NNFN2023 Ideas: Accordion Books
A booklet of ideas for NNFN is available to download here. This has been developed to offer some practical suggestions which FCBG groups- or anyone- might like to use to celebrate non-fiction during November… or at anytime of the year!
During October, some ideas from the booklet will be explored here in more detail, starting today with Accordion Books. Also known as Zig-Zag books, these little booklets make an attractive, fun way to present facts, instructions or information which children have collected. In its simplest form, the book can be square or rectangular, but with older or more dextrous children, it can take a shape which links to the subject it contains.
The easiest way to make one of these books is to take a sheet of A4 paper and fold this into eight sections as shown above. This can then be cut along the horizontal central line to create two strips of four sections each. Take one of these strips and fold the sections in a zig-zag pattern (see middle picture). If desired, a cover can be added as shown in the final picture. Larger books can be created by carefully sticking a second strip to the first and both sides of each page can be written on.
A simple house shape can create a book the shape of a building- or with a little imagination, can be used for a character wearing a hat, like the witch pictured above. Father Christmas or an elf might make an appealing Christmas themed book or Red Riding Hood, Robin Hood or a princess could make the cover!
A domed shape lends itself to all manner of adaptations, for example, faces of animals and people- upside down the curve could be a beard - and a cut out section at the bottom (see second photo) adds legs. The dipped curve at the top offers the suggestion of horns or antlers. The whole book could, of course, take the shape of something, e.g. a train or an animal, but this takes some planning to make into a zig-zag book.
Hope this is helpful…more to come soon!