Tony's past Book Week shows (above)

For 2021 Book Week

Touring Term 3, 2021 to Term 2 2022

2021 CBCA Notable List

"Picture Book of the Year"

LIVE stage show

or VIRTUAL show at 30% off!

LITTLELIGHT

• Based on the picture book written & illustrated by Kelly Canby & published by Fremantle Press

• Adapted for the stage/screen & performed by "Tony Bones" Appleby B.Ed

• Technical Design by Zac Krause & Tony

• Music by Natalie Calia Dip.Ed & Tony

The 2021 Western Australian Young Readers’ Book Award Shortlisted Picture Book.

• About the book

• Reviews for the book

• About the book's author-illustrator

• Teacher resources & lesson plans

• Learning areas & particular subjects covered in the book/show

• Buy the book

• About the LIVE stage show

• 30% off interactive VIRTUAL show

• Reviews for the virtual show

• Teacher FAQ's for the virtual show

• Optional props list for the virtual show

• Tony's 35 past Book Week shows

• Testimonials for all past shows

• Will it work for all year levels?

• Where do we tour in Australia?

• Season Dates?

• Ticket Price?

• Year Levels?

• The 2021 FAQ video for students

This year's virtual show below

LITTLELIGHT - The story of a little town that needed a whole lot of enlightening.

When bricks start to go missing from the town of Littlelight, the mayor whips his citizens into a frenzy of aggravation. But when the townspeople find the thief, and her motive, they discover perhaps it is the mayor who is the problem.

Illustrated in moody black and white with dynamic neon highlights, this is a thought-provoking tale of tolerance and acceptance.

"Readers will spot the brick thief early in the story and understand that the celebration of difference — depicted in eye-popping neon highlighted against the grey backdrop of the town — runs counter to the narrowmindedness of the mayor... Littlelight shines a neon spotlight on the importance of breaking down barriers" Writing WA

Back to the top!                Get a quote or make a booking!

About the book

"LITTLELIGHT - The story of a little town that needed a whole lot of enlightening.

When bricks start to go missing from the town of Littlelight, the mayor whips his citizens into a frenzy of aggravation. But when the townspeople find the thief, and her motive, they discover perhaps it is the mayor who is the problem.

Illustrated in moody black and white with dynamic neon highlights, this is a thought-provoking tale of tolerance and acceptance."

"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences" Audre Lorde.

• Sample Chapter of the book

• Video of Kelly Canby illustrating

• YouTube Review by Tania McCartney

• Video of Storybox Library reading of the book (subscription required)

Reviews for the book

'Kelly Canby’s distinctive scribbly illustrations are enjoyably tactile and energetic … With this work, author-illustrator Canby further confirms her reputation as an innovative and thought-provoking storyteller.' Books+Publishing

'This little book packs some serious themes about keeping an open mind, staying connected, limiting elected authority, and the power of one person to make a positive difference.' Magpies

'Parents, teachers and kids will all find different things to appreciate in this timely and visually striking picture book …' Weekend West

'Along with the brilliant artwork, the repetition of text and sophisticated vocabulary is intriguing for curious minds and will leave readers enlightened.' Kids' Book Review

'Striking illustrations complete this quality picture book.' Pinerolo

Many more reviews for the book here!!

Teacher Resources

• Fremantle Press Teaching Notes

• Teachers Pay Teachers Activity Pack

• Freemantle Press Activity Sheet

• Video interview with Kelly about Littlelight & her other books

• Imani the Author interview with Kelly Canby at Booktoberfest 2020

Buy the book

Fremantle Press, Booktopia, Lamont Books, Book Depository, Amazon Australia, eBay Australia, The Nile, Readings, Dymocks, Rabble Books & Games, Angus & Robertson, Verso Books, Fishpond, Boomerang Books, Books In Stock, Sequel Books, Harry Hartog Booksellers, Oscar & Friends Booksellers, Glee Books, National Library of Australia Bookshop, QBD Books, Pegi Williams Bookshop, Book Curator, Aspects of Kings Park, Wheelers Books, The Book Room Collective, Beaufort Street Books

Our interactive virtual incursion

• 30% cheaper than our live show;

• Available any day you like from Term 3, 2021 onwards, including any day in Book Week;

• Adaptable minimum student numbers so perfect for smaller schools that don't meet the minimum student numbers of the live show;

• Available to any school in Australia & New Zealand, regardless of location, so a great option for schools who cannot link in with our live tour schedule due to their location;

• Simple props list can be collected before the show then used by students during the performance to make it even more interactive. Especially brilliant when the props are run by the senior students for their junior classes.

• Can be viewed at multiple times across multiple days to suit your school schedule;

• Everything from our live show & more... for less!!! So much more than just a simple live stream of the stage show, this interactive production is custom-made for the screen with cutting-edge green screen elements & special effects throughout the virtual show that live streams just can't achieve at this price point.

• Check out the trailer for our 2021 interactive virtual incursion here!

Back to the top!               Get a quote or make a booking!

Reviews for 2021's Littlelight Interactive Virtual Show:

"INCREDIBLE! I love it all! The colours the costumes...the MAYOR! Oh my! What an amazing job you've done. I'm blown away... I have GOOSEBUMPS and maybe a tear or two in my eyes. Amazing. Truly amazing... Thank you so so much.” Kelly Canby, Author-illustrator of Littlelight

"The students loved the show! We showed it to K - Year 4. They were all engaged... I used 4 Year 6 students (to run the props & activities in the show). They did great. Took the role on proudly and did great engaging the audience. We did the muffin tray tree activity and put the balls with birds taped on them on the sticks. Students enjoyed passing it through the crowd... The year 6 students removed bricks and added the coloured ones... Thanks again for the show" Sathya Sai School, Murwillumbah, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school

"Show went well thanks... The feedback from the teachers who ran the sessions was that the prep-year 3 students really enjoyed it... the feedback was it was a great show... the kids still danced and yelled at the screen and interacted. Thank you very much" Capricornia School of Distance Education, Emerald, QLD for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced half at school & half at home.

"Yesterday we ran two sessions and it was amazing! We used the sets & props run by the senior students and everyone absolutely loved it... Thank you for a fantastic virtual performance. For 2 days the library was transformed into the town of Littlelight and generated much excitement with students from Prep to Year 6 attending. They all loved it and enjoyed being part of the show. The information you provided on your website regarding the interactive components of the performance including the optional props was comprehensive and extremely helpful. We took full advantage of your suggestions, involving all the year 6 students in running the interactive activities. It enabled all the students to become part of the show making it a much better experience. We ran 3 sessions over the 2 days and having the virtual performance enabled us to work around the other specialist lessons making it less disruptive to the scheduled learning.  The year 6 students provided some feedback:  They wanted to know if they could run the show again next year.  Some felt a live show would be even better and would Tony need their help? They thought the interactive activities really made the show. I've attached our College newsletter as it has a section at the bottom called 'Library Bytes' covering our Book Week activities, including a piece on the Littlelight performance: Monday and Tuesday this week saw a New World created in the Library as it was converted into the town of Littlelight for the virtual interactive performance of the CBCA Notable List Picture Book of the Year 2021, “Littlelight” by Kelly Canby, dramatized by Tony Bones (Appleby) B.Ed from ‘Books to Life’. We ran three sessions over the two days which saw each of the primary classes from Prep to Year 6 enjoy the show. The Year 6 students and their teachers, Miss Bergel and Miss Cope along with Mrs Rummenie ran the interactive components of the show. The Year 6 students did a fantastic job, enthusiastically engaging the students in the audience and involving them in the story and activities. The students all enjoyed the performance. We had many students telling us how much fun they had and what a great story it was. Littlelight is a small town surrounded by walls to keep out all things different, strange, and unusual. When bricks start to go missing the mayor is furious and persuades the townspeople that all is not right, and they need protection from all that is different, unusual, and strange outside the walls. As the outside world is revealed the townspeople start to see patches of colour from the towns outside, where the people eat unusual new foods, speak different languages, dance to offbeat music and read new books. With the help of a little girl, they realise that the other people have a lot to share bringing light and colour to their lives. The wonderful message they took away with them was that sometimes the walls we build around us stop us from experiencing the world outside. God made us all different and unique, and all people no matter who they are or what country they are from have something wonderful to share filling our lives with colour." Chinchilla Christian College, QLD for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"EVERYONE LOVED IT! They thought it was fun and colourful and the students were all so engaged... It was such a fantastic show, I certainly enjoyed it just as much as the students did... Thank you for such a wonderful day!... From those (staff) who have spoken to me personally, they said “it was wonderfully engaging for a virtual show, the colours and music were very effective”, “what a wonderful opportunity for the students even though we were in remote learning”, “I had just as much fun as the students”, “What a powerful way to deliver such an important message”. The children said “...I had a lot of fun doing it”, “He was very expressive”, “I loved the games, they were fun”, “It was great”. Thank you again for all of your support and understanding. You have made this process very enjoyable for me and my school and we appreciate all the time and effort that goes into your marvellous performances" Mount Waverley North PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at home.

"Wow what a fabulous show! I have just finished viewing it myself at home after a long planning day. It was so well put together and incredibly entertaining. Thank you for offering the virtual show to us. I can’t wait to hear the feedback from students... Thanks again for sharing your talent through your show. I hope we get to have your live show at our school in 2022…or if COVID prevails the virtual option again"

"Thank you for sharing your performance with our school. I am a Grade 5/6 teacher at Yarraman Oaks Primary school. My reading group enjoyed reading the book during the previous week and had some excellent discussion about the messages in the book.... I watched the show from home with my 6-year-old daughter and she loved the music and interaction. Thank you again for providing this opportunity for our school." Yarraman Oaks PS, Noble Park, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at home.

