As an English teacher and a Mum, some of my best memories are of reading books with my children.
Stories such as Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, Where is the Green Sheep?, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt were on regular rotation in our house and even now, I think I still have some of them memorised! The stories we share with our children have the ability to form some strong and important foundations for lifelong literacy and learning.
One book we read often was Dogger, by Shirley Hughes. Dogger tells the story of Dave, a young boy with a scruffy, much loved toy called Dogger. Dave and Dogger are inseparable; they walk the big kids to and from school and they cuddle up in bed each night. However, one day tragedy strikes and Dogger goes missing. There are a wonderful few pages of the whole family searching every cupboard and under every bed to no avail (I definitely related to these scenes!) Despite the best efforts of his family to console him, Dave feels heartbroken without Dogger.
A few days later, a miserable Dave is at the toy stall at the local school fair. Under a pile of books, trains and second-hand toys, Dave spots Dogger, sitting on the table with a 3 pence price tag! Desperate to buy back his beloved toy, Dave races to find his big sister Bella to help him, but alas – by the time they return to the toy stall Dogger has been sold to another girl.
Bella and Dave race to ask the girl if she would sell him Dogger, but she refuses. Bella, who has just won a giant teddy bear in a three-legged race, comes to the rescue by trading her new teddy bear to the girl in return for Dogger.
Dave hugs Dogger tightly, and promises to never lose him again.
As we move towards Easter, an event of central importance in the Christian faith, I think the story of Dave, Bella and Dogger draws our hearts to remember God’s goodness and redemptive grace. Dogger reminds me of the love of God; despite our sin, imperfection and scruffiness, we are deeply and eternally loved by God. When faced with a price that Dave could not pay, he raced to Bella, who in a beautiful act of sibling care, redeemed Dogger at her own personal cost. This is a reminder for me that our need for redemption is past what any of us could achieve on our own; instead we are offered “the free gift of God [in] eternal life in Christ Jesus” Romans 6:23.
As our school community celebrates Easter this year, it is my prayer for each of our students and their families that they may be both challenged and comforted by the great love of God and the work of Jesus on the cross to bring grace, forgiveness and redemption; the very best story of all.
Stelle Carmichael - Head of Students