by Irene N. Watts
Annick Press, 2011
ISBN 978-1—55451-358-1
$24.95, 107 pp, ages 7 – 70
www.annickpress.com
Irene N. Watts has created a priceless teacher’s resource—a set of plays based on Robert Munsch’s stories— including tips for preparing the actors and the play itself, helpful hints for rehearsals, suggestions for staging, set design, props and costumes, and the ever helpful casting list. Each play has a runtime close to ten minutes (give or take a few minutes for audience laughter) and preparation can take one day or one month depending on the size of your production. This resource is great for classrooms, clubs and retirement homes. It includes eight timeless Munsch favourites: The Fire Station, I Have to Go!, Something Good, David’s Father, Jonathan Cleaned Up – Then He Heard a Sound, Show and Tell, From Far Away, and Pigs.
If you’re looking for an exciting new drama unit or are trying to entice a reluctant reader to add her voice to class read-alouds, this is the book for you! Also consider getting the first book in the series, Munsch at Play, which was equally delightful. Just like the first publication, this second act is worth every dollar and guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Children young and old will love performing reader’s theatre, skits, or full plays—even without an audience. I’ve used these plays to engage struggling readers, to pull adolescents out of their theatre shell, and to entertain Canadians during the bleak months of winter.
Review by Amanda Forbes.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Mar/Apr 2013 issue.