugh but would care for her by giving her a plaster.
This book could be used as a great teaching tool for children who might be experiencing problems in the playground or fitting in with their surroundings. Reflecting upon the mother’s role is very much the same as a teacher within a school. This book would specifically be useful in KS1 through the transitional period.
Critically engaging with the literature I believe a child reading this may be lead to believe that it is acceptable to become an attention seeker around their friends. However, I do think the stories Claire created were fantastic as she engages with her imagination. All children should be encouraged to express their imagination in a way that is true to themselves and not through lies. By not telling the truth Claire is changing her identity by adapting it to her life experiences. Children like Claire need to know that it is acceptable to be ourselves as she was to her mother. The use of language Claire uses by firstly explaining she was having such a great time and then she fell off gives the reader a sense of her embarrassment. Being embarrassed at Claire’s age for minor accidents is very common. This could explain why she felt the need to exaggerate the truth to her friends. Which saves them from laughing at her. Claire knee her mother would not laugh but would care for her by giving her a plaster.
This book could be used as a great teaching tool for children who might be experiencing problems in the playground or fitting in with their surroundings. Reflecting upon the mother’s role is very much the same as a teacher within a school. This book would specifically be useful in KS1 through the transitional period.
February 18, 2017
Daddy and Wilf read this one in the armchairs of the book shop. Bea was spending her book tokens from her Birthday and Christmas and took her time choosing three for her. When she saw her little brother and Daddy reading this book, she asked if she had enough to buy it for him.
December 16, 2013
This is the story of a young girl with a vivid imagination; Claire has cut her knee and sets off home to tell her mum all about it. On the way home, Claire bumps into several of her friends and each one is treated to a different, equally elaborate explanation of how she came to have a ‘bad knee.’ A wicked witch bundled her into a shopping bag; an enormous dragon soared through the clouds with Claire in its claws; a huge hungry crocodile knocked her over with its tail; but what really happened? Jill Murphy has littered the book with exciting, descriptive vocabulary to fire young imaginations in Early Years and KS1 and repetitive phrases invite and encourage children to join in with the telling of the story. The illustrations are cleverly drawn so that Claire’s exaggerated stories are displayed in comic style thought bubbles. They show Claire’s journey home through page after page of urban scenes, typical of any child’s local area with shops, houses, parks, and post boxes. It’s easy to imagine all manner of strange creatures lurking around the next corner.
Activities:
Literacy/Drama
• write a new page for the book – how else might Claire have come by her bad knee? What other creatures might appear and from where? Encourage use of exciting vocabulary
• write a newspaper article about one of the events in the story
• write a character description, including adjective strings/alliteration
• make ‘Wanted’ posters
• act out parts of the story – freeze frame to ask questions about events and feelings
Topic Work
• Link to Geography – Around our Local Area
• Draw a map of Claire’s route/own route home
• PSHE – basic first aid
Activities:
Literacy/Drama
• write a new page for the book – how else might Claire have come by her bad knee? What other creatures might appear and from where? Encourage use of exciting vocabulary
• write a newspaper article about one of the events in the story
• write a character description, including adjective strings/alliteration
• make ‘Wanted’ posters
• act out parts of the story – freeze frame to ask questions about events and feelings
Topic Work
• Link to Geography – Around our Local Area
• Draw a map of Claire’s route/own route home
• PSHE – basic first aid
February 18, 2017
Another family favourite. Claire has a poorly knee, but has some difficulty providing a truthful explanation of how it got that way. Read many, many times!
September 5, 2012
Jill Murphy's book takes us on what should be a simple journey home via the imagination of our main character Claire.
When she cuts her knee Claire begins her walk home to 'tell her mum all about it'. On the way she meets nine of her friends and rather than telling them the real reason she has injured herself, Claire invents a different story to tell each of them. These stories show off Claire's vivid imagination as they feature animals and creatures from dragons and giants to gorillas and ghosts.
