Guess How I Was Born?

Families come from places:

• Nuclear.
• Multi-generational.
• Two mums or two dads.
• Adopted.
• Step-families.
• Multi-racial.
• IVF – Susanne’s granddaughter was born of love. See article attached.

• Diversity
• Acceptance and inclusivity
• Cross-cultural perspectives
• LGBTQ
• Community
• Science
• Relationships with family and friends

Susanne Gervay’s style is deceptively simple. Easy to engage with, the narrative is fast paced with lively dialogue. Humour and incidents create a page-turning reading experience with joyful illustrations by Carolyn Daley.

While Guess How I Was Born? is an entertaining picture book, there are deeper stories within the narrative. It invites children to ask questions about how they were born in a joyous and non-threatening way.

The use of first person, present tense, told from Violet Rose’s point of view immediately engages readers in the dress up party of kids, parents and you.

‘Susanne Gervay is rare in her ability to place common problems for children within the spectrum of normal family life. The result is that she makes it OK for children to talk about them.’ The Age.

Susanne writes for young people to laugh, learn, love and be courageous in a challenging world. She writes for adults to explore with kids about ideas that excite and empower them. As the child of refugees, story is the secret ingredient as a pathway to home and self-belief. Presented with the Lifetime Social Justice Literature Award for her body of work by the International Literacy Association and an Order of Australia, Susanne’s books are recognised as capturing hope be it the joyous and playful cockatoos in ‘There’s a Gang in Our Street’ or the heroic kids in ‘Heroes of the Holocaust’. Her loved ‘I Am Jack’ series has become a rite-of-passage on school bullying adapted into a play that toured across Australia and USA, while Harmony Day is at the centre of Elephants Have Wings. Endorsed by Room to Read, Cancer Council, Life Education, anti bullying, literacy, many organisations, Susanne takes her stories from the Outback to Istanbul to everywhere, because kids matter.

Carolyn is a visual storyteller, an illustrator and a writer. She loves digital illustration, but also loves getting her pens, pencils and markers out for some traditional fun. And sometimes, when she can’t decide, so she does a mix of both. She mostly loves visual storytelling and creating stories about fun stuff and stuff kids do, and sometimes about the serious stuff that worries kids minds. Carolyn Daly is the creative mind behind Daly Doodle and Design. She has always loved to draw and write.

She lives and works/plays in Tasmania, Australia, creating characters and stories in a country studio near the water.

More information: About Carolyn Daly — Daly Doodle & Design

Using literature in teaching is a way of connecting across the curriculum and creating powerful learning experiences. Guess How I Was Born can be read to achieve reading and viewing literacy outcomes, as well as PDHPE outcomes that address values and attitudes of interpersonal behaviours, especially relating to families.

Guess How I Was Born engages the ‘social influences’ approach that uses the real social settings and experiences of children and their families, to open questions and social skills in decision-making, communication, and providing positive choices.

1. Can you judge a book by its cover?
   Look at the cover, blurb and contents of Guess How I Was Born?
   Brainstorm what the children’s ideas are.
2. Children are inspired to express their thoughts and write down what they think the story is about and what they expect they might learn.
3. Are the characters similar to anyone the children know or in their family? Discuss the characters and find out if they remind you of people you know.
4. The dinosaur has a funny joke. Can you find it?  Have you some jokes that you want to share?
5. How do you feel about the parents and the grandma? What can they share with you? How can they help you? Do you love them? How and why?
6. Draw your favorite character and write some words that describe them. Why do they make you feel happy?
7. Have you a photo that you may like to show everyone? What are the best things about everyone in your family. PS You can include pets like your dog or cat or goldfish.
8. Draw and/or write about your family.

Article: A mother’s Promise