"Thank you so much... My students in my Webex just then loved your performance, so thank you for getting them up and active (and smiling!)... I would love to book you (again next year), as long as I get approval!... Thank you once again for a fantastic performance!" Coburg West PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at home.

"On behalf of our school and community here at Marayong South Public School I would like to thank you for all that you have assisted me with in preparing a spectacular book week show for our students during home learning. You have made it memorable despite the lockdowns and I appreciate your love for bringing children's literature to life, thank you!

Feedback from our staff and students: 

- Tony's show was full of fun and student engagement! It is clear he has spent much time trying to perfect every scene, prop and dialogue! Thanks for making it fun for our students! 

- It was a cool virtual show to watch! 

- The students really enjoyed the show and were so deep in watching it. Not a peep from them! 

- This was a super awesome show to watch during Book Week." Marayong South Public School, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at home.

"Firstly, congratulations on your achievements in bringing Littlelight to Life! As you have done so wonderfully well in the past. You should be really proud of the production and support materials created for staff to work with before and after enjoying the show. Direct Student Feedback: I really liked the story little light. There were many different twists and mysteries to solve which always kept you interested! I especially liked when they were showing the different people. (The North people, the South people, the East people and the West people.) It was fun to see, do, and listen to! It was very interactive in different ways which made me enjoy the different activities. Combined Staff Feedback: Great for teaching and observing the aspects of Drama. Props and Sets were effective. The links all worked perfectly. We had all of the props ready to go. We had watched the reading by Kelly Canby and the YouTube preview on Tuesday, which really helped. The interactive segments were engaging and quite funny at times... Many references were made to Australian authors and children’s books, which could flow on to literacy. This performance could effectively be used with different age groups across primary... The Q &A link provided interesting information about props, costumes (cheap easy ones!) etc. It would be useful if you are trying to design and create your own performance. All-in-all it was very well done, and could easily be used in many KLA’s, and as inspiration for a performance. Thank you for your work on this and well done Tony!" St Francis Xavier's PS, Urana, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"The initial feedback from our campus families was very positive... I will also be keen to book a show for next year as well" Woady Yaloak PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at home.

"Hi Tony, The shows are going great! I have had lots of wonderful feedback and loved watching the students have fun in the shows.... I'm glad I put together all the props because the students really do enjoy all the activities and having the muffin tray decorated as a tree has been very entertaining for them. It has been a wonderful addition to our book week celebration! We have 3 more days of fun to have. Tomorrow will be extra fun with everyone dressed in their costumes for the day.. the feedback I received throughout the week from both students and staff was very positive... they had read the book prior to attending the show and students understood the main moral/teaching of the story. It was a great addition to our book week celebration and fitted perfectly with the theme and our school context as well." Ashdale PS, Darch, Perth, WA for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"The virtual performance of Littlelight was watched by our onsite students from Kinder -3. The students were all thoroughly engaged and enjoyed themselves throughout the show. They laughed and interacted enthusiastically with the character and were intrigued by his change of costume, accent and clothes. They enjoyed discussing the performance and the message they gleaned. A happy way to celebrate Book Week- Thank you" Marist Catholic College, North Shore, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"The class all joined together via zoom to watch the performance of Littlelight. The faces on the zoom were totally engrossed. They particularly enjoyed joining in with some of the action. It was a great way to start our Book Week, Book Day" Marist Catholic College, North Shore, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"Had a lovely Year 3 assembly this morning with the kids all dressed up and then we all watched Lighthouse together. The kids really enjoyed it and were quite captivated by it. they particularly enjoyed the change of character and how he made them feel like he was in their home. Great show!" Marist Catholic College, North Shore, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"I want to thank you so much for the virtual show. We had most of our students offsite and a handful onsite. I was with Years 3 & 4 students while onsite as well as leading a zoom lesson with students at home watching the show. As a teacher, it was brilliant. The story that we had been focusing on all week was brought to life and was wonderful. From a students perspective, they loved it. We had students up out of their chairs and engaging in the many interactive moments, singing, dancing, speaking strange languages and using what we had gathered as props. Once again, thank you." Melton Christian College, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"Hi Tony, Verbal feedback to me was all positive! 😊" Ringwood Heights PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"We showed our Preps Littlelight this morning and I was blown away! It’s obvious you’ve put so much time and effort into the production value of this virtual incursion and I appreciated the quality as well as the content. Our preps clapped along matching different beats and had a go at throwing fruit in the basket! It was surprisingly interactive and adaptable to the online ‘zoom’ classroom as well as projected for the kids of essential workers at school and it worked well in both environments. The extra classroom resources were abundant and could span several weeks so I’m looking forward to revisiting this book and using your video, songs, resources and the memories the kids made today. I’ve seen a live performance of yours as well and have to say that while the kids obviously miss out on so much in remote learning, they haven’t missed out on this special experience. It was genuinely comparable to a live show and that’s quite an accomplishment! Thanks for all the hard work you’ve put into this, it was well worth it for us as I hope it was for you." Melton Christian College, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"I’ve seen a few of your shows and am amazed at how you adapt to the different texts. I love the creativity and humour. I’d say: Keep on doing what you are doing! The students on Zoom at home were fully engaged as you brought this delightful book with complex themes to life for them in a way they could understand. (Year 1)" Melton Christian College, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"The virtual incursion was fantastic. The (grade 5) students especially enjoyed the different songs and music. The interactive options were also enjoyed by those who participated. The book choice and associated resources/lesson plans were AMAZING!!! It was so good to spend the week exploring the text, going deep before the show... an amazing experience for my students." Melton Christian College, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"We followed the suggestion to read the book before the performance, and this was instrumental in the boys understanding of the performance itself... The boys enjoyed exploring the unique talents of each land... High-quality production... Students saw it a class at a time, so it was a personalised experience." St Peter's College, SA for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"Thanks, Tony for the show, really great feedback and engagement!" Middle Park PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"The students really enjoyed the show" St Patrick's PS, Latrobe, TAS for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"I know the children who were at school loved the production, as I was supervising them on Tuesday. As it was last year, the show was so visual and well-paced and engaged the younger students entirely." Sacred Heart PS, Diamond Creek, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"It was really bright and engaging and the students said they enjoyed it... thank you for a great show and something different for the kids to enjoy during lockdown." Caulfield PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"I have just enjoyed the show with a small group of students at school. They loved it! It was interactive and full of fun, they were delighted. What a great choice of book. We will be using this book for further learning moving forward. Thanks also for your flexibility in ensuring we could see the show virtually during Book Week... Thanks again for the wonderful performance this year." St Luke's Catholic PS, Lalor, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"The show was amazing. I ran it onsite with two groups of students; 3-6s then p-2s and both groups really enjoyed it.  The balloons, torches, and interaction with the brick walls were some of our highlights! Thanks again, despite Covid, this was a super easy incursion to plan. The communication with you throughout helped to make this a really supported experience and the show itself was really entertaining and suitable for all grade levels. We are keen to book in a date for book week 2022 as soon as we can!" Newport Gardens PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"Thanks so much, Tony. All the feedback I’ve had so far has been great. My 3 and 5-year-old sons really enjoyed it! My 5-year-old said he loved it so much he just wants to watch it always... thanks for all your help and hard work!" St Bede's PS, ACT for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"Thank you for providing this experience for the girls last week.  The girls really enjoyed taking a break from the normal routine and there was much positive feedback about your production." Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"I was speaking with a parent this morning who loved watching your show last week with her family!" Bayswater PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"We all enjoyed the show! There have been lots of comments on how funny it was, how cleverly it was done and how great it was with including students. I’m so glad we were able to still run the show, even virtually, to celebrate the end of Book Week. Well done on creating a great show! Thanks for bringing this awesome book and lovely message to our students" Ringwood North PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"The feedback from my students in Foundation was they loved the songs and storyline and the use of props. I had a few photos sent to me of students using props while watching. One student said it was very funny to watch. From a teacher's perspective, it was a great alternative for home learning and enjoyed listening to the interactive story. Students who were onsite on this day watched it on the big projector and all variety of year levels enjoyed it from what the staff onsite said." Kingston Heath PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced both at school & at home.

"Many thanks for your performance. I have received unsolicited positive feedback... All very enthusiastic, kids laughing constantly and very involved. One Year 1 student included it in his sentence of the day, where he had to use adjectives. He wrote: "The funniest thing I ever saw was in the littlelight incursion when they were translating the unfamiliar words." (I presume a parent would have helped him with the spelling!). The teacher who recommended you watched it with his own family and they all totally loved it. He rang to let me know. I watched it too and it was fabulous. My favourite part was the CBCA books section, I would have loved to watch my kids do that since I read them all those books. The whole performance was fast-paced, true to the story and very uplifting. The FAQ was good too... Well done." Medowie Public School, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at home.

"The children thoroughly enjoyed it... They really enjoyed the interactive aspect of the show and delighted in gathering props themselves and actively involved themselves completely in the show singing and dancing etc. It was a joy to watch especially in these strange times. I was impressed with the discussion on the themes that the children engaged in and how much they gained from watching the show. Fortunately, even though they are very young they are used to discussing complex themes and enjoyed talking about all the different walls that have been constructed in the world. They were excited to talk about the Trojan walls as we have completed a Myths and Legends unit and completed an in-depth study of the Trojan Horse. I will recommend this production to other teacher friends and would love to hear about any future productions." Hampton Public School, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school & at home.

"The presentation was excellent and we really appreciated the time and thought that went into your production values. The younger children in particular found the experience truly immersive and enjoyed every moment. The songs were great." Roberts McCubbin PS, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school & at home.

