The power of stories can shape people’s lives. With the Big Visions children’s books, Vison Australia is wanting to build a more inclusive Australia. One that doesn’t see only blindness or low vision, but the entire person.
Each book in the series celebrates an Australian role model who is an inspiration to those reading the stories.
In Cooking up a Storm, you will meet Craig Shanahan, a blind chef. When kids would ask Craig what it was like having only one eye, he’d ask them what it was like having two. That was all he knew. He grew up loving cooking and went on to study to become a chef. When Craig lost vision in his other eye, he didn’t let that hold him back. He decided to go on and open a café that would be accessible to all customers.
Craig is an outstanding example of resilience, determination, and risk taking. Using his book in the classroom to hold open discussions about topics that can be hard for a child to broach and go on to understand is a great way to really spread awareness and education around what is so important for our children to learn.
The key themes of the Big Visions books, resilience, determination, perseverance, courage, adversity, inclusion, optimism, illness, recovery and rehabilitation are all important topics for children to be made aware of from a young age. Because no-one should ever feel as if they can’t set themselves goals to achieve and be confident and happy in life.
Below are some discussion questions and activities you could have with your class about Cooking Up a Storm, to really spread awareness and education around those topics that are so important for our children to learn.
Discussion questions
• When kids ask Craig Shanahan what it’s like to have one eye, he asks, ‘What’s it like to have two?’ What do you think this shows about the way he handled having one of his eyes removed? What does it tell us about Craig?
• When Craig was an apprentice chef, he worked in three different kitchens and had long hours six days a week. What made him choose to work so hard?
• After Craig had his tumour removed, he developed what the author calls superpowers. Why do you think Craig’s sense of smell, hearing and touch improved after he lost most of the vision in his second eye?
• What helped Craig stay positive after losing vision from his surgery?
• What do you think makes Craig’s restaurant, The Blind Chef Café and Dessert Bar so unique?
• How do you think Craig’s dog guide Rocko supports him? What jobs might Rocko have?
• Craig has worked hard to make sure that his café is accessible. Why do you think that was important to him?
• Craig is inspired by people who are ‘worse off’ and says, ‘Being blind will not stop me!’ What does this show about Craig’s mindset?
Activities
• Run your fingers across the braille in the book. How does it feel? Are your fingers able to tell what the dot pattern you’re touching look like? What can you learn about reading braille, just from touching and examining the braille in this book?
• Imagine that you are opening your very own café. Create a menu that has the name of your café and the dishes you’d like to serve.
• Now, think about how you might be able to make your café inclusive to people with all kinds of disabilities. Make a list of the kinds of adjustments you might make to your café to allow everyone to feel welcome.
• Create an invitation to your café. What do you want people to know about it before they visit? Craig has games at his café. Are there any special activities you might include at your café?
• Put on a blindfold or close your eyes and have a partner lead you around the room, describing what’s there and where you should walk. What do you notice while your eyes are covered? Write down how this experience makes you feel and what you notice about the space you’re in that you didn’t notice when your eyes were open.
We would love to hear how your class has embraced Big Visions and Craig’s story. Let us know on the socials and don’t forget to tag us @visionaustralia and use the hashtag #BigVisionsForBigChanges
Still need a copy or two of the book for your classroom or library? Visit the Vision Australia shop here to purchase Cooking up a Storm.