Iris and Isaac

Catherine Rayner
Little Tiger Press
Age 0-5

Iris and Isaac are two polar bears who used to be friends but not anymore, they have had a big falling out and stomp off away from each other. Separately they spot all sorts of amazing things in their arctic world but they quickly find that nothing is as much fun without a friend to share it with. Fortunately, they eventually find each other, and all is as it should be again.

A gentle story with wonderful illustrations about the value of friendship, forgiveness and sharing experiences.

Watch the story read aloud

Share the story

Read the story aloud to your child pausing to talk about what us happening in the story or illustrations if your child wants to.

Join in
As your child becomes familiar with the story they might like to join in with actions for example wriggling like Iris and Isaac or even stomping off in a bear huff.

Talk about the book
▪︎ Talk about all the things Iris and Isaac see in the story.
▪︎ Talk about how Iris and Isaac are feeling at different points in the story. What makes them sad and what makes them happy?
▪︎ Talk with your child about their own friends and what they like doing together. Have ever fallen out with each other? Talk about what happened and how it made them feel.

Things to make and do

Play the story
Make Iris and Isaac puppets of out of old white socks. Draw or sew on eyes and a nose using felt pens or buttons. Re-enact the story with a puppet on each hand, or one on your hand and one on your child’s hand. You could exaggerate their actions, for example nudging each other out of the nest, or stomping off.

Make the story world
Using a large tray or if you have one a builders’ tuff spot,  make Iris and Isaac’s world using shredded white paper, or cotton wool balls for snow.

You could even add ice cubes and freeze a plate of water for the animals to slide on. If you have small plastic animal figurines you could put those in the landscape or perhaps make some out of card shapes stuck on cotton reels or corks.

Create the Northern Lights
Use a box as a cave. Use a torch and different coloured cellophane to shine through for the Northern lights. You could make a tent over the story world using a white sheet, so that it makes it darkish, and you can shine the torch onto the sheet to create wonderful colours like the Northern Lights.

Find out More

▪︎ Find out about polar bears and other animals that live in the cold and snow. Watch a video here or here   

▪︎ Talk about global warming and how it is endangering polar bears by reducing their habitat.

▪︎ Read another story about polar bears You’re Snug with Me by Chitra Soundar and Poonam Mistry

▪︎ Read more books by Catherine Rayner Catherine Rayner – Award Winning Illustrator & Author

Titles include:
Augustus and his Smile
Arlo
Abigail
Olga de Polga
Ernest
The Go Away Bird