"The virtual show of Littlelight was watched by families in their homes this year... These are the main points of feedback we received:
* The extended times for viewing were helpful in allowing families flexibility 
* The information (emails) prior to the show was appreciated- having time to plan and gather props, as well as pre-watching the story.
* Clever use of household items as props, and various options for things to be used, made participating easy for busy families.
* The energy and enthusiasm throughout the show was contagious!
* The games and use of props was well balanced throughout the show, the games were able to be enjoyed by all family members in their own way- this was a valuable component of the show.
* It was a good length of time- much longer would have been too long for younger participants to concentrate.
* The show was a fun way for children to engage with a story- especially for those who don't usually enjoy reading. It also allowed families to spend this time together, without having to have planned an activity themselves- this was a blessing during a difficult season." Moree Christian School, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at home.

"It was a great performance - many thanks! Teachers enjoyed it, too. I had 6 prop kids and they worked those torches and balls really well. Instead of blu-tacking the bricks on the wall- I created a 2- sided cardboard (large) 4 panels and we slowly turned them around (like the Les Miserables barricades) - but with happy coloured bricks, windows and doors:)" Deniliquin South PS, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"I ran the virtual show with my P-4 library classes so I have watched it 6 times…I could nearly perform beside you 😉 You are very clever. The children absolutely enjoyed every moment of the show. There was not much time where the children were sitting still. There was so much for them to do that the 50 minutes passed so quickly. This was a fantastic book, I can see why you chose it and it is a bit disappointing that it was not on the shortlist. My personal favourite scene was the northern wall. I loved the interpreting of the language. The children were so focussed and hanging on your every word to hear exactly what the words meant... The kids loved the dancing and copying your movements (particularly the butt movement)... We would definitely love to book again next year…the kids that have seen the 2 shows know you by name. They actually thought you were doing the show live by Zoom... Thank you so much for all that you do. You really do bring these books to life!" Terang College, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"Hi Tony... Great feedback for 'Littlelight'... Really enjoyed the performance - kids loved it too... Will be rebooking again for next year... Most positive feedback was for the dancing activity and balloon bounce/bird ball relay.  Who would have thought?" Otways MARC, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"The Prep- Grade 4s were engaged, interested in the content and entertained by the show. People also commented on the clarity of the video. It’s a great book and everyone liked the message which was clearly delivered during the performance... The teachers also enjoyed a break! In these crazy times, it was great that you could come up with something that could be viewed no matter the circumstance, so congratulations!" Valkstone PS, Bentleigh East, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"Hi Tony... Thank you again for providing a virtual show for schools. The amount of work to put it together would have been phenomenal... All students and teachers from Prep to Year 4 absolutely loved the show and thought the way you had students interacting with the various games and activities was terrific. There was so much positive feedback after the show.  Also, your video of FAQ was a great follow up to the performance and really added to their understanding of how a show is put together and the meaning of the story.  Thank you for all the work you do to ensure we had a great experience.  Your correspondence was second to none, and along the way, you always answered my questions or queries with such promptness and courtesy. I have no hesitation in recommending your performance to others and we will certainly be booking you again for next year." Caulfield Grammar School VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"Great feedback for 'Littlelight'. Most positive feedback was for the dancing activity and balloon bounce/bird ball relay." Otways MARC, VIC  for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"Hi Tony, Every level loved it! Such a gorgeous book and brilliantly performed. We have struggled to find performances which do entertain  and engage across P-6, even though they might be advertised as such, observing the students in any class enjoying and talking about it beyond the performance is a major win." St Anthony's PS, Alphington, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"I asked every class I saw last week re. their thoughts about the show - a resounding loved it, was very funny, liked the dance class - all of it!" Nulkaba PS, NSW for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"It was a success. The kids enjoyed it and enjoyed that all the kids in the school saw it." Stella Maris PS, Burnie, TAS for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"I did use the lesson plans and found them excellent. We've had some great discussions about the book and why it was made. The students did their own research about the other walls built in our history and even today.  They are very keen to learn about the holocaust as we are reading the novel 'Once' so they were particularly interested in the walls surrounding the ghettos. Thank you once again for providing us with these lessons plans. Wishing you all the best and we look forward to seeing you again one-day" Yarraman Oaks PS, Noble Park, VIC for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

"Hi Tony, The feedback from the teachers was very positive. They loved the interactive elements and the variety as each scene was played out. They loved the music - boppy and fun. The students were engaged throughout... They loved a story played out theatrically that has a deep message to take away. They loved the humour. Overall, they would say the engagement level was high amongst all students and they really enjoyed it. We are very grateful for your work." Holy Spirit Primary School, Nicholls, ACT for Littlelight Virtual Show experienced at school.

How does the interactive virtual incursion work?

The live production is cleverly adapted to make it work more effectively for a professionally filmed & edited performance that students can stream & interact with:

• at a school assembly;

• in their classroom;

• or even individually by students at home if they are away sick that day.

^{"Loved the live-action engaging and interactive nature of the show. It actually felt like we were at a live theatre show even though it was virtual!"}

^{St. Augustine’s PS, Frankston South, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

^{"All positive feedback from staff and students. The humour was particularly well-received, the fact you performed to the camera was engaging and the range of camera angles, props and effects were terrific. We are definitely wanting to book next year please"}

^{St Anthony's PS, Alphington, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

Everything from the live show & much more is captured with:

• multiple top-end 5K cameras;

• full DMX stage lighting;

• pro sound;

• plus several additional visual technical elements & green screen technology integrated to enhance the live production.

^{"Thank you so so so much for all your valuable resources and an amazing brilliant 'virtual show'. Our students were engaged throughout the performance and thoroughly enjoyed watching it, from our Prep students right up to our Year 6 students. The teachers enjoyed it too and gave it a thumbs up. Thanks also for the FAQ video which we will be coming back to. Everything worked well and was seamless which was fantastic. The quality was spot on - so clear that it made you feel that you were actually in the room... I will certainly be recommending you to my other teacher-librarian colleagues as a 'must have' performance for their schools."}

^{St Leonard's PS, Glen Waverley, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

^{"After having you perform at our school in previous years, we knew the show would be good, but with having to perform a virtual show, we could never have imagined it would be incredible. Your show exceeded all of our expectations and both staff and students absolutely loved it... Even through a screen, you have the ability to engage, entertain and inspire our students... a truly amazing show - a highlight of our Book Week."}

_{Caulfield Grammar, Malvern, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

Filmed on the stage with multiple camera angles & sparkling 4K clarity give every student the very best seat in the house & make them a part of bringing books to life.

^{"The staff and students loved the show. The foundation students and their teacher were extremely impressed with how you made the illustrations come to life and were able to put yourself into the illustrations. Everyone from Foundation to year 6 thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and were extremely impressed by how life-like everything was. Staff commented on how engaged the children were and all the children I spoke to told me they loved that there were a lot of different elements to the performance that really made it come alive. Staff were also very appreciative of the huge amount of resources and ideas you shared with us. As the person who organised this event, I was very grateful to the support you gave... We're still not sure how you managed to bring the performance and the book to life as well as you did.  Congratulations on a fantastic performance. I hope to book the performance again next year."}

^{St Fidelis' Catholic PS, Coburg, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

The pre-recorded performance is professionally edited to add in a host of special digital effects to make full use of the green screen technology & create opportunities that the live show just can't offer.

^{"Grades enjoyed (the show), teachers enjoyed your jokes! Looking forward to seeing you again... Even though it was on the tv it was great that you found ways to interact with the kids... The green screen effects were great... The show was great, loved that even though it was virtual, it was still interactive"}

^{Morang South PS, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

Multiple interactive activities are included in the filmed performance for students to participate in from the hall, classroom or at home. These are designed to get the students up & moving to be part of the action, making the audience feel as if they are actually in & around the characters in the show. For Littlelight, the students get to:

• Stick up grey A4 paper bricks as they enter the room to create the 4 grey walls of Littlelight;

• Shout out to the mayor where the brick thief is hiding;

• Chant out the mayor's instructions as the mob;

• Have 2 students shining coloured "Littlelights" (torches with coloured cellophane) across the audience as each of the 4 coloured scenes progress;

• Have 7 students up to pick "fruit" (tennis balls or ballpit balls) from a tree (muffin tray) that they throw into baskets (buckets) in the southern scene where the people "eat unusual food";

• Choose 6 helpers to act out 3 scenes where they get to say lines in another strange language that we translate on screen in the northern scene where people "speak strange words";

• All get up & dance, learning a bunch of new dance steps with the people from the east who "dance to offbeat music";

• All get up to play a game of heads & tails, answering true-false questions about the CBCA short listed & notable listed books with the people of the west who "read unfamiliar books"

• After each of the 4 different coloured wall scenes, several students get to peel some bricks off each wall to create windows & doors. Other students stick up some coloured bricks, while others get to bounce a bird balloon in that colour to the front & float a coloured bird drawn onto a ballpit ball to the front, balanced on a cardboard tube, like a mini-relay that will run after each of the 4 wall scenes so that coloured birds "fly" around Littlelight;

• All get up to march as the mob to find the brick thief with the mayor;

• All stand up to learn a range of clapping rhythms at the end of the show in the finale;

• Finish with either a game of throwing the different coloured ballpit balls into the muffin tray from the 4 walls of Littlelight, balloon volleyball or both!!

