Pistes d'exploration

Write about your name. What is special about it and what does it mean? Who were you named after? What other names do you have (nicknames, pet names)?

Create an acrostic poem using your name.

Write a sentence using alliteration and your name (e.g. Happy Helene hopped over the hill).

Make a word cloud using software on the computer, using your name and words that describe you.

Discuss what is special about your name. Does it mean something? Who were you named after? What other names do you have (nicknames, pet names)?

What objects have you or your family given names to (dog, car, summer cottage, family keepsake)?

Make a word cloud using a software on the computer using your name(s) and words that describe you.

Write an acrostic poem using your name. Use words from the text and word banks (sports, games, physical and character traits, etc.).

The Name Jar, The Boy Who Loved Words, Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, The Pencil, Madame Martine

Mots-clés

Picture book , companionship , friendship , loneliness , naming , old age , pets

Commentaire descriptif

This is the story of an independent but lonely older woman in cowboy boots and cat’s eye glasses who loves to name the things around her, but only the things she will never outlive. When a stray puppy wanders onto her property, she refuses to name him, until one day the dog disappears. The only way of finding him again is to risk a meaningful relationship and open herself up to the possibility of loss as well as to the joy of friendship. Quirky, gently humorous watercolour illustrations offset a slightly melancholic tone. The soft, spring-coloured palette used in the light yet poignant illustrations effectively shows the woman's vulnerability as the story progresses. As the heroine drives the car in the rain, searches for the missing dog and stares out of the window of her house into nothing, we see the sadness in her expression. We also see her quiet happiness when the dog is found. Though the ending is a happy one, we ironically never learn the name of the woman who names things. The story will resonate with children who have lost a pet or someone dear to them. It will also serve as a reminder that living means opening up and loving others, despite the possibility of losing them.