When Claire eventually arrives home to her mum we see her finally tell the truth and although she bursts into tears we know she is going to be fine as she cheekily asks for 'the biggest plaster in the box'
The illustrations really help to show off all of Claire's imaginary characters as they communicate the story brilliantly and this would be useful when reading this with younger children. The various characters could also be used to inspire further creative writing and even role playing etc. The story has also used repetition well which could also be a benefit to a younger audience.
I really like this book for its use of imaginative characters and wonderfully timeless illustrations and I think that these are part of the reason I remember it so strongly from my childhood.
When she cuts her knee Claire begins her walk home to 'tell her mum all about it'. On the way she meets nine of her friends and rather than telling them the real reason she has injured herself, Claire invents a different story to tell each of them. These stories show off Claire's vivid imagination as they feature animals and creatures from dragons and giants to gorillas and ghosts.
When Claire eventually arrives home to her mum we see her finally tell the truth and although she bursts into tears we know she is going to be fine as she cheekily asks for 'the biggest plaster in the box'
The illustrations really help to show off all of Claire's imaginary characters as they communicate the story brilliantly and this would be useful when reading this with younger children. The various characters could also be used to inspire further creative writing and even role playing etc. The story has also used repetition well which could also be a benefit to a younger audience.
I really like this book for its use of imaginative characters and wonderfully timeless illustrations and I think that these are part of the reason I remember it so strongly from my childhood.
April 25, 2016
On the way home is a story of a girl called Claire who falls off a swing in the park and grazes her knee. ‘On her way home’ she bumps into a friend, who asks how she hurt herself. Claire decides to tell a dramatic tale of how a monster tried to grab her and through her struggle to escape, she fell and grazed her knee. As she continues to meet people on her way home, Claire tells a different dramatic and enticing tale of how her injury occurred.
This book was used with a KS1 (year 2) class I taught in, in a sequence of English lessons. Pupils used drama to recreate and retell the story of how Claire met various frightening characters and creatures. Pupils then designed their own monster and wrote their own version of the story, using a range of ambitious language features that had been discussed and noticed in the story.
I think this book worked really well with this age range and promoted enthusiasm to write their own version of the story as well as imaginative and detailed descriptions of characters that they could include.
I would recommend this book for its use with this age range and would definitely use it again as a resource in my future practice.
This book was used with a KS1 (year 2) class I taught in, in a sequence of English lessons. Pupils used drama to recreate and retell the story of how Claire met various frightening characters and creatures. Pupils then designed their own monster and wrote their own version of the story, using a range of ambitious language features that had been discussed and noticed in the story.
I think this book worked really well with this age range and promoted enthusiasm to write their own version of the story as well as imaginative and detailed descriptions of characters that they could include.
I would recommend this book for its use with this age range and would definitely use it again as a resource in my future practice.
January 27, 2013
An exciting, adventurous and imaginative story about a girl named Claire who, with a hurt knee, sets off home to tell her mum all about it. On each page, she meets a friend and tells them how the fall had taken place. What makes this story even more interesting is when her excuses are changed all the time and involve the appearances of snakes, dragons, gorillas, flying saucers and even ghosts. However, none of these excuses turn out to be true. In fact, she comes home to tell her mum that she hurt herself in the playground!
I really enjoyed Jill Murphy's On The Way Home. It was repetitive and engaging for young children in a Key Stage 1 class. I delivered a few literacy lessons based on this book, where pupils were able to use the same format to write a story of their own. They enjoyed discussing what they would tell their friends if they hurt their knee, and as a result, there were many imaginative responses!
I really enjoyed Jill Murphy's On The Way Home. It was repetitive and engaging for young children in a Key Stage 1 class. I delivered a few literacy lessons based on this book, where pupils were able to use the same format to write a story of their own. They enjoyed discussing what they would tell their friends if they hurt their knee, and as a result, there were many imaginative responses!
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