Blog Tour: The Christmas Play Rehearsal!

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I am always delighted to hop on the Blog Tour bus and Rachel's Random Resources has a plethora of blog tours to excite and interest everyone! 
Today we have a truly delightful picturebook that highlights one of the special events in the school calendar...the Christmas play. Every child knows the excitement of taking part. And every teacher knows the joy and chaos it brings into the classroom life. And with nearly every school about to go on stage, it's a great introduction for the kids. So here it is:
THE CHRISTMAS PLAY REHEARSAL
author: Sue Wickstead
illustrator: Helen Smith
Sue Wickstead (December 2018)
ISBN: 9780993073779
"It is Christmas time, and the school has been getting ready to perform their Nativity play.
With lines learnt and songs to be sung, it is time for the dress rehearsal. The teacher knows there might be a few problems to sort out, but at least they will know what to improve on or change along the way."
The Christmas Play always brings great excitement to the classroom, with each child working hard on their part. First, they must learn the Christmas story and then rehearsal begins! Joyous little faces abound in this book, as do the nervous ones. And when it's time for the dress rehearsal, we can expect things to go a bit haywire. With the head angel getting sick at the last minute, confusion over angels and fairies, remembering cues and lines, there are loads of laughs trying to get through the performance. But in the end, the teacher guides the shepherds, the angels and the Kings through to the right place with the choir singing along. When the Christmas Star appears, there is a real surprise for everyone in the audience. It's going to be brilliant on the night!
For everyone who is taking part in a school Christmas Play, or anyone who ever has done, this is a charming and memorable picturebook. When I shared it with a local story preparing for their own play, the children were enchanted by the story and could see themselves in the pictures. I dare say, it soothed a few nerves. The lively, expressive illustrations add to a wonderful story that will warm your heart and make you laugh. Lovely...just lovely.

About Sue Wickstead:

I am a teacher and an author and have currently written six children’s picture books with a bus theme.
For over 20 years, alongside my teaching career, I worked with a Children’s Charity, The Bewbush Playbus Association, which led me to write a photographic history book about it.
I soon found that many children had never been on a bus before, let alone a ‘Playbus’ and they wanted to know more. I decided to write a fictional tale about the bus, his number plate JJK261 gave him his name.
‘Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus,’ came out in print in 2014. It is the story behind the original bus and is his journey from a scrap-yard to being changed into a playbus for children to play in. From Fact to fiction the bus journey continued.
This story has now been followed by five more picture books.
I also undertake events and author bookings and love to share the story. There are also a few more stories in the writing process, with links to real events and buses.
The story has been read in many schools in the south-East of England, where I teach as a cover teacher, it is always well received and certainly different. 

https://www.suewickstead.co.uk/ 
Facebook: - Author Page http://bit.ly/2kEEhPq 
https://twitter.com/JayJayBus 



Comments

  1. JayJay BusDecember 15, 2018 at 9:10 AM

    I hope the book does indeed sooth a few nerves along the way. Most of all put children's fears to rest.
    But now with many schools having finished their play maybe it will be just a memory for another year.
    Hopefully a few giggles too.
    Certainly a story and a book for any teachers book bag and a story to share with anyone who took part, at whatever level.

    ReplyDelete

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