Teachers’ Guide Uncle Gobb and the Green Heads Written by Michael Rosen Illustrated by Neal Layton **These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools, but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale** SYNOPSIS (PLOT) The second uproarious adventure from the comic pairing of Michael Rosen and Neal Layton sees Malcolm and the peculiar Uncle Gobb go to America, each with a cunning plan ... Even though Malcolm managed to bamboozle and confuzle Uncle Gobb in the last book (hooray!), it was only temporary (boo!). Uncle Gobb is still living with him and still roaring at him about peas and poetry and Peter Parker. This time the plan to get rid of Uncle Gobb has to be mega. It has to be epic. It has to involve America, the Jumblies, the Genie (of course), Aunty Brenda the Mender and Malcolm’s long-lost dad. But Malcolm doesn’t know that Uncle Gobb also has a plan. A plan to get rid of Malcolm once and for all ... A bonkers book about standing up for yourself, from two crazily creative people. Sure to delight fans of David Walliams, Andy Stanton and Tom Gates. AUTHOR BACKGROUND Michael Rosen is a hugely successful author of every sort of children’s book – picture books, poetry, fiction and non-fiction. He frequently appears on radio and gives talks on children’s literature. Michael was the Children’s Laureate from 2007–2009 and has won the Eleanor Farjeon Award. He lives in London. Visit michaelrosen.co.uk ILLUSTRATOR BACKGROUND Neal Layton has illustrated more than 60 books to date, working with authors such as Michael Rosen and Cressida Cowell, as well as writing his own books. His fresh and spontaneous illustrations have earned him numerous awards, including two Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Bronze Awards and the prestigious Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Gold Award, and his books are currently in print in more than 16 languages worldwide. Neal lives in Southsea with his wife and two daughters. Visit neallayton.co.uk 1 www.bloomsbury.com/childrens DISCUSSION TOPICS • Uncle Gobb comes to stay with Malcolm and his mum. Do you have any family members who visit you? • Why do you think Malcolm and Uncle Gobb don’t get along? • Malcolm’s favourite chocolate is a Crumbles Bar. What is your favourite sweet treat? • Why does Malcolm want to go to America? Who does he go with? • Think of some places in America that Malcolm and his friend Crackersnacker want to leave Uncle Gobb? Do you know any other places in America? Have you ever visited America? Share your experiences with the class. • If you could be a character in the story, which character would you want to be, and why? TEACHER ACTIVITIES English Malcolm likes to do the ‘Dreamy Thing’, where he imagines stories in his head. What do you like to daydream about? Write about one of your daydreams. Malcolm and his class read a poem called ‘The Jumblies’. Write your own poem – the sillier the better! Malcolm and Crackersnacker have sleepovers. If you could have a sleepover, what would it be like? Write a story about it. Art Malcolm’s friend Crackersnacker loves Barbecue Bob’s Burger Bar. If you could create your own burger, what would it look like? Draw a picture. If Malcolm rubs his nose a Genie appears. If you had a Genie what would they look like? Draw a picture. History Malcom and his class write in Timeline Books. Create your own Timeline Book. Write a paragraph about a time and place you would most like to have been alive, and draw a picture of it. Share it with your class. Drama Uncle Gobb likes to roar (or yell). What’s your best roar? Divide the class into groups and allocate each group a chapter from the book to role play. Malcolm and Crackersnacker talk about getting giggly in class. Act out your best funny laugh. 2 www.bloomsbury.com/childrens Further Reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney Timmy Failure series by Stephan Pastis Fizzlebert Stump series by A.F. Harrold Captain Awesome series by Stan Kirby WeirDo series by Anh Do More books by Michael Rosen: Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed Jelly Boots, Smelly Boots Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy Dread Cat Barking for Bagels Choosing Crumble Fluff the Farting Fish Burping Bertha Bilal’s Brilliant Bee Further Activities Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK2Dn8ZbtN0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-U1KoFAUD0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6424RvZyLQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0_WMwIb16s Learn More About the Author and Illustrator Michael Rosen’s Website: http://michaelrosen.co.uk Neal Layton’s Website: http://neallayton.co.uk 3 www.bloomsbury.com/childrens .