SuitabookThe Dam
David Almond and Levi Pinfold
- Reading
- Read it aloud slowly, giving the illustrations equal attention. Before or afterwards, explain the real Kielder Water event if useful, then invite the reader to describe feelings and meanings rather than seeking one correct interpretation.
- Themes
- Loss of place: A valley has been emptied and will be flooded when the dam is completed; the father and daughter return before that happens. The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
- Music and remembrance: The father and daughter sing and play the violin in the abandoned area one last time, and music is linked with remembering those who lived there. Music is presented as a meaningful way of honouring and keeping memories alive within the story.
- Sadness and hope: The illustrations convey a dark atmosphere before the flooding and become lighter and more colourful afterwards, alongside continuing singing and remembrance. The book appears to hold grief and hope together, without presenting the loss as simply resolved or erased.
- Worth knowing
- The book contains sadness around an emptied valley and its flooding, alongside a later sense of lightness and continuing memory. Its sombre imagery and poetic language may feel emotionally weighty or obscure for some readers.