^{"I received a lot of great feedback on your show this year. Although they love having you in person and the wonderful theatre vibe that brings, this year's virtual incursion had so many pluses!  It was great being able to have 3 shows in our Hall... It meant there was a lot more room to move about when you had the interactive parts. These were really enjoyable and the students commented they wanted more! They particularly liked the signal flags and by you pointing out into the audience, the students organised who came out the front without any direction/instruction from the teachers whatsoever!... Thanks again for the great show you put on this year."}

^{Gilles Street PS, Adelaide, SA for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

^{"The virtual performance was a wonderful experience and it certainly reflected your existing creativity and increasing versatility! The Year 6 students thoroughly enjoyed supporting the performance and the audiences for both performances were extremely engaged. Comments from teachers were very positive, with the general consensus being of greatly impressed and that if these virtual performances are to be the new norm, then we are happy to embrace these opportunities... we would like to rebook for the virtual tour if it can be incorporated for the 2021 Book Week."}

^{St Patrick's Catholic School, Latrobe, TAS for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

We also provide a list of optional props to be collected that can then be used by students within the show in their own classroom to enhance the interactive virtual experience. We also provide a digital pack where schools can print out bricks to stick up on the walls of Littlelight. Many schools get their Year 6 students to be in charge of running these props in the shows as a fun leadership activity for them to share with their schoolmates.

^{"Our students were so highly engaged for the whole show, and erupted into applause at the end!! It was, as always, a very cleverly structured show with student needs in mind and appealed to absolutely everyone. We appreciated being able to pause it a couple of times when needed. And the props were a wonderful way to create interaction. I prepped our year 6/7 class on the day before to be prop managers. They sat down the sides and supported and encouraged all the other students while each having a job such as choosing a student and coaching them to do the Northern Lights or spraying water everywhere! It was a fantastic way to fully engage those older children and have them being responsible and generous. Thank you so very much and congratulations on your successful adventure into virtual incursions!”}

^{Newbery Park PS, SA for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

^{"The students thoroughly enjoyed the performance, particularly the jokes and singing. The suggested props made it very entertaining too... it was engaging as well as clever how the book was linked to the drama/singing."}

^{St Peters Lutheran College, Springfield Central, QLD for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

Teachers have the ability to pause the show during these activities to organise students in the room to participate safely & join in the fun.

^{"Students of all year levels enjoyed the performance... the ability to stop the performance to explain aspects to the students and to organise the students for interacting with the performance was a bonus... the students just loved the way the use of props helped them to interact with the performance. The props really made the whole experience something the students will remember and talk about"}

^{Otways MARC, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

A filmed in-depth student FAQ session is included where “Tony Bones” takes the students through the creation of the show, the content & messages in the book, plus where he provides answers to common questions. Check out the 2020 version of this here. Teachers then have the ability to email through their students’ additional questions which Tony will reply to via video clips that can be played back to the students within 24 hours. If scheduling allows these extra questions can even be done as a live video call with your school group via Zoom, Webex, Google Meet or Skype at no extra cost. Also included are easy to follow teacher notes & guided discussions for teachers to run before & after the virtual performance to give the students a greater understanding of the content & a more meaningful interaction with the show. This is in addition to the extensive teacher resources & lesson plans already available for the live performance.

^{"Wonderful entertainment for my class... Students were excited to participate in the actions and sat and watched your portrayal intently.  I also provided as many of the props as possible which added to the student's experience.  They particularly liked it when they were splashed with water during the turbulent water/sea scene!... We watched the Q and A later that afternoon.  I wasn't sure whether my class would be able to sit through this due to their age and concentration span?  Surprisingly they were most interested.  We watched this for about half an hour and will come back to watch this further in the coming week.  This deepened the student's experience of the production. A plethora of further resources was very much appreciated for further and future learning. Overall, the portrayal was magnificent... We all enjoyed this sooooo much!"}

^{S.S. Peter & Paul's PS, East Doncaster, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL}

Schools will be provided with a hyperlink & a unique password to unlock the virtual performance on the specific day of their booking. They can then share that link with all teachers at their school who have a class booked for the performance.

^{"It was so well done... The link worked perfectly and there were no issues regarding set-up… I could tell the kids really enjoyed it… as did (the other Year 6 teacher) and I! The students were really engaged throughout"}

^{Chatham PS, Surrey Hills, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

The price for the interactive virtual performance is a huge 30% off the live show price +GST.

• Within "Book Week" itself just $5.25+GST/student;

• or any other week just $4.55+GST/student.

Simply indicate in your enquiry as to whether you'd like the live show or the virtual incursion option.

^{"They loved it. Really engaging and well put together show. Loved the jokes, songs and animations... The kids were full of laughter while watching the show and loved the props, animation and audience interaction as well."}

^{Kingswood PS, Dingley Village, VIC for 2020's 'Hello Lighthouse' VIRTUAL.}

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Teacher Frequently Asked Questions for the new 2021 virtual performance:

Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions by teachers at the moment. Just let us know if there are any other questions that are not covered here.

1. Do the students and teachers have to read the book before seeing the virtual show?

2. Do we have to collect & use the suggested optional props in the virtual show?

3. Do all the students need to watch the virtual show at the same time?

4. Do I need to register for an account to watch the virtual show?

5. When will I get access to the virtual show?

6. Do I need to run a test of playing the virtual show at school?

7. Can the staff watch the virtual show first so they know what to expect?

8. How does the student FAQ's (frequently asked questions) section work after the virtual show?

9. How long does the virtual show & student FAQ section go?

10. Are there lesson plans & teacher resources?

11. How long will it take for you to respond to student’s questions that we email through?

12. Can we keep a copy of the virtual show for the future?

13. Can we have access to the virtual show over multiple days?

1. Do the students and teachers have to read the book before seeing the virtual show?

This is not mandatory but it is highly recommended. The teachers or senior students running the optional props will better understand where everything happens if they have already read the book. The students who have already read the book before experiencing the show respond far better to our Book Week performances because they understand the source material & can see how we have adapted it. And it is a Book Week show after all so we’d love to encourage the students to read the book, not just experience the show. If a copy of the book cannot be sourced before the show then just let us know & we'll come up with a solution. For this year we even have a 5-minute video for the students to watch of the book's author-illustrator reading the book. It is recommended that students have read the book in class at some point in the week leading up to your show date, but maybe not on the day of the show itself as this can mean they are seeing the book twice in one day.

2. Do we have to collect and use the suggested optional props in the virtual performance?

No, it is optional, but the feedback from our past schools was that the students LOVED LOVED LOVED them & had so much fun bringing "Books To Life" at home or in their own classroom with their teachers & classmates. As stated, for shows held at school, many staff get their Year 6 students to be in charge of running these props in the shows as a fun leadership activity for them to share with their schoolmates. Some schools have had a lot of success getting their Year 6 students to experience the show in the very first session of the day then have them run all of the props for all of their junior classes, already knowing exactly what happened when in the show & how to make it work best for the students so that the teachers could sit back & relax. If you only have one set of the props then those senior students can also be in charge of shuffling props from one class to the next if you have multiple groups seeing the show all starting in 5 or 10 minute intervals. The Year 6 students love the leadership opportunity to "run the show" & the teachers get to relax. How clever is that? For students at home, it is just a case of spending 5 minutes to collect any of the optional props that they have lying around their house.

3. Do all the students need to watch the virtual show at the same time?

No. Many schools run the virtual incursion in their individual classrooms for either their one class or sometimes a few classes together, depending on how many comfortably fit in the room. If every classroom has a decent screen to watch it on then it works fine. If not then just use the best room a few times for the different groups during the day. You have unlimited use of the footage for that entire day from 8am to 10pm & can watch it as many times as you like with small or large groups. It is up to you. Even individual students who might be at home can watch the show if you email them the link & password to use & their families can join in for free, as long as all of the school's students have been paid for.

4. Do I need to register for an account to watch the virtual show?

You do not need to register for an account with Vimeo. Like Youtube, anyone can watch a video on Vimeo just by clicking on a link.

5. When will I get access to the virtual show?

We will email you the link & password for the virtual incursion at the latest by 10am the morning before the show to forward to the appropriate staff at your school. The password will only work from 8am of the day your show is booked until 10pm. On the day of the show whenever each class is ready to watch the show the teachers (or students at home) simply click on the link I’ll have emailed you & enter the password that comes with it. Then the video will play on the screen, streaming from Vimeo. There are instructions for this in the email that is sent with the link & password the day before your virtual performance.

6. Do I need to run a test of playing the virtual show at school?

We do recommend running a test at school before the day to make sure that the Vimeo website is not blocked by your school's network (unlikely but possible) by playing our 2021 show trailer at this link while at school: https://vimeo.com/584907107 If in the unlikely event that Vimeo is blocked at your school then please contact your ICT staff to ask them to ensure that it is unlocked for the day of the show & for whenever classes want to access the student FAQ footage afterwards.

7. Can the staff watch the virtual show first so they know what to expect & when to use the optional props?

We're not offering the option to preview the show itself, however:

• The show follows the storyline of the picture book very closely;

• You can watch the show trailer at https://vimeo.com/584907107 to get a feel of how it will look; 

• The student FAQ is available for the students to watch after the show but it is also available for teachers to watch before the show if you prefer. It goes through in great detail how we made the show;

• Detailed notes will be sent through before the show to let you know exactly when & how to use the optional props.

8. How does the student FAQ's (frequently asked questions) section work after the show?

If you watch through the short credits at the end there is a little message from me to camera about the questions. The 28 minute FAQ video is at a separate link which will be emailed to all teachers along with the show link. This video has no password & is available to go back to whenever your classes want to work through any of that content. After they have experienced the virtual show the students can watch just the first part of the FAQ about the book or jump to whichever section the teachers would like them to look at (the puppets, props, etc). The FAQ link will also be on our website. You can even check out our 2020 student FAQ video here.

9. How long does the show and student FAQ section go?

The virtual show is 50 minutes. The FAQ is 28 minutes. Staff & students are free to just watch a bit of the FAQ directly after the show then come back to it another time if that suits.

10. Are there lesson plans and teacher resources?

Yes. A huge amount of lesson plans, videos & teachers resources are available on our website to use before or after the show as your teachers wish. These can be accessed once the book title is announced in May 2021 at: https://www.bookstolife.com.au/2021-Show/#TeacherResources & extra discussion points & lesson plans are emailed to the staff also.

