The Illustrated Mum
Programme 4: Part Four

Aims

The Illustrated Mum	Reading	Writing	Speaking &Listening
PART 1
1 Author study	Reading and research using ICT skillsAuthor	Reworking information in a different forms
2 Marigold's Diary		Discussion and voicing of expressions of ideas and feelings, both orally and in writing
3 Collage	Engaging with ideas, themes and languagein fiction	Figurative language Planning, drafting and presenting	Group discussion and interaction
4 The book and the adaptation	Promoting a critical awareness of language, effect and theme Textual analysis	Responding to a script on screen – interpreting action, character, events Sound effects
PART 2
1 Micky's Diary		Discussion and voicing of expressions of ideas and feelings, both orally and in writing
2 Discuss & debate			Persuading, argue & advise
3 Star	Reading for meaning Responding to literary texts	Characterisation - portraying character through description Dialogue and action
4 Role play			Putting across a point of view Exploring in role
PART 3
1 Settings		Presenting information Writing reflectively
2 School report		Using form appropriate to purpose and audience Interpretation
3 Diary		Discussion and voicing of expressions of ideas and feelings, both orally and in writing	Discussion and voicing of expressions of ideas and feelings, both orally andin writing
4 Character analysis		Word level descriptions Developing ideas
PART 4
1 The full picture	Responding to the presentation of ideas, development of plot, motivation and behaviour of characters and the overall impact of a moving image text	Understanding the author's craft – endings Narrative commentary
2 Story structure		Developing narrative structure
3 In the future		Original writing
4 Review		Critical review

Dol is distraught. She's at school but can't concentrate on anything. The only person she can tell the truth to is Owly, her only friend. Using fragments from Dol's memory, they go in search of her own father, ending up at the local leisure centre. If only Dol can find him, may be she won't have to be put in a home. They find him!

Star returns, and waits for Dol outside school. The sisters vow they will never be separated again. Together they visit their mother in hospital. A tear trickles down her face as she looks at her two beautiful girls. 'How could I have done this to you? You must hate me?' 'We don't hate you, we love you to bits,' answers Dol. Despite everything, it doesn't matter – they belong together. The girls know that there is no one else like her – she is Marigold, their mad, bad, beautiful, illustrated mum.

Programme 4: Outline

'The Illustrated Mum' raises awareness about a person's capability for love and forgiveness, even in the face of hardship and instability.

Centring around the life of young girl Dolphin, it is a remarkable coming of age story, filled with pathos and humour, which won Jacqueline Wilson the 1999 'Guardian' Prize for children's fiction. This drama is very closely based on the book narrative. At its core is an intimate exploration of what happens when children are forced to take on all the roles that parents are usually expected to deliver – nurturing, emotional and financial support, feeding, clothing, compassion and discipline.

Deep down Dolphin knows the truth about her mother, Marigold: she suffers from a mental illness that makes her different from all the others mums at school. But it's just that difference, the magic and wonder that Marigold brings to life, which makes her really special. If only Dol's big sister, Star, still believed in Marigold – then nothing would ever have to change…

What happens to Dolphin is extraordinary and requires great courage, but the experience of a parent who doesn't live up to a child's expectations is something that many children can relate to. In varying degrees, most children will be forced to confront the fears and realities of a parent who fails them – either by accident, design, or, in Marigold's case, by the unpredictable chemistry of her inner being and the outside world.

Curriculum Relevance

Key Stage 2, 3

Ages 10-14, Scotland: 5-14, English Language: Writing

4Learning's dramatisation of the award-winning book by Jacqueline Wilson offers 10-14 year olds the chance to read for enjoyment and information, as well as deepening learners' understanding of themselves and others. It also offers useful material for media studies and may be used to provide opportunities for:

insights into the author's craft; how they convey setting, mood and character; the structuring of text
exploring the Citizenship and PSHE themes of growing-up, family relationships and mental illness
applying a context in which to compare the differences between first person book narratives and third person film narratives
responses to an on-screen text, interpreting actions, characters and events; illustrating how meanings are changed according to different media
encouraging writing skills and confidence
supporting drama techniques
promoting speaking and listening, reflection and discussion
encouraging the use of print and Internet resources for research purposes

Background

Tattooing

The tattoos found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies suggest that the art of tattooing was practiced around 2000 BC. As the Egyptian empire grew, so did the use of tattoos. The Ancient Greeks used tattooing for communication among spies; the Romans used tattoos to mark criminals and slaves, and in 1500 BC, Polynesians starting using tattoos to mark tribal communities, families and rank.

