Little People, BIG DREAMS!

This half term, Year 5 has been learning all about Philippe Petit and his extraordinary tightrope walking adventures, including his daring walk between the Twin Towers. We have been completely inspired by his courage, creativity and determination.

We are huge admirers of the Little People, Big Dreams series, which introduces us to some of the most inspiring individuals from around the world. From Sir David Attenborough to Neil Armstrong, and from Rosa Parks to Anne Frank, each story captures our imagination through beautiful illustrations and fascinating facts.

During this topic, the children became researchers as well as writers. They explored a range of non-fiction books, biographies and child-friendly reference texts to gather key information about Philippe Petit’s life. They also used carefully selected online sources to deepen their understanding, learning how to take notes, check facts and organise information into chronological order. This helped them to write authentic, detailed and informative biographies in their own words.

Inspired by the series, the children then used AI to design their own front covers in the distinctive Little People, Big Dreams style. They thought carefully about colour, composition and symbolism to reflect Philippe Petit’s story, before combining their artwork with their finished writing.

We were surprised to discover that Philippe Petit does not yet have a biography in this wonderful collection! We are incredibly proud of the children’s creativity, research skills and enthusiasm throughout this project.

We hope that, inspired by our work, Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara might consider adding a book about Philippe Petit to her amazing collection of inspiring figures.

Tom

@littlepeoplebigdreams