11. How long will it take for you to respond to student questions that we email through?

We'll have recorded a 28 minute "FAQ" section that the school has unlimited access to for the rest of the year & this goes through the content of the book, the use of puppets, props, sets, costumes, music, etc. There will also be links on our website to the author/illustrator's website as well as many other video & written resources at https://www.bookstolife.com.au/2021-Show/#TeacherResources If there are more questions that we haven't covered in all of that then the classes should feel free to email them through to us at tony@bookstolife.com.au With multiple schools seeing the show each day at various times we will send a video answer to all questions by the next school day so that we always have time to get them prepared, shot & sent overnight.

12. Can we keep a copy of the virtual show for the future?

Unfortunately no. For the FAQ section you have free access forever, but not for the virtual show itself. Like the live show, no digital recordings of the show can be made. Filming your students getting up & involved is encouraged but no copies of the film itself can be made as it is a breach of copyright. We do not have unlimited rights from the author/illustrator or book publisher to perform the book beyond this season, nor from the musicians that we compose the songs with, nor from the designer of the film. All of these artists sign contracts where the deal is that the students get to see the live show once (or in the virtual show as many times as they like on one school day) but not that they then own the show forever. It is like buying a movie ticket to watch a film at the cinema, not like buying a DVD that you keep afterwards & watch forever. The costs for that would be much much higher. The project is only developed as a one year tour, virtual or live, so any copies used after that are breaching those artists' copyright.

13. Can we have access to the virtual show over multiple days?

Yes, if it is necessary for your school to do it that way to run it in library sessions we can accommodate that request.

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Past CBCA Short-Listed/Notable-Listed Books that "Tony Bones" Appleby B.Ed has adapted & performed include...

CBCA SHORT-LISTED/NOTABLE-LISTED BOOKS ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY "TONY BONES" APPLEBY B.ED FOR BOOKS TO LIFE Writer, Director & Performer

35 - Hello Lighthouse (2020 - based on the picture book by Sophie Blackall)

34 - The All New Must Have Orange 430 (2019 - based on the picture book by Michael Speechley)

33 - A Walk in the Bush (2018 - based on the picture book by Gwyn Perkins)

CBCA SHORT-LISTED/NOTABLE-LISTED BOOKS ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY "TONY BONES" APPLEBY B.ED FOR TONY BONES ENTERTAINMENT Writer, Director & Performer

32 - The Windy Farm (2014 - based on the picture book by Doug McLeod & Craig Smith)

31 - My Life As An Alphabet (2014 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Barry Jonsberg)

30 - Herman & Rosie (2013 - based on the picture book by Gus Gordon)

29 - Other Brother (2013 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Simon French)

28 - No Bears (2012 - based on the picture book by Meg McKinlay)

27 - Bungawitta (2012 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Emily Rodda)

26 - Two Peas in a Pod (2011 - based on the picture book by Chris McKimmie)

25 - Duck For A Day (2011 - based on the younger reader's novel by Meg McKinlay)

24 - Schumann the Shoeman (2010 - based on the picture book by John & Stella Danalis)

23 - Matty Forever (2010 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Elizabeth Fensham)

22 - Nobody Owns The Moon (2009 - based on the picture book by Tohby Riddle)

21 - Audrey Of The Outback (2009 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Christine Harris)

20 - The Night Garden (2008 - based on the picture book by Elise Hurst)

19 - Amelia Dee & The Peacock Lamp (2008 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Odo Hirsch)

18 - Water Witcher (2007 - based on the picture book by Jan Ormerod)

17 - Being Bee (2007 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Catherine Bateson)

16 - Irving The Magician (2006 - based on the picture book by Tohby Riddle)

15 - To The Light (2006 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Pat Flynn)

14 - At The Beach - Postcards from Crabby Spit (2005 - based on the picture book by Roland Harvey)

13 - Billy Mack’s War (2005 - based on the younger reader’s novel by James Roy)

12 - Milli, Jack & the Dancing Cat (2004 - based on the picture book by Stephen Michael King)

11 - Stella By The Sea (2004 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Ruth Starke)

10 - Bear & Chook (2003 - based on the picture book by Lisa Shanahan & Emma Quay)

9 - Tom Jones Saves The World (2003- based on the younger reader’s novel by Steven Herrick)

8 - Horrible Harriet (2002 - based on the picture book by Leigh Hobbs)

7 - My Story - A Different Sort Of Real - The Diary Of Charlotte McKenzie - Melbourne 1918 (2002 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Kerry Greenwood)

6 - When Dogs Cry (2002 - based on the older reader’s novel by Markus Zusak)

5 - The Singing Hat (2001 - based on the picture book by Tohby Riddle)

4 - Something's Fishy, Hazel Green! (2001 - based on the younger reader’s novel by Odo Hirsch)

3 - Touch Me (2001 - based on the older reader’s novel by James Moloney)

2 - Captain Mack (2000 - by Tony Appleby based on the younger reader’s novel by James Roy)

1 - Tyro (2000 - based on the older reader’s novel by David McRobbie)

Where will Books To Life tour in 2021???

Our interactive virtual performance is available to schools in all states & territories in Australia and all regions of New Zealand.

For our live show tour, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide & Hobart. Sure, we tour the live show of the 2021 Book Week show to these capital cities, but we also tour the 2021 Book Week show absolutely anywhere in Australia, as long as we can cover the cost of touring the show there.

Sometimes this involves asking schools who book the show in more regional or even very remote areas to then spread the word to their network of teachers at other schools to increase their own audience numbers or to get another school in the area to also book the show. But rest assured, if you can get enough students there to cover the costs, then we're happy to bring the show to you. So let's get specific. Exactly where & when do Books To Life tour in Australia?

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2021 Live Show Season Dates

26.07.2021 update: Due to Covid-19 border restrictions and lockdowns around the country these tour dates have been updated. Our virtual show is available anywhere anytime from August 10th & our new live show tour dates are below:

All tour dates are subject to change depending on availability. If you'd like the show to perform in your area out of the advertised season dates then just ask & we'll try our best to accommodate you.

• Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat & the rest of Victoria (VIC) Primary School Book Week Tour 2021

• August 16th to 20th, 2021 (Term 3, Week 6, 2021 / 1 week before Book Week 2021)

• August 26th to 27th, 2021 (Term 3, Week 7, 2021 / Book Week 2021)

• August 30th to September 3rd, 2021 (Term 3, Week 8, 2021 / 1 week after Book Week 2021)

• September 6th to 8th, 2021 (Term 3, Week 9, 2021 / 2 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• September 13th & 17th, 2021 (Term 3, Week 10, 2021 / 3 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• October 4th & 8th, 2021 (Term 4, Week 1, 2021 / 5 weeks after Book Week 2021)

•  

• Where do Books To Life tour in Victoria? Click here!!

• Make an enquiry - Click here!!!

• Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast & the rest of New South Wales (NSW) Primary School Book Week Tour 2021

• October 11th to 14th, 2021 (Inland NSW - Term 4, Week 2, 2021 / 6 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• October 18th to 19th, 2021 (Anywhere in NSW - Term 4, Week 3, 2021 / 7 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• October 28th to 29th, 2021 (Anywhere in NSW - Term 4, Week 4, 2021 / 8 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• November 1st to 2nd, 2021 (Newcastle & Central Coast - Term 4, Week 5, 2021 / 9 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• November 3rd to 4th, 2021 (Sydney - Term 4, Week 5, 2021 / 9 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• Where do Books To Life tour in New South Wales? Click here!!

• Make an enquiry - Click here!!!

• Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast & the rest of Queensland (QLD) Primary School Book Week Tour 2021

• October 14th to 15th, 2021 (Term 4, Week 2, 2021 / 6 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• October 18th to 19th, 2021 (Term 4, Week 3, 2021 / 7 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• Where do Books To Life tour in Queensland? Click here!!

• Make an enquiry - Click here!!!

• Canberra & the rest of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Primary School Book Week Tour 2021

• November 5th, 2021 (Term 4, Week 5, 2021 / 9 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• Where do Books To Life tour in the Australian Capital Territory? Click here!!

• Make an enquiry - Click here!!!

• Adelaide & the rest of South Australia (SA) Primary School Book Week Tour 2021

• September 13th to 17th, 2021 (SA Term 3 Week 9 / 3 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• Where do Books To Life tour in South Australia? Click here!!

• Make an enquiry - Click here!!!

• Hobart, Launceston, Devonport & the rest of Tasmania (TAS) Primary School Book Week Tour 2021

• September 9th to 10th, 2021 (TAS Term 3 Week 8 / 2 weeks after Book Week 2021)

• Where do Books To Life tour in Tasmania? Click here!!

• Make an enquiry - Click here!!!

Desperate to find a Book Week 2021 performance for your primary school in Melbourne, VIC?

Then click here for season dates for regional & urban Victoria for 2021 & search no more!! Includes specific dates for our 2021 tour in Melbourne (including touring dates for Northern suburbs, Western suburbs & South East Melbourne), plus all towns & cities in VIC including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Melton, Shepparton, Wodonga, Sunbury, Pakenham, Mildura, Warrnambool, Traralgon, Wangaratta, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Bacchus Marsh, Torquay, Jan Juc, Horsham, Moe, Newborough, Warragul, Morwell, Sale, Lara, Bairnsdale, Echuca, Drysdale, Clifton Springs, Colac, Drouin, Leopold, Portland, Swan Hill, Castlemaine, Gisborne, Benalla, Hamilton, Wallan, Healsville, Wonthaggi, Yarrawonga, Maryborough, Kilmore, Ararat, Portalington, St Leonards, Lakes Entrance, Kyabram, Seymour, Stawell, Cobram, Leongatha, Inverloch, Bannockburn & Cowes. Not on the list? Let us know & we'll find a date for you on the tour too!!

