Her books have won several nominations, commendations and a shortlist place for the Kate Greenway Medal. But some people must have survived, and Christina Balit has used this as the starting-point for her story.

Escape from Pompeii, volcano, extreme earth, - Twinkl Escape from Pompeii, volcano, extreme earth, - Twinkl

I like the ending and the colors used in the detailed illustrations are reminiscent of the color you can still see in the ruins today.This beautifully illustrated book is all about a boy and his friend who luckily escape Pompeii when Vesuvius erupted. She studied at Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art, and also attended Morley Theatre School and Questors Theatre School. Travel back in time to the days of the Roman Empire and join Tranio, the son of an actor, and his friend Livia, the baker's daughter, in witnessing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. The vocabulary is a little bit harder so it would either need to be read out loud or be meant for slightly older children, with words like "looming," "tremors," "wriggled," and "pumice. This book is part of my year 3/4 class’s Invaders and Raiders topic from the Stone Age into the Ancient Romans.

Escape From Pompeii by Christina Balit | Goodreads Escape From Pompeii by Christina Balit | Goodreads

Kingdom of the Sun (written by Jaqueline Mitton), won the 2002 English Association Award for non-fiction. It would be great to have in the classroom when learning about other countries and cultures and what their histories look like. There is a lot to pull apart with this picture book and the focus can range from something literacy based (grammar, story structure, characterisation, word choices) or topical (Romans, geography).Looking at the illustrations, you can only imagine how horrendous it must have been to narrowly escape as everything and everything you once loved is killed and destroyed - it’s heart wrenching.

Escape from Pompeii a book by Christina Balit. Escape from Pompeii a book by Christina Balit.

The story line is quite vivid and the illustrations, which seem to be done in some type of colored pencil, enhance it extremely. For myself, I will have to see if I can track down a non-fiction children's book about this topic, that could pair well with this fictional tale. This is an interesting combination of fiction and non-fiction: the eruption of course genuinely happened and the remains of Ancient Roman civilisation it preserved beneath the solidified lava and ash are a major source of archaeological history for the period. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 meant death for most of the Roman citizens living in Pompeii.Perhaps Vesuvius remains the most well-known volcanic eruption in history among adults even today - so there could be plenty of opportunity to link with the geography and science National Curriculum on seismology, tectonic plates and geology: perhaps pupils may even have their own experiences of visiting mountainous or volcanic regions they could share, similar to those of the characters in the story. I tracked down Escape from Pompeii - it had to be requested through interlibrary loan - because of this fondness for Balit's work, and I was not disappointed. With her dramatic illustrations and a historical note, this story makes an exciting introduction to a fascinating subject. Although this book handles the sensitive subject of a tragic natural disaster, this bookperfectly pitched for years 2 and 3. But what is unique about the book, is that it tells the facts about that event through story of a boy named Tranio.

Escape From Pompeii by Christina Balit - Downend Escape From Pompeii by Christina Balit - Downend

Heading for the harbour, Tranio and his friend Livia hide on a boat and witness one of the most terrifying moments in recorded history-the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of their beloved city, Pompeii.

Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy historical fiction and/or stories of survival, as well as to anyone looking for supplemental titles to be used in a teaching unit on Roman history and/or Pompeii. It lends itself really nicely to pottery-making, mosaics, history and geography and I can’t wait to see how the children interpret this beautiful but tragic story. Taking this historical event as a starting point, this story tells of Tranio, an actor's son, and his friend Livia, the baker's daughter, as they witness the destruction of their beloved city.