Steve Jones teaching
(GD) As a teacher, Steve Jones knows only too well what appeals to children and how important it is to instil in young students an appreciation of reading. Combining both prose and poetry, Steve has created an inviting scenario; two stories in one with captivating illustrations and characters with which they can identify on several levels. (SJ) “I believe children appreciate poetry because of the rhyme and rhythm. Poetry is the basis of today’s Rap music. In ‘The Hidden Buffalo’, by using a story within a story, children may gain an appreciation of the combination of prose and poetry, as a result of the poetic rhythm and the wisdom of the written prose. Children may also increase their level of reading, through reading more. This is something I always
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encourage my students to do. The more they read, the better they will appreciate both literary forms.” (GD) One of 'The Hidden Buffalo's' most welcome features is Steve Jones' use of diverse modern families, depicting a young, two parent family and a child living with an older grandparent. This allows children to identify, personally, with these diverse character roles, from their various perspectives. Jones has plans to expand upon this diversity in future publications. He hopes that even his youngest readers will take something away with them and, in this way, he may pass the torch to illustrators and authors of the future. His hope is that, just as he was inspired by
his teacher Thomas F. Naegele, his readers may also glean inspiration.
Brandon and the night monsters