As we begin to prepare for a return to Dorset
And more wild and wonderful adventures at Corfe Castle
Exploring the ruins of the outer bailey, the inner ward and the gatehouse
The tall towers atop a hill
The views to the sea and across the land
I am reminded of a wonderful book by Rebecca Colby and Tom Froese
Theat helps children to imagine what life would have once been like inside the castle walls
The Castle The King Built is a fun rhyming non fiction book for young children
Perfect for a KS1 Castles topic
The book introduces young readers to all the people who played a part in building the castle and who might call the castle home
The repetitive refrain makes this a great book to perform with children
Through the pages we meet the masons, carpenters, blacksmith, grooms, knights, merchants, bakers, servants, minstrels and the King himself
We have loved learning about the special jobs of each of the people and imagining where in Corfe Castle they may have lived and worked
The retro rhyming text based loosely on This Is The House That Jack Built is fun to read aloud
And on first reading guessing the rhyme is a great game
The illustrations are wonderfully witty with a cat to spot on each page and fun characters
Including a grumpy baker and a groom mucking out with a peg on his nose
The feast is a delightful spread and it would be great to get little ones to study it and write a menu for the banquet
Finding out about medieval musical instruments is another project that would link well to this book
This is a brilliant book for anyone visiting a castle or learning about castle life
A super book published by Nosy Crow in collaboration with The National Trust
For more activity ideas and a comprehensive teaching guide do check out Rebecca Colby’s website