Cherryblossom and the Golden Bear
Title | Cherryblossom and the Golden Bear |
Author | Pamela Freeman |
Illustrator | Beth Norling |
Published by | Omnibus/Scholastic |
Date of Publication | 2000 |
Teaching Resources
Activities:
- Cherryblossom and the Golden Bear is a retelling of a traditional tale. Ask the children to retell this story as a recount
- The story is told from Cherryblossom's point of view. Try telling the story from the bear/prince's point of view.
- What does the inside of the rebuilt palace look like?
- Where has Beth Norling used Russian folk art motifs? Some of these are very simple shapes which can be made into stencils, which is how they were painted on furniture, walls, carts and sleds. Look at the two-page spread where Cherryblossom is sewing the blossom dress. There are a number of simple shapes used as decoration: the bird, hearts and leaves on the bedspread; the birds on the rug; the plant on the clock. Students can copy these and make stencils from them, or make their own simple shapes taken from nature.
- Cherryblossom sews through the seasons. Compare the image of Cherryblossom at the castle ruins when she is collecting nettle leaves to the one where she is battling through the snowstorm to get wood. What in each picture tells us about the weather? Students can draw their own pictures of winter and summer.
For older students:
- Why didn't Cherryblossom tell her grandmother about the bear? In the original story, the grandmother had also been approached by the bear but had refused to sew the cape. How would including that information have changed the story?