Children’s booksFrom the archive
The Gruffalo at our house: a library show and Nurin’s own books
We took the children to a Gruffalo show at the library. Nurin went further: she wrote and drew two Gruffalo books of her own, including Gruffalo and Dr. Bobo.
For a while our house was, in Daddy's words, "Gruffalo crazy". We had the Gruffalo books, the CDs and the animated film, and we talked about the small lessons tucked inside the stories.
A library show, 2016
In early 2016 we took Hilwaa and Qoyis to a Gruffalo storytelling show at a library, part of KidsFest Singapore. Two performers came in costume, as the Gruffalo and the Mouse.
Qoyis, still a toddler, came dressed as a bee.
Afterwards Hilwaa and Qoyis made a cut-and-paste craft at the activity table.
For us this was part of what we called Gruffalo immersion: enjoying a story the children already loved, then turning it towards Islamic reflection with them at home.
Nurin's first Gruffalo book
Nurin took it further on her own. In her primary school years she made her own Gruffalo picture book from whatever she found around the house: pencil, washi tape, rubber bands and stickers. She used it to tell the story to herself and to anyone who would listen.
In her story, twins called Zick and Zicky meet the Gruffalo. There is a pet competition, the house shakes, and the Gruffalo hugs the family to keep them safe.
Her last page reads: "It started to make a buatyfull freindship (not realy)".
These books were made in her free time. Writing and drawing them was something she could do on her own, away from screens, instead of asking for a phone.
It helped that we had introduced a family rule on personal phones: none before the age of 19. We have adjusted it for each child, and later eased it for school needs.
Gruffalo and Dr. Bobo
Her last Gruffalo book is the longest and has the most pictures. The Gruffalo waits day after day for his birthday, and when the presents come, nothing is what he wanted. Then a teddy bear pats him and gives him a hug, and "it think, think, think and think" before naming the bear Dr. Bobo. After that he takes Dr. Bobo everywhere. At the back she added puzzles for her readers: a silhouette match, a word scramble with the answers written upside down, and a match-up.
Grufflo and Dr.BoBo / by: Nurin Najwaa
Once was Grufflo, happy and excited for its spaciol birthday.
"A few more days for my birthday" but it wasant quite sure about it. / calander / mon / tue / wed / thur / Fri / sat / sun / me
Grufflo was pation day to day he waited...
"The next day is my birthday!" jumed, the "Grufflo".
when he wake-up, the house started to shake, shake and shake till....
A WHOLE-LOT OF !PRESENT CAME!
Grufflo find a present tedy-bear It dint know what to name it?
Grufflo was sad, nothing was what it wanted,
His teddy-bear patted on him, and gave him a hug. ( and kissed ) it think, think, think and think
"I will call you Dr.Bobo, as it hug and kissed it. / kiss / kiss / he rely loved it
he brought it every wher, / School bus / ME + Dr.BoBo
he never lose it, he LOVE it. / brr..... / Towel
They alwasy do teamwork.....
to deserve rewards / !HELLO!
Who is me / A) / B / A / C / B / A / C / A) answer: B / B) answer [?]
Mix - UP / (A DOBOBr. / (B orGfufl / (C rdbithra / (D Sentprc / (E elancadr / (A Answer: Dr.Bobo (B Grufflo (C birthday (D Present (E calander.
A Match up / Gruffalo / Its. / I love. / We. / 's / .each other / .so much / .birthday
Nurin made both books after the 2016 library show.
What we see in it
Nobody set this as a task. Nurin chose to build her story around waiting patiently, and around learning to love a present that was not what you hoped for. The puzzles at the back are her passing the story on to someone else, which is the Impart step of our 4-I.
The Gruffalo belongs to Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Nurin's books are fan-made, her own stories, and are shown here as a child's work. They have never been sold.
