Gwion's World

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

If you’re wondering who that is, sitting at the back of the classroom, ignoring everyone else, it’s me, Gwion. Sometimes it’s easier to pretend I’m somewhere else, doing something else; what’s going on inside my head is so much more interesting than the real world anyway. Or so I thought.

Ruby/Band 14 books give increasing opportunities for children to develop their skills of inference and deduction.

Pages 46 and 47 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.

Jonny has been profoundly Deaf since he was born. He grew up in a strong oral environment navigating a predominantly hearing world that is not adapted to him. Gwion’s World is about a deaf boy, Gwion struggling to understand what it means to fit in until he meets Bethan who introduces him to an understanding of Deaf culture, identity and sign language. The book is about belonging, identity and joy that became a family project, bridging the gap that had long existed between them. Jonny realised that being Deaf wasn't something to be "fixed" but he has embraced it as a vital part of who he was which is why he wanted to write Gwion’s World.

A note from Zeynep: Working on this book has particularly been an exciting and enriching experience for me. Gwion's world is a bit like mine, it was lovely to see him solve his problems and witness his growth towards the end of the story. I hope children find a piece of themselves in Gwion and are inspired by his narrative.