Stick Man

Product Information

The book was adapted into a short animated film by Jeroen Jaspaert and Daniel Snaddon in 2015, featuring the voice talents of Martin Freeman, Sally Hawkins, Jennifer Saunders, Hugh Bonneville and Rob Brydon and produced by Magic Light Pictures, the production team responsible for the Oscar-nominated short films The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. You see everybody thinks he's just a stick and sticks are there for fetching, dropping in water, weaving into a nest, being a sandcastle mast or a sword, a pen or a bat. The Stick Man puppet is wonderfully bendy, with a little sprig of leaves and a mouth which can open and close. Make extra stick puppets using craft sticks, and ask your child how they might be feeling in various parts of the story, what sort of voice would they have. While others find many ignominious uses for Stick Man – a bat, a pen, a bow and a boomerang among others – Stick Man does all he can to find his way back home…And, happily, he does!

One day he's out for a jog and gets snatched by a dog, taken by a girl, found by a swan, and the adventures continue. A stage play has also been created based on the original book which has been praised by Time Out [6] and the Independent [7] as well as an audio edition narrated by Imelda Staunton. Featuring the voices of Hugh Bonneville (Santa), Rob Brydon (Snail, Park-keeper, Swan Dad, Frog, Beach Dad, Crab and Cat), Martin Freeman (Stick Man), Sally Hawkins (Stick Lady, Pigeon, Swan Mum, Robin), Jennifer Saunders (Narrator), Russell Tovey (Dog). An irresistibly jaunty picture book, spiced with the danger familiar to all those who love The Gruffalo. When he frees himself from the nest he is carried out to sea and ends up on a beach where children use him for a flagpole on their sandcastle before he encounters other children who use him for a variety of things that do not please him.

He is eventually reunited with his family in the "family tree" as a result of his interaction with Father Christmas. But Stick Man suddenly finds himself involved in a game of Pooh sticks, used as part of a swan's nest and then atop a sandcastle as a mast, complete with flag attached!

I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. For the adult sticks, attach the craft stick at least half way up the puppet, otherwise, it can be a bit floppy. I loved the process of stringing things together, with no end destination in mind – just a beautiful piece of art! The answer appears to be 'No' when he is collected to form part of a fire and is laid on top of other sticks ready to be set alight. Why can't you see, I'm Stick Many, I'm Stick Man, I'M STICK MAN, that's me, And I want to go home to the family tree!Donaldson’s rhymes bound along, like vintage Dr Seuss, while Scheffler’s slyly witty illustrations are a pleasure. What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man: a dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan builds a nest with him, and he even ends up on a fire! This picture book would be suitable for Early Years in the lead up to christmas as the illustrations introduce a magical christmas atmosphere. What you can do is actually print more than one copy of the blank version to create a variety of backgrounds, perhaps going through each scene of the story.

From the rhyming melody of the text to the amazing illustrations by Axel Scheffler, stick man is a classic. But life makes us take different types of identity and we go far from our dreams and passions aka family tree. After you’ve made the craft together, say the lines of the character using a silly voice as you use each of the stick puppets, modelling how to use expression. Plus Anouska White (Pooh Bridge Girl), Eve Bentley (Pooh Bridge Girlfriend/Firewood Girl), Ben Jenkinson (Pooh Bridge Boy/Stick Boy), Elliot Kelly (Beach Boy/Snowman Boy), Ella Sutton (Beach Girl), Isabel Ainsworth (Stick Girl) and Eden Muckle (Stick Toddler). Use stop-motion animation software to make an animated version of the story using sticks and your own pictures.

When Stick Man, who lives with his "Stick Lady Love and their stick children three", is mistaken for an ordinary twig in this humorous rhyming tale, he experiences a series of misadventures that take him far from home. He helps the intruder to deliver presents and one goes to Stick Lady's house where he finds himself reunited with the family tree! He is worryingly placed in the grate but, thankfully, before the fire can be lit someone comes down the chimney and gets stuck. Having enjoyed a number of British author Julia Donaldson and German illustrator Axel Scheffler's other rhyming picture-book adventures, from The Gruffalo to Room on the Broom, I picked up this holiday tale with a great deal of pleasant expectation.

Another fun way to retell the story of the Stick Man is through Small World Play set up this Invitation to Play in the Tuff Spot Inspired by Stick Man.

One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. This craft includes a variety of skills and learning opportunities including fine motor skills, creativity, art, DT, literacy, communication skills and more!