Need a primary school show for Book Week 2021 in Sydney, NSW?

Season dates for regional & urban New South Wales are available for 2021 if you just click here!! Includes specific dates for our 2021 tour in Sydney (including touring dates for The Blue Mountains, Cantebury, The Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Forest District, Falls District, Western Sydney, Macarthur, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, Sutherland Shire, Berowra & Hawkesbury), plus all towns & cities in NSW including Newcastle, Central Coast, Wollongong, Maitland, Tweed Heads, Wagga, Albury, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Orange, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour, Queanbeyan, Lismore, Bathurst, Coffs Harbour, Richmond, Windsor, Bomaderry, Nowra, Goulburn, Armidale, Broken Hill, Wentworth Falls, Katoomba, Forster, Tuncurry, Bellbird, Cessnock, Grafton, Taree, Ballina, Griffith, Sawtell, Singleton, Raymond Terrace, Weston, Kurri Kurri, Kiama, Lithgow, Bowral, Batemans Bay, Lawson, Hazelbrook, Muswellbrook, Parkes, Ulladulla, Inverell, Moree & Casino. Not on the list? Let us know & we'll find a date for you on the tour too!!

What 2021 Book Week shows tour to primary schools in Canberra, ACT?

Ours does!! Click here for all our season dates for Australian Capital Territory for 2021. Includes specific dates for our 2021 tour of all ACT suburbs in and around Canberra, Palmerston, Belconnen, Canberra Central, Curtin, Narrabundah, Queanbeyan, Kambah, Gordon, Gungahalin, Jerrabomberra, Majura, Molonglo Valley, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek & Woden Valley. Not on the list? Let us know & we'll find a date for you on the tour too!!

Can't find a Book Week 2021 stage show that blows your primary school away in Brisbane, QLD?

Then click here and stop looking!! Season dates for regional & urban Queensland have been released for 2021. Includes specific dates for our 2021 tour of all suburbs in Brisbane plus all other areas of QLD including South East Queensland, Wide Bay, Burnett, Far North Queensland (FNQ), Darling Downs, North Queensland, Central Queensland, Gulf Country, South West Queensland & Central West Queensland. Specific towns & cities in QLD to be toured include Ipswich, Logan City, Redland City & Morton Bay Region, Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Toowoomba, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Gladstone, Maryborough, Mount Isa, Gympie, Bongaree, Woorim, Nambour, Yeppoon, Warwick, Emerald, Dalby, Bargara, Innes Park, Kingaroy, Tannum Sands, Moranbah & Bowen. Not on the list? Let us know & we'll find a date for you on the tour too!!

Scratching your head for a Book Week 2021 performance for your primary school in Adelaide, SA?

Well you've come to the right place. Click here for all our season dates for regional & urban South Australia for 2021. Includes specific dates for our 2021 tour of all suburbs in Adelaide plus all towns & cities in SA including Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Gawler, Port Pirie, Bridgewater, Port Augusta, Murray Bridge, Port Lincoln, Mount Barker, Victor Harbour, Aldinga Beach, Naracoorte, Renmark, Millicent, Goolwa, Berri, Nuriootpa, Tanunda, Kadina, Roxby Downs, Loxton, Strathalbyn, Moonta, Clare, Nairne, Wallaroo, Coober Pedy, McLaren Vale, Ceduna, Bordertown, Kapunda, Mannum, Barmera, Angaston, Willunga, Hahndorf, Waikerie, Kingscote, Lobethal, Peterborough, Woodside, Port Elliot, Balaklava, Sellicks Beach, Kingston, Tailem Bend, Jamestown & Williamstown. Not on the list? Let us know & we'll find a date for you on the tour too!!

What can I do at my primary school in Hobart, TAS for Book Week 2021?

See our show!! Click here for all our season dates for Tasmania for 2021. Includes specific dates for our 2021 tour of all TAS suburbs in and around Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burni, Somerset, Blackmans Bay, Kingston, Ulverstone, Gagebrook, Bridgewater, New Norfolk, Wynyard, George Town, Sorell, Midway Point, Smithton, Penguin, Longford, Latrobe, Dodges Ferry, Lauderdale, Queenstown, Legana, Deloraine, Perth, Old Beach, Port Sorrell, Scottsdale, Hadspen, St Helens, Stieglitz, Huonville, Ranelagh, Pontville, Bridport, Turners Beach, Westbury, Beauty Point, Rosebery, Seven Mile Beach, Evandale, Beaconsfield, Sheffield, Margate, Zeehan, Railton, Geeveston, Richmond, Cygnet, Snug & Currie. Not on the list? Let us know & we'll find a date for you on the tour too!!

More reviews for the book

"A story about the triumph of creativity over politics, and community over narrow-minded individuals.” Hello From Australia

"A tyrannical leader, an oppressive wall and a courageous girl come together in this timely fable... When bricks start disappearing from the protective wall that surrounds their town, the people of Littlelight are furious—that is, until they realise that opening themselves up to new experiences might be something to treasure instead of fear. Kelly Canby’s distinctive scribbly illustrations are enjoyably tactile and energetic. The book’s bleak, achromatic landscape is punctuated by bursts of vibrant colour that suggest all is not what it seems, and sharp-eyed observers will likely spot the culprit who’s removed the bricks before they are outed by the Mayor. The narrative’s conclusion will satisfy small and big people alike in its kindly matter-of-factness. With this work, author-illustrator Canby further confirms her reputation as an innovative and thought-provoking storyteller. Littlelight is an ideal pick for a classroom—the kind of multi-layered picture book that appeals across ages and paves the way for complex conversations. Teachers and parents will appreciate Canby’s sophisticated language, which will assist children in expanding their vocabulary and exploring similes and metaphors. A deceptively simple book, Littlelight intimates the ways difference enhances the world we live in.” Bronte Coates, Books & Publishing

"This wonderful picture book has a distinctive colour scheme, varied language and lots of satisfying little clues about the brick-stealer. It’s a great conversation starter to explore curiosity, difference, acceptance and tolerance.” Readings

"Highly recommended. When the Mayor of a walled city notices that some bricks are missing, he is very cross, thinking that a thief has stolen the bricks. The wall keeps other people out, and protects his city from things that are different. He calls the attention of his fellow citizens to the theft, and they are equally angry that this should happen. They are all concerned that something different should get into their city and help him to find the thief. They look at all corners of the town. The walls to the south protect them from people who look a little different and grow unusual food, those to the north grow unusual food, act a little differently and speak different words. To the east the people grow unusual food, speak different words, look a little different and have upbeat music, while to the west, they are different in all the ways that the others are different, but on top of all that difference, they read unfamiliar books. The Mayor cannot be more furious. He and the people double their efforts at finding the culprit and eventually find that it is a young girl. Just as the Mayor is about to admonish her, the populace realise that the smell of new food, the sound of new words, the beat of new music and the promise of new stories was not something to be feared. And they realised the little girl had not taken anything from them, but had given them a gift, a gift of seeing something different. Through the gaps in the wall they could see how others lived, they had windows and now doors and then bridges.  A modern fable, readers be entranced by the backward looking mayor, and the possibilities that have opened up for the populace of his city. They will readily see the parallels to walls being built and those torn down, those that have stood for centuries and those that have lasted less than a few decades. They will recognise that his book is about welcoming difference: difference in how we look, what we eat, how we sing and what we read. The book will open up a range of discussions, opinions and thoughts. All augmented by the wonderful illustrations, the few colours peeping through redolent of the possibilities offered by difference. The greys give way to more colour as the book proceeds, the people realising the richness that light brings.” Fran Knight, Read Plus

"Something is amiss in the town of Littlelight — someone has been taking bricks from the walls surrounding the town. The mayor is mad! That wall keeps the town safe! He declares that the good people of Littlelight must be protected from everything different and unusual, strange, offbeat and unfamiliar. So he leads everyone in the hunt for the brick thief. Canby’s illustrations combine ink, pencil, and digital colouring. Readers will spot the brick thief early in the story and understand that the celebration of difference — depicted in eye-popping neon highlights against the grey backdrop of the town — runs counter to the narrowmindedness of the mayor. This would be the perfect book to spark discussions about fear, difference, barriers, and leadership. Littlelight shines a neon spotlight on the importance of breaking down barriers — whether they be metaphorical or physical.” Writing WA

"Littlelight is an enriching story about a town which transforms barriers to bridges entwining the power of people, culture and an open mind. The town of Littlelight is clearly lacking excitement. Grey buildings, grey clothes, grey everything shows readers of a drab town in need of change. When bricks start to go missing from the town walls, the stern looking mayor is not impressed, he immediately convinces the town people that they are in danger. As more and more bricks disappear, bright neon colours enter the pages and show a little of what lay outside the town walls. The story rolls forward with flow, rhythm and repetition showing that the proposed danger is anything but. A clever, amusing ending gives the mayor plenty of time for thinking. I adore the loose watercolour style ink illustrations, they set the scene and tell much of the story as does the unique use of grey tones contrasting with neon colours. Along with the brilliant artwork, the repetition of text and sophisticated vocabulary is intriguing for curious minds and will leave readers enlightened. Perfect for classrooms, Littlelight stands out on a shelf and could lead to many discussions on topics from art and culture to politics and more. Adults and some children are likely to spot it as being a clever and timely take on the infamous Trump border wall.” Amie Sabadin, Kids’ Book Review website

"In the grey old town of Littlelight, a “big beautiful wall” surrounded the town. The wall was thick and all-encompassing and the Mayor was strong. But one day a brick was missing in the wall. And no one noticed at first, but little by little, brick by brick, gaps appeared in the wall. And there were streaks of neon light fingering their way into the town. Who could be stealthily breaching the wall? What happens when the walls that are built are breached?” Stagepage

