A House That Moves and a Story That Stays

Last week in Book Talk, we explored a wonderfully unusual story, The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson. From the very first mention of the title, the children were intrigued and eager to discover more.

The story follows Marinka, a young girl who lives with her grandmother on the edge of the world. Her grandmother has an important and mysterious role, guiding the dead through the gate into the afterlife. However, their home is far from ordinary. Without warning, it can rise up on its chicken legs and move on to a new, often desolate location. Because of this constant moving, Marinka finds herself isolated and without friends, longing for a more normal life among the living.

After reading the prologue together, the children put their comprehension skills to the test by answering questions and discussing their first impressions of the story. They then moved on to a creative task, sketching the house and labelling it with descriptions taken directly from the text. This was a fantastic opportunity to combine reading with art, and the results were both imaginative and impressive.

The activity was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with many children taking real pride in their work. It was especially exciting to see several pupils already choosing to pick up the book and continue reading independently. This is exactly what Book Talk aims to achieve, sparking curiosity and encouraging children to explore books they may not have discovered otherwise.