Tanglewood
Margaret Wild
1. Look at the cover. What does the background show?
2. Look at the insert picture – what does it show? How do you think the two might relate to
each other?
3. Look at the writing – what does this style of writing suggest – describe the style of the font
and how do you think that fits in with the cover illustrations.
Author Research
1. Go to this link and answer these questions:
http://www.scholastic.com.au/common/books/contributor_profile.asp?ContributorID=66&c
hannel=
a. Name 2 awards Margaret Wild has won and for which books.
b. Why is she ‘courageous’ in her writing?
c. Go to Library Enquiry – how many of her books does our Library have? Name 2 that are
in the PRC for K-2; name 2 that are in the PRC for 5-6.
2. Go to this link and answer these questions:
http://www.scholastic.com.au/schools/education/teacherresources/assets/pdfs/Tanglewoo
d.pdf Scroll down to About the Illustrator
a. Where else has the illustrator had her drawings published beside books?
b. Name 3 books she has illustrated.
Read the book
1. Read this summary about the book:
On a small island far away from anywhere is a tree named Tanglewood. All alone
with no one for company, Tanglewood calls to the creatures of the sea but none
answer. One day a storm brings a seagull seeking shelter and a friendship between
the two begins. But now that Tanglewood has experienced companionship, the
tree’s loneliness is greater than ever when the seagull leaves. This is a lovely story
about the trials of solitude and the importance of friends and family, with
wonderfully emotive illustrations.
Answer these questions about this passage:
http://www.petaa.edu.au/resources/2013-cbca-guide/tanglewood
http://www.scholastic.com.au/schools/education/teacherresources/assets/pdfs/Tanglewood.pdf
a. What does the tree’s name suggest to you – what do you think of when you hear the
word Tanglewood?
b. What words in the passage convey a sense of loneliness?
c. Why do you think it is even harder for Tanglewood when the seagull leaves, than it was
before the seagull arrived?
d. Why do you think friends and family are so important, not only to Tanglewood, but to
you too? What do they provide?
e. In what way are the illustrations emotive – what does this mean, and describe one of
the illustrations that you
2. List 2 different verbs used to describe Tanglewood’s memory of Seagull. Write 2 sentences
using these verbs of your own.
3. The way Tanglewood and Seagull speak, the way Tanglewood feels, sees and thinks are
examples of personification. Discuss the possible reasons Margaret Wild had for using
personification. What advantages are there in making these 2 things think and talk like
people?
4. Framing is used within the illustrations to create a sense of isolation, the passing of time, to
highlight a detail and to show the ‘snap shots’ of Tanglewood’s memory of Seagull. Search
the book for examples of the way framing has been used. On which pages do they occur?
How does this technique help your understanding of the text?
5. Vivienne Goodman has illustrated Tanglewood using high modality images. The images
have realistic colour, shading and shape. Why might she have chosen this type of
illustration? Why is this more effective than line drawings that aren’t as realistic, or photos?
6. Tanglewood wishes Seagull a safe journey (Tanglewood wanted to say, ‘Please don’t go,’.
Instead, it wished the bird a safe journey … ) and where Seagull returns to Tanglewood …
(And one of them – Seagull – flew right into the heart of Tanglewood.) Discuss: Why did
Tanglewood stop itself from saying what it wanted to say? Why did Seagull return with her
flock?
7. Why are trees are so important to our existence? Consider their many functions: Using
Google images, collect pictures of these different functions of trees. Paste them into this
document. Have a tree at the centre, then use the Shapes button to select an arrow to
point to each function of a tree. Use a text box under each picture to label its function. Give
a title in Word Art. Add a border around your whole image. A starting example is given
below.
http://www.petaa.edu.au/resources/2013-cbca-guide/tanglewood
http://www.scholastic.com.au/schools/education/teacherresources/assets/pdfs/Tanglewood.pdf
8. This is a story about resilience and the sorrow that accompanies loneliness. Use World
Book Enclyclopedia, Kids, to find a dictionary meaning for each of these words:
resilience
sorrow
loneliness
9. Map the change in Tanglewood’s emotions in the book. How is it feeling at the beginning.
When does its feelings change – list each time. How does it feel at the end?
10. Why does Tanglewood feel determination to live on?
11.
think of the book’s ending?
12. Create a Kizoa slideshow about one aspect of this research that interests you – the
author/illustrator/ trees/themes like loneliness, solitude,resilience. Send the link along with
this completed document to Mrs Crawford: Suzanne.crawford@det.nsw.edu.au
http://www.petaa.edu.au/resources/2013-cbca-guide/tanglewood
http://www.scholastic.com.au/schools/education/teacherresources/assets/pdfs/Tanglewood.pdf