“Apoplectic. When you read this book to a group of children everyone will learn a new word: apoplectic. It means overcome with anger or furious.  In this book we meet the people of Littlelight. Let's think about that name - they don't live in the light - their town feels like the Dark Ages with no access to rich language, off beat music, and interesting books.  Littlelight is grey place surrounded by high walls. The Mayor loves his high walls because they give him power over his citizens. On the other side of these walls - north, south, east and west, there are people who enjoy delicious foods, they dance to their own music, the speak different languages and they read books! As the illustrations clearly show these other people have colour in their lives.  In the tradition of The Emperor's New Clothes, it takes the action of one small child to reveal the truth. One by one a small girl removes bricks from the high walls surrounding the town. Going back to the word apoplectic the Mayor is now very mad in fact he is furious. He seems to convince the town's people that the small girl has committed an horrendous crime. But then the people remember their delight as they discovered the different foods, music, words and stories. "The people of Littlelight looked around their town, now full of colour and light and wondered what, exactly, they were meant to be angry about.” They do still have a problem with their Mayor (read dictator) but the ingenious people of the town solve this issue in a most satisfying way… This is one of those wonderful picture books you could share with young children and then explore in an entirely different way with a senior Primary group. Think about themes of control; intellectual freedom; misuse of power; conflict resolution; and propaganda. You might also have some fun with fluro paints.” Momotimetoread blog

"Littlelight is clearly not a very exciting town with drab grey walls and it is ruled by a Tyrannical Mayor who segregates the different peoples of the town with town walls. As bricks go missing and burst of vibrant colours appear the mayor convinces the people that they are in danger. But as one young girl investigates she discovers the missing bricks and colours allow the town to come alive with various cultures and communities. This a multilayered story that paves the way for conversation. Primary age children and adults should enjoy this story together.” Liz Oruba, Library Technician, Avondale PS

"This book is adorable. This is a great little book to teach kids about inclusivity. A perfect teaching book, but also a great book for all little kids to own.” Christy, Sydney, Booktopia

“5 stars - Lovely Story with Bright Beautiful Illustrations. The story is an absolutely wonderful story of inclusion and would be great for parents teaching their children about cultures different from their own. The illustrations are unusual and joyfully BRIGHT coloured. They start mostly grey, symbolizing the sameness of Littlelight, and gradually more colour is included as the community becomes more inclusive of neighbouring communities. I love it when a story is as beautiful as the illustrations and that is certainly the case with Littlelight.” Sara Mittet, Amazon

"Littlelight by Kelly Canby is a gorgeous, thought provoking and heart-warming book about understanding, embracing and celebrating diversity. This is a MUST read!” Oz Lit Teacher

"An ‘enlightening’ book, written by an Australian author, about a small town divided by differences. The town is eventually brought together at the hand of a young girl as she seeks to make changes piece by piece. Almost all townspeople embrace the changes, except for one, who is fearful and resistant to things that are “different, unusual, strange, offbeat and unfamiliar”. A book that opens up great discussion in children about what it means to love others and embrace differences - after all we are all fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator.” Regina Brownley, Plenty Valley Christian College Library

“I have some wonderful picture books I wanted to share with you. They've just arrived in the last couple of weeks and I just think they're divine and they're so worth sharing... so the first one is called Littlelight and this is by Western Australian author Kelly Canby who also does the illustrations. Of course, it's with Fremantle Press and it's just the most beautiful modern, clever, enlightening, important book. It's not something that you would expect from the cover which is what I love the most about it. I also love how Kelly has used these beautiful fluorescent colourings and the look at the end papers, I mean, just unbelievably beautiful and then she also uses colour throughout the story to impart the meaning of the story. So she starts out talking about this Littlelight town… and she says, “No one in the grey old town of little light noticed at first a brick missing from here, a brick missing from there”. So you can see she's done this wall and there's this mysterious fluorescent ladder leaning against the wall and as the book progresses we meet the good old mayor who loves his wall and likes to keep things all shut up and safe from the horrible outside and and... the glorious people and ideas that live outside his own brain and you can see here this... gorgeous visual representation of who and what might be going on here. So essentially the bricks are coming down, the wall is being torn down and as we go through the book we discover that there are four external places around the town of different people, different colours, different ideas ,different traditions, different cultures... how heavenly does that sound? We get glimpses of these people and the glorious people that they are too and as the book progresses… We learn that tearing down walls can be an extremely extremely good thing. I highly recommend this book. I love that it surprised and delighted and uplifted me particularly at this curious time”  Tania McCartney, Youtube

“5 Stars - a delightful story about embracing differences and takes us to a town where everybody is afraid of the Other until slowly, slowly bricks are removed and colours shine through. Simple, yet very effective” Kathleen Dixon, Goodreads

“5 stars - The town of Littelight and its people live in a grey and lifeless community, dictated to by the Mayor, an autocratic man who fears change and difference. Mysteriously, the brick walls surrounding the town start to disappear and as they do so, light, colour, sound and eventually people start to appear through the ever enlarging holes. This is a story about one person setting off a chain reaction - about celebrating difference, tolerance and not just being open-minded to those who live different lives, but being open enough to embrace and enjoy their differences. The illustrations are simple and stylistic - quite childlike. Stark shades of grey depict the township except for one bright, colourful girl and a ladder. As the bricks disappear psychedelic colours leech through along with small differences to start with - as brightly coloured birds start to emerge. As the holes in the wall grow larger we get glimpses of different people doing different things - cooking, dancing etc with different senses being awoken by the Littlelight townsfolk. The Mayor is angry, and at first the people are frightened of something new and different but as the colours take over their community they become happy and cheerful. The vivid endpapers are filled with bright and colourful houses side by side and provide a good talking point.” Jennie, Goodreads.

“5 stars - A beautiful book about embracing differences. The illustrations are brilliant (mostly black and white with pops of bright colour), the message is clear but not preachy, and I love the language Canby has used. She doesn't talk down to kids, so there are definitely words you can discuss together, but they're the perfect choices to make the story sing. A new favourite for me!” AD, Goodreads.

“5 stars - A picture book with the universal themes of sharing, inclusion and acceptance of differences. The idea is to build bridges instead of walls - which can have multiple meanings for young and old. There are engaging illustrations which should appeal to all the good people out there.” Jenny Esots, Goodreads

“5 stars - Fantastic story with beautifully-coloured illustrations to help younger readers understand cultural differences in our community." Kat Schrav, Goodreads

“5 stars - Gorgeous!” Dianne Wolfer, Goodreads

"Beautiful, thought-provoking story. I just finished reading this story to my daughter and I'm blown away! It teaches such an amazing lesson that this world really needs right now. I love your work Kelly and cannot wait to read more of your books.” Maggie McIlwrick, Amazon Australia

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Learning Areas & particular subjects covered in the book & the show:

• The Arts:

  • Drama - a variety of techniques used in the show such as mime, physical theatre, slow-mo, hand puppets, board puppets, shadow puppets, string puppets, mask, costume, props, music theatre, melodrama, pantomime, monologues, dialogue, narration, slapstick comedy, etc;

  • Music - several original songs & backing tracks in different styles (pop, music theatre, Latin American, etc), use of musical motifs, use of ethnic beats & rhythms, music composition; 

  • Dance - multiple dances in different styles including student dances & marching;

  • Media arts - use of green screen techniques, stage lighting, filming techniques, integration of book pages, framing, animation;

  • Visual arts - painting & drawing techniques of the original picture book, especially in the techniques used to create the bricks, simple shapes in drawing (squares, rectangles, circles & triangles), use of highly fluorescent colours;

• Humanities and Social Sciences - The book was loosely inspired by "Trump's Wall" so it explores a range of political & social issues - Diversity, Tolerance, Acceptance, Control, Intellectual freedom, Misuse of power, Conflict resolution, Propaganda, Difference, Multiculturalism, Tyranny, Borders, Border control, different foods, different languages, different music, different stories);

• Technologies

  • Design & Technologies - Food & fibre production of the various peoples are Littlelight who "looked a little bit different and grew unusual food";

  • Digital Technologies - Use of QLAB to create the technical elements of the show (integrating audio files, lighting cues & digital projections), use of green screen elements & digital design to create the background elements & animations in the film.

• English - Story structure (beginning - middle - end), use of a moral in a story, synonyms & vocabulary use to build an idea (different, unusual, strange, offbeat, unfamiliar) (mad, furious, apoplectic) (curious sound, delicious smell, lively beat, intriguing sight) (the smell of, the sound of, the beat of, the promise of).

• Languages - Discussions of the fear of the people who "spoke strange words", study of language in the activity for the people "from the northern wall", promoting being multilingual.

• Literacy / Library - Book Week notable-listed books, Australian literature, picture books, reading stories with deeper meanings with ethical challenges.

General Capabilities (especially those in bold type):

• Literacy;

• ICT Capability;

• Critical & Creative Thinking;

• Personal and Social Capability;

• Ethical Understanding;

• Intercultural Understanding.

The other really interesting thing to discuss with older students afterwards is the issue of the Mayor's fear-mongering of people who are different from him and the use of walls to stop people having freedom to move. Students can also look at other walls throughout history that have stopped people moving:

• 2020's - "Trump's Wall" to stop Mexicans moving into the USA;

• 2002 to today - "West Bank Barrier" - erected by the Israeli government to separate Israel from the Palestinian population;

• 1960's - "The Berlin Wall" in Germany 1960s to prevent those in communist East Germany from travelling to West Germany and was a strong symbol of the Cold War. It was finally brought down in 1989;

• 1940 - The "Ghetto Walls" in Warsaw, Germany were built by the Nazi's to separate the Jews & the "Aryan" part of the city after November 16, 1940 during WWII;

• 1485 - "Moscow Kremlin Wall" - The word "Kremlin" actually means fortified city and it was built in 1485 by an Italian architect for Grand Prince Ivan III. It was home to the Romanov dynasty who ruled for three centuries from 1613 yet it was seized in 1917 by the Bolsheviks, & in 1947 the walls were painted the communist colour red by the Soviets.