The Ainu people of western Asia also used tattooing to show social status. The Ainu are known to have introduced tattooing to Japan where it became a religious and ceremonial rite. As with the Romans, tattoos were also used to mark criminals in Japan. Tattooing also has a long history in Europe; the Danes, Norse, and Saxons tattooed family crests on their bodies. During the eighth century, however, Pope Hadrian banned tattooing as barbaric. Roughly four centuries later, Captain Cook returned from Tahiti with news of an operation called 'tattawing'. The word tattoo, therefore, comes from the Tahitian word 'tatau', meaning 'to mark something'.

Tattoos grew in popularity in England when English sailors began making trips to the Orient, but they became particularly fashionable when King Edward VII (1841-1910) expressed a liking for them. What stopped tattooing from becoming more widespread was the slow and sometimes painful procedure involved - each puncture of the skin was done by hand.

It wasn't until 1891, when the Irish American Samuel O'Riley designed the first electric tattooing machine, that the tattoo became popular again. Based on Edison's electric pen that pierced paper with a needle, O'Riley's machine meant that anyone could get a reasonably priced tattoo. By making the process easier, the tattoo became common and the upper classes shunned it. By the turn of the century, tattooing had lost a great deal of credibility. Tattooists worked in the sleazier sections of town, while heavily tattooed people travelled with circuses and freak shows.

Activities

1 'The Full Picture'

The final chapter in 'The Illustrated Mum' book is called 'The Full Picture' but is it really the end of their story? With a friend, plan an extra scene. What do you think happens next? Create a storyboard for the scene and add a caption underneath each picture in the storyboard.

2 Story structure

Most stories follow a similar pattern:

the 'normal' situation at the beginning of a story is upset by some problem or complication, usually caused by a person or event
in overcoming the difficulty, the main character draws on some personal talent or receives help from another character(s)
more obstacles are placed in the path of the main character
the story ends happily if the final challenge is overcome satisfactorily

The following list of statements is incomplete and in the wrong order for this story's structure. Add what you think is missing, and then arrange them in the correct order.

Finally, Marigold, Dol and Star all learn that ……………
Marigold dreams of …………… but has to face the problem(s) of …………………
Dol, Star and Marigold's relatively happy life is upset when ……………………………………
However, she gets help from ……………………………………

Now write a story of your own, using the model as a guide:

3 In ten years' time

Predict what will have happened to Dol, Star and Marigold in ten years' time.

What will they be doing?
Where will they be living?
Who will they be with?

Write this as a short story or sequel. Try to include as much information as possible about changes, achievements and feelings.

4 Review

Write a review for a friend who hasn't read 'The Illustrated Mum'. Explain what the book meant to you, and iInclude your reasons for recommending it.

There are many ways to write a book review. To help you, here are some points to think about.

is the story exciting and believable? Is it a story you can get involved in?
are the people in the story believable? Do they make you want to find out more about them? Do they seem real? How do the characters talk to each other? What is their relationship with each other? Do they get on?
is the cover of the book attractive? Do the illustrations inside the book improve the story? Is the typeface easy to read?
when you start reading the book, does it inspire you to read more? Is the book for boys or girls? What age of reader do you think would enjoy it?

Links

This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

www.channel4.com/bookbox
www.write4gosh.nhs.uk
www.storiesfromtheweb.org/stories/wilson/index.asp
www.literacytrust.org.uk/rif

The Illustrated Mum Programme 4: Part Four