Pistes d'exploration

Discuss how the blackout ended up being a blessing in disguise. What does your family do when the power goes out? Do you know where the flashlights are kept in your home? Why is it important to have batteries and a phone that is fully charged?

Discuss the difficulties that arise when the power goes out for an extended period of time. What are the differences between a power failure in summer and one in winter?

Research information about Hydro-Québec. How do they recommend dealing with power failures? What can you do to prevent power outages during extreme weather conditions?

Make two lists: activities that require electricity and those that don’t.

Discuss the ways people can be affected by a power failure. Create a dialogue about how city dwellers might react to a power failure (e.g. a student and a parent, a restaurant owner and a patron).

Research how electricity is produced and how it gets to your house. 

Make a plan for a day without power: food, cleanliness, communication, activities. 

Identify the differences between a day without power in summer and one in winter.

The Dark, Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next Generation, Kenta and the Big Wave, Why Should I Save Energy?

Mots-clés

Picture book , blackout , city life , community , cooperation , electricity , family life , neighbours , power failures , summer

Commentaire descriptif

It’s a hot summer evening, and one little boy wants to play a board game. But his sister, then dad and finally mom all turn him down: “sorry … much too busy.” The story is told with a combination of brief captions and speech bubbles (a great way to engage readers of a range of skill levels). When all goes dark, electricity-based activities must cease. The family explores up to the roof of their building, then down to the street. Densely coloured, stylized illustrations depict an ethnically mixed family in a Brooklyn-like setting. The father stirs his pot on an antique-looking stove. Brick low-rises form a queue beneath billboard and bridge. The neighbour’s flashlight casts a glow on children splashing in a fire hydrant’s spray. Brother and sister run to the local shop, where the workers are scooping out free ice creams before they melt. The leisure to enjoy the community is reflected in the comfortable postures of people strolling, or sitting on their stoops. “And no one was busy at all.” When the power returns, the family gathers around the kitchen table—a board game spread between them.