The Great Paper Caper

I have MORE OLIVER JEFFERS for you!!!! Today it’s —

The Great Paper Caper. Written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. Published by Philomel Books in 2008.
We read it with some 3rd graders and got to use dictionaries! It has some words and concepts that are a little tricky. Like – Caper and culprit and judges and alibis and prosecutors and trials and line-ups. We had some fun conversation, but you might want to consider these things when you think about who you’re going to read the book with.
It’s a crime mystery and a subtle story about conservation.

It begins in the forest where everyone lives underground under a tree. EVERYONE. The pig and the deer and the duck and the beaver and the boy. “There was a time in the forest …  when everything was not as it should have been.”

*Tree branches were disappearing! Who could be the culprit?! All the forest animals had alibis. So they needed to investigate and look for clues.

In the meantime, while the forest folk are trying to figure it out, we see the bear chopping and hauling the wood, carrying paper, and flying paper airplanes. It seems that there is a paper airplane competition that he wants to enter. And why does he need all the trees? Because he needs LOTS of paper for his airplanes and he has a paper making machine in his house! The machine chops up the trees to make the paper for the paper airplanes!  Will the forest animals find this out? Will the prosecutor and the judge do their job? Will the bear win the contest? Will the forest be saved?

You’ll have to read the book and find out!!!

It’s a thriller!

The book has some instructions for making paper airplanes. We didn’t take the time to do this, but it would be a great, fun activity to do with a class.

You can find some good instructions here and here and here.
Here is a link to instructions for making your own paper –
Here is a link to a website about paper, with history and educational materials.
Here is a link to  conservation resources for elementary school.
And here are some teacher ideas for this very book!

Now you can visit Susanna Hill and find a big list of great picture books along with helpful resources. It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!.

And I’ll now leave you with a musical paper concert —