About the Authors
Marg Gibbs lives in a rural village on a mountain in the Blackall Ranges, Queensland.
She is keen to share poetry with children of all ages. Tomorrow Land is her fourth anthology.
Marg loves to immerse herself in nature, art and reading. She sips coffee and gazes at sea views when she is not writing poems.
Kim Roberts has written poetry all her life for fun and to share with friends and family. At sixty, Tomorrow Land is her debut. She has a firm belief in a growth mindset and insists it is accompanied by joy. As a teacher, a connection is vital. You know the children you read so, so choose activities that strengthen your bond with them. That’s when they learn and get to look at the world differently.
Interview with Marg Gibbs and Kim Roberts can be found here.
Discussion
Before Reading
The book’s title, Tomorrow Land – what might this be about? Look at the front cover. What clues does this give you regarding the book’s ideas and setting?
After Reading
What poems do you like the best? Why?
Is there a poem with a message?
Why do you think “tomorrow” could be scary, exciting, different, enchanting?
Is there a character in a poem you like? Why?
What thoughts do you have after reading Future Teachers? Lost in My Head? Museum of Mummies?
Illustrations
What do you notice about the style of illustration?
What is a collage? Why do you think Marg Gibbs uses this technique?
Use a pencil to draw a dragon, Egyptian mummy, or mermaid. Investigate digital art. What are the advantages of this compared to hand drawing?
Activities
Literary Devices
Tomorrow Land is full of literary devices – Onomatopoeia, Alliteration, Similes, and Personification. These poems are flooded with imagery, so make visualisation easy. Make use of Connections with Self, Text, and World.
Research
Teachers and librarians can explore time sequence words in narratives, poems, and picture books. Start a story with Yesterday…. Recently… Often.
Make a list of time order words for NEXT. LAST.
Explore a non-fiction picture book with time order words. How useful are they in communication?
Tell a story out aloud using four-time order words. NOW, turn it into a short poem.
When a question comes up, research the answer. Follow-up and see where it goes.
Worksheets
Many of the poems have worksheets and can be found on www.mjgibbs.com.au. These can be used with whole class activities or for an extension. They also suit workstations.
Copyright, 2022, M Gibbs
House of Words
Poems about Worms
Activities about Time
