Ossiri and the Bala Mengro: Traveler Recycling Activity Kit + Read Aloud

OSSIRI AND THE BALA MENGRO: ACTIVITY KIT

Best Users: Librarians, Educators, Early Childhood Educators, Home Learners
Best Audience: Children Grades 00-04

READ ALOUD WITH THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE ACTIVITY KIT

“Ossiri was a Traveler girl. She and her family worked hard as ‘Tattin Folki’ or rag-and-bone people, as the settled people called them. Ossiri’s family recycled everything. They sold old clothes that they mended and altered, and they turned rags into paper…” —Ossiri and the Bala Mengro

Tattin Folki of the Romani and Traveling people were some of the first to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Our readers have much to learn from not only Ossiri’s innovative instrument-making, but also from her playing “from the heart, not for gain.” These activity sheets encourage readers to create their own instruments, learn to sew a button, construct a cardboard loom, and to explore Romani words.
DOWNLOAD Ossiri and the Bala Mengro: Traveler Activities (PDF)
Note: 99% of what you find on this site is created by Curious City. This sweet kit, though, was created by Beth Cox and Amy Griffiths in consultation with Traveler storyteller Richard O’Neill.

This delightful book will translate easily to online programming offerings. The possibilities in terms of activities are endless. In the past, I’d struggled to translate the work of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, also known as the Recycled Orchestra, (the children’s orchestra of Asunción, Paraguay), but Ossiri and the Bala Mengro offers a jumping off point for our younger online participants. I can’t wait to try these out! —Jonathan Dolce, Aston County Library

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ossiri and the Bala Mengro
By Richard O’Neill, Katharine Quarmby
Illustrated by Hannah Tolson
Published by Child’s Play-International
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9781846439254
Paperback ISBN-13: 9781846439247
Age Range: 4 – 9 Years

A Traveler girl creates her own musical instrument from a willow branch and lots of recycled objects. She plays it enthusiastically, but it sounds terrible! Ignoring warnings not to awaken the ogre in the hills, Ossiri goes there to practice playing her instrument. Will she wake the ogre, and will it appreciate her playing? Told by a Romani storyteller and a picture book author, this original tale offers a fascinating insight into Traveling lifestyles and cultures.

“This tale positively highlights the role of the Travelers in the ecosystem of the land and the modern economy. Tolson’s richly colored illustrations, with touches of gold and red popping against a background of earthy greens and browns, are evocative of folk art tradition and greatly enhance the narrative. The lifestyle portrayed is particularly relevant in the context of maker culture, and the book would also serve as a useful springboard for discussions about cultural diversity and stereotyping. VERDICT An original tale with the timeless allure of folklore, recommended for all picture book collections.”
—School Library Journal
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“Gentle talk between family members creates a sense of closeness and security, while Romani words sprinkled throughout give a further sense of the community and its argot (a glossary is included). Tolson’s (A Pocket Full of Treasures) scribbly illustrations go right along with the spirit of improvisation and simplicity.”
—Publishers Weekly

THE GIVEAWAY WINNERS

In September 2020, 24 individual copies of Ossiri and the Bala Mengro were given away to teachers, librarians, or literacy folks serving kids ages 4-9. Our thanks to Child’s Play for the generous donation!