• 122 AD - "Hadrian's Wall" separating the Romans from the Caledonian tribes north of the wall, the so-called Scottish "barbarians";

• 481 BC to 1644 AD - "The Great Wall of China" to create a barrier between the civilised world and apparently less civilised tribes beyond. Designed to protect both Chinese land and culture, its sections were linked together from the 3rd century BC to the 1600s – although some foundations and parts are believed to date as early as the 7th century BC;

• 3000BC - "The Walls of Troy" in the northwest of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) believed to much later be the real-life location of Homer’s epic poem "the Iliad", it protected the Trojans from invaders, including the Greeks in the 10 year "Trojan War", resulting in Homer's the "Odyssey" only being breached with thanks to their Trojan Horse;

• 306 AD - The ancient walls of Istanbul / "The Walls of Constantinople" - started by Emperor Constantine to defend Constantinople from invaders.

Students can also look at walls that serve other purposes such as worship, respect & love, including:

• the "Chewing Gum Wall" in Seattle, USA;

• "Lennon Wall" in the Czech Republic;

• the "Vietnam Veterans Memorial" in Washington, DC, USA;

• "The Wailing Wall" or "The Western Wall" in Israel;

• "The Blarney Stone" built into the battlements of Blarney Castle in Ireland that people kiss to get the "gift of the gab";

• "The Wall of Locks" at places like the "Pont des Arts" where tourists used to attach love locks & throw the keys in the river but they eventually became too heavy for the walls to bear.

Sources for more info:

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48279965   

• https://www.loveexploring.com/gallerylist/84013/secrets-of-the-worlds-most-famous-walls

• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/13-famous-walls-around-the-world-photos_n_5810eec2e4b02b1d9e644643

So lots to explore in a variety of subject areas for a variety of year levels.

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Optional props list for “Littlelight” virtual show:
 

There are 3 parts required for our virtual show of Littlelight:

1. Books To Life will mail schools 8 pieces of coloured cellophane to attach to the torches you collect & 4 coloured balloons with birds drawn on them for you to blow up;

2. Books To Life will email you the "Littlelight Virtual Digital Pack". It is 3 separate PDF files to be printed & cut into thirds to be used in the show. These can be reused over several sessions if required.

3. There is a list of optional props for the school to collect (see below);

 
The digital pack will include:

• Grey bricks (3 per A4 page) to be printed in black & white for students or staff to cut in thirds before the day of the show to stick up to make the 4 walls of Littlelight around the audience.

• 3 coloured bricks & 3 coloured birds to be printed in colour to be attached to the walls as other bricks are removed during the show once that wall’s scene is completed. This way, the walls each have windows appear & become more colourful as the show continues. By the end of the show, the students are surrounded by the windows & colour, just like the people of Littlelight.

• 6 cue cards for the northerner volunteers to read in their scene;

 
For schools to collect themselves: Use as many or as few of these as you like but the more things there are for the students to use in the show, the more they enjoy it.
 

• Enough Blue-tac or sticky tape to stick up one grey brick per student, 12 coloured bricks & 12 coloured birds on the 4 walls of the room;

• A black permanent marker to draw the birds on the balls before the day;

• Scissors or guillotine to cut out the A4 pages of bricks & birds into thirds before the day;

• 4 (or 8) small torches to connect the provided cellophane onto to make coloured lights for students to shine on the wall & out into the audience for each wall;

• A bag of 100 ball pit balls in the 4 colours (see Big W or Kmart for $8 if no one has them already). 15 tennis balls can be used for the Southerner fruit picking scene instead if ball pit balls cannot be sourced;

• 4 (or 8) ball pit balls in the 4 colours to draw birds on with permanent markers & 2 cardboard tubes from cling wrap, etc to balance the ball pit balls on top. If ball pit balls cannot be sourced then the 4 balloons in the 4 colours provided will suffice;

• 1 12-cup or more muffin tray;

• Streamers in the 4 colours to throw over the audience in the final number. One set of 4 streamers would need to be purchased for each session of the show if doing multiple viewings;

Activities for students in the show: These can be led by the teachers but is also a great project for Year 6 students to run as a leadership activity. Give them these instructions, show them the book & they then divide up the tasks to different students in their class to be in charge of during the show. They will then be responsible in bringing "Books To Life".

• As students enter the room they are given grey cutouts of bricks to stick up on one of the 4 walls of the room, preferably on whiteboards or patricians, etc but the room walls will work fine too. That way then 4 walls are created around the audience for the show, representing the 4 walls of Littlelight. The bricks can be stuck up with blue-tac, sticky tape or pins & could be 8 bricks high and 6 bricks wide or similar. Calculate how many bricks to give each student as they enter depending on your numbers. Fewer bricks can be used if necessary.

• Once the show starts then each page flip, 4 students go & take down one brick from each of the 4 walls to slowly create windows & doors in the 4 walls as the show progresses;

• 5 students get up & imitate the mob whilst the rest of the audience also yells out the chant, “Yes, yes, he’s right. A dangerous thing to take. We are all very mad!” as in the book.

• The southern wall GREEN scene - 1 (or 2) students shine the green cellophane covered torches onto the wall & across the students as the scene occurs. A muffin tray full of green ball pit balls or tennis balls is held up as a “tree” to balance the fruit, 3 students “pick” the fruit from the tree & throw them underarm into baskets (or pot plants or buckets) held by 3 students in the middle of the audience. The rest of the students have to catch any fruit that misses the baskets. The fruit (green ball pit balls/tennis balls) can be passed back through the audience so balls can be topped up in the muffin tray as required. The first student to get 5 bits of fruit in their basket wins, then collect all the balls into the baskets at the end.

• At the end of the scene, one class gets to come up (the closest class to the wall) & remove one-third of the grey bricks & place them in a pile. 3 of them instead of removing a brick will stick up coloured bricks & 3 instead stick up coloured birds.

• If ball pit balls have been prepared then the audience students are given 2 ball pit balls in that scene’s colour with birds drawn on them balanced on top of cardboard tubes to pass, hopefully without dropping them, over the audience from the completed scene’s wall to the front of the room to be displayed up by the screen they are watching the show on. By the end of the 4th wall, there will be 8 coloured birds in 4 colours at the front wall. If there are no ball pit balls then a coloured balloon with a bird drawn on them are bounced into the audience who need to tap them along to the front instead.

• The northern wall ORANGE scene - 1 (or 2) students shine the orange cellophane covered torches onto the wall & across the students as the scene occurs. 6 volunteer students become the pairs of northerners in the picture & are handed cue cards to read from in the scene where they speak "strange words" that will be translated on screen;

• At the end of the scene, one class gets to come up (the closest class to the wall) & remove one-third of the grey bricks & place them in a pile. 3 of them instead of removing a brick stick up coloured bricks & 3 instead stick up coloured birds. 

• Balancing ball pit balls activity or balloon tapping activity again to bring them up to the front;

• The eastern wall YELLOW scene - 1 (or 2) students shine the yellow cellophane covered torches onto the wall & across the students as the scene occurs. All students up to dance;

• At the end of the scene, one class gets to come up (the closest class to the wall) & remove one-third of the grey bricks & place them in a pile. 3 of them instead of removing a brick stick up coloured bricks & 3 instead stick up coloured birds. 

• Balancing ball pit balls activity or balloon tapping activity again to bring them up to the front;

• The western wall AQUA scene - 1 (or 2) students shine the aqua cellophane covered torches onto the wall & across the students as the scene occurs. All students up for heads or tails.

• At the end of the scene, one class gets to come up (the closest class to the wall) & remove one-third of the grey bricks & place them in a pile. 3 of them instead of removing a brick stick up coloured bricks & 3 instead stick up coloured birds. 

• Balancing ball pit balls activity or balloon tapping activity again to bring them up to the front;

• All students yelling as the mob chant, “Yes, yes, he’s right. We are all furious! We must find this person immediately!”

• All students up to march on the spot (or follow the leader if the audience is a small group) as they search for the thief;

• All students yelling as the mob chant, “No, no, he’s not right”.

• 4 (or 8) students shine the 4 (or 8) coloured cellophane torches onto the wall & across the students as the last 2 songs occur.

• All students up to do the clapping rhythms activity at the end with teachers or Year 6 students who are good with rhythms as their 3 leaders.

• Streamers in the 4 colours thrown over the audience at the end of the final number from the 4 walls surrounding the audience;

• Extra optional activity if time allows if ball pit balls were prepared: the muffin tray is placed in the middle of the audience & the 4 sides of students line up in 2 lines on each side of the tray with their bucket or basket at the front filled with their wall’s coloured ball pit balls. The students take turns to try to bounce in their wall’s coloured ball pit balls into the muffin tray from 1 meter's distance until the tray is full. The most coloured balls in at the end are the winners. Each side has 2 students to collect & return balls that miss the tin.

• Extra optional activity if time allows if balloons were prepared: move something into the middle of the audience to split the audience in half. It could be one of the portable whiteboards or partition walls, or 2 students could hold the ends of a piece of fabric, a piece of string or a badminton net. Half the balloons are placed on each side of the wall/net. Remaining seated at all times, each balloon must be tapped by two different people before a third student can tap it over the wall. If the balloon does not go over the wall (i.e. it goes off to the side) then the last person to touch it must stand up, collect it, return to their spot, sit down & start tapping it again. The first team to get all the balloons over to the other side wins.

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