The Snail and the Whale

Product Information

The Snail and the Whale is a 2003 children's picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It won the 2004 Early Years award for the best pre-school book, the 2005 Blue Peter award for Best Book to Read Aloud, and the 2007 Giverny award for Best Science Picture Book. The Snail and the Whale has also been adapted into an unabridged audiobook, a stage play and translated into British Sign Language. In 2019, a short film based on the book was released. There is a lot of rhyming in the story. Can you find the rhyming words? Can you find other words which rhyme with them?

Create a button snail with this tutorial from I Heart Arts and Crafts. More Activities for Julia Donaldson books My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes. These are the caves Beneath the waves, Where stripy fish with featery fins And sharks with hideous toothy grins Swam round the whale And the snail on his tail. Everyone, including the local firemen rushed to the beach and they all began spraying the whale to keep him cool while some of the children dug around him to provide water from under the sand. Then the tide came in and much to everyone's relief the whale, complete with snail on its tail, took to the water once more. At the end of the story, the snail tells his friends all about his adventure. Can you write what he might have said to them?

More clips from The Snail and the Whale

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? Not only could creatures like whales, dolphins and seals in the Irish Sea be harmed, but everything down to tiny shellfish and even plankton could be impacted. Effects from blasting, can cause deafness to marine life and impair ability to navigate and find food. The Irish Sea is a Marine Protected Zone because of its wealth of biodiversity and vulnerable species. With its delightful adventure taking your kids around the world, The Snail and the Whale will captivate them as they learn about sequencing along with it. We adore Julia Donaldson books and today I’m sharing our favourite The Snail and The Whale activities, craft ideas and resources to make and do alongside reading the book.

Help your child remember the different parts of the story with this story telling wheel from Rainy Day Mum complete with icebergs, waves and of course our heroes. The Snail and the Whale was adapted for the stage by the theatre company Tall Stories in 2012, and has been on tour around the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. Get your kids engaged and learning with this free preschool printable! Once they’ve read the story a couple of times, they can have fun practicing story sequencing.One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading. As well as loads of The Snail and The Whale craft ideas you’ll find some fun educational activities and resources as well so you can choose the activities that are best suited to your kids age and interests.