Ah yes, and I thought the little guys looked like computer mouses (due to their form and the little wiggle on their heads). The Hueys don’t have any feet. Can you try to draw your own characters with or without feet? Which do you prefer? Why? Een tweede boek van de Hugo’s trekt direct de aandacht door de eenvoud in kleur of juist het opvallende van het oranje op een witte ondergrond.

In this story Rupert wants to look different. Can you design a different Huey. Here are two to give you some ideas. I think I'd have liked this book better if Rupert or another of the Hueys had realized that by all of them changing in exactly the same ways, they ended up being exactly the same again. The Hueys are a group of pod-like people who look the same, think the same and do the same things. The characters are inspired by Oliver's grandfather who could never remember the names of his numerous grandchildren and so called them all Huey, regardless of gender. ​ The Hueys are all the same. Imagine what life would be like if everyone was exactly the same. How would this make you feel? Why are the other Hueys horrified when Rupert does something different? How do people sometimes feel about new / different things? Why is this?Precies zoals in de mensenmaatschappij: de massa is niet direct enthousiast. Je valt buiten de groep als je anders bent of doet. Stiekem is er toch eentje die iets anders eigenlijk best leuk vindt. En als er één Hugo over de spreekwoordelijke dam is, volgen er meer totdat iedereen wéér hetzelfde is. En dan? Weer iets nieuws? En is dat nieuwe nog vernieuwder? The New Jumper’ is part of a series of books about the Hueys. Think of a selection of different plots for books in this series. Can you write one of these and add illustrations too?

And that's where I'm at. Wondering what this book is supposed to be about and thinking it's just pretty funny, and that's all I can lay my finger on. Maybe I need someone less literal than me to explain it to me.... :) Try anwering Mrs Plummer's inference questions in the To Print section. A grown up could ask the questions - you do not have to print them. Look at the picture of the speaker in the illustrations. Can you try to draw sketches of 3D shapes? All of the Hueys looked alike. They also all acted and dressed alike. Until, that is, the day that Rupert knitted a bright new orange sweater and made himself stand out. Some of the other Hueys weren't sure that they approved - didn't Rupert know that they were all supposed to be the same?!? - but his friend Gillespie decided he too wanted a sweater. So began a trend, with all the Hueys jumping on the bandwagon. Soon Rupert had to find a new way to stand out... I first read this book a few weeks ago (March 23ish). I had to reread it before writing my review to see if it was as strange as my memory was telling me it was.

I am trying to figure out what I think about this one. Here's sort of the thought process I went through reading it.... So I spotted this book at the library (one of them), and I just had to read it. I am a big fan of Oliver Jeffers's work and so I just couldn't resist this one. And boy, it was just too fun to read. Eén Hugootje, Rupert, breit een nieuwe trui in een opvallende kleur. Hoe zouden de anderen hierop reageren?

Challenge your friends to do exactly the same task as you (e.g. draw a picture of a dog, write a story about an elephant). Are your pictures / stories exactly the same? Why not?On the one hand, I really liked Rupert and his desire to be a nonconformist, think for himself, and do something unique from his peers. On the other hand, I really didn't like that the rest of the Hueys copied him exactly so they all could "be different." Watch / listen to this narration of part of the book. Could you record your own, using expression / music / sound effects? What message is being sent to kids in this story? Am I being overly critical and cynical when I say that I think it's telling kids that no one is truly unique and it's pointless to try to be different/yourself? Or perhaps I should lighten up and simply encourage kids to be like Rupert and think outside the box; don't be like society and copy every passing fad.