Wise ole Whisky
This book has been written so that you, the reader, can choose to read either the English words, or the Māori kupu words (in brackets) in certain places. Enjoy!
About the Author
Dr Janice Belgrave is a trained Primary School teacher with a Doctorate in Education, specialising in early literacy.
She currently works as a Resource Teacher of Literacy in Christchurch, New Zealand. In this role, she works with teachers and children to ensure those who are struggling, get the best possible learning experiences they can.
Part of this includes using quality picture books to teach vocabulary and comprehension to children. The inspiration for this book came not only from her old dog Whisky, but from her passion and desire to create learning experiences that are fun and engaging.
This is the second of several picture books, inspired by actual events or people (animals) that she has written, so keep your eye out for the third in the series, Oh Dear Mr Darcy! about her own mischievous black cat and some of the trouble he finds himself in.
About the Illustrator
Ella Gordon is an artist based in Christchurch, New Zealand. She works with both traditional and digital media and has had artworks exhibited in galleries in New Zealand and overseas.
Ella particularly loves creating art for children's books and dreamed of becoming an illustrator since she first started reading picture books.
Under the trade name e.g. Creative Solutions, Ella offers illustration and book design services, as well as writing and editing services. If you'd like to see more of Ella's artwork, and the other books she's worked on, you can check out egcreativesolutions.com or follow her on social media @e.g.creativesolutions.
Background
The author and her family were asked to dog-sit Whisky for a weekend in 2012. When the owner did not return, they realised they now had a new addition to their family.
Whisky was so fit and healthy, he loved very long walks every day (two or more hours) and even after having such walks, he would still sneak out of the house at every opportunity. He loved to explore the seaside village of Sumner, the beach, and rural surrounds.
He even once walked all the way from the other side of Christchurch to return to their home in Sumner (but that's another story waiting to be published).
For more than 10 years, Whisky made himself known to the people of Sumner and Taylors Mistake and was a favourite with everyone he met along the way. Perhaps you have seen him out and about near the beach?
More recently, as his fur became grey and the signs of old age appeared, Whisky was content to stay close to home with his humans and his three cats Leo, Tortie Girl and Mr Darcy!
Left: Whisky looking over Taylors Mistake Bay from his home, 2022.
Right: Whisky and his friend, the snail.
Sample Pages
Teaching Resources and Ideas
Downloadable Colouring Pages
Illustrator Ella Gordon has created two colouring pages of Whisky. Click the buttons below to download the files and photocopy for your students to colour in.
Phonological Lessons Opportunities
Use the following graphemes, depending on where the children are at within the Scope and Sequence you are following. Blends have been included as some Scope and Sequence’s include them in this way. They can of course be taught as individual phonemes and then blended when reading/decoding.
Single graphemes – w, s, f
Blends – s blends – sm, sp, squ, sc, gl, gr, br
Consonant digraphs – wh, ph
Vowel digraphs or teams - Long ē as ee and ea, ou/ow, long ā as ai
The three sounds of ed – locked, looked (/t/), decided (id), sniffed (/d/)
The two sounds of oo – (look and too, gloom, soon)
er represented by /or/ (worth)
Silent letters – wr (w) in wriggled, wh (w) in hole
Long spelling of /k/ as ck
Language features
Alliteration – W – Wise ole Whisky, and Whisky awoke one wondrous night.
Rhyme - the whole book is written in rhyme, children can identify rhyming words and you can discuss that sometimes words rhyme when we hear them but are not always spelt the same, for example – perplexed/next, run/one, do/blue etc.
Focus on one (or more) of the vocabulary words
Ajar - Usually means when something, like a door, is slightly open.
Eureka! - A word used to show that you have been successful in something you were trying to do.
Fretful - Behaving in a way that shows you are unhappy, worried, or uncomfortable.
Fossicking - To search for something amongst other things.
Galore - Something that is in great amounts or numbers.
Grumbled - To complain about something.
Houdini - Harry Houdini was an American escape artist and stunt performer who could escape through and from, very small, confined spaces.
Implored - To beg someone desperately to do something.
Obscured - To prevent something from being seen or heard.
Oodles - A very large amount of something pleasant.
Perilous - When something is full of danger or risk.
Perplexed - Confused because something is difficult to understand or solve.
Resided - Where somebody lives, their home, is their residence.
Savour - To enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to enjoy it as much as possible.
Smirked - A slight smile that expresses satisfaction or pleasure about having done something.
Wondrous - Something that inspires a feeling of wonder, delight or happiness.
Focus on Māori kupu
E oma ana - running
Harikoa - happy
Hikoi - to walk
Hōpa - a couch
i menemene ia - he smiled
Kaukau - to swim
Kei tātahi - the beach
Kōkōkau - a breeze
Kūaha - a door
Ngā tamariki - children
Pātiki - a paddock
Te Onepoto - Taylors Mistake, a beach in Christchurch, New Zealand
Whānau - family
Descriptions (oral or written)
Describe Whisky
Describe the human characters, the lady being the same lady as in the Fledgling’s First Flight book
Describe the setting (s)
What is your favourite ‘adventure’ that Whisky had and why?
Why do you think Whisky liked to escape and go on walks by himself?
Extend to focus on feelings and actions into a retell – how did Whisky feel when he was out on an adventure?
How did his family feel when Whisky was gone for hours?
Writing and Research Ideas
What is the history of Taylors Mistake beach, where did the name come from?
What are Huntaway dogs usually associated with?
What would you do to stop Whisky escaping?
Is is safe for dogs to wander around on their own? Yes/no, why/why not?
Story Structure
Setting – The setting is in Whisky dogs home and the surrounding areas such as Taylors Mistake beach.
Characters – Main characters are Whisky and his human family, the lady, the young man and the young lady.
Problem – Whisky likes to escape from his home and take himself on walks all over the town and the beach.
Plan – To make it easier to find him when he disappears.
Actions – They got a tag with his name and their phone number.
Ending – In the end , as he got older, he decided it was better to be home with his family anyway!