Flood resilience advocate, Mary Long-Dhonau OBE – also known as ‘Flood Mary’ - joined children at Pocklington Junior School, near York, on Friday morning (16 October) for a special story time, marking the launch of a new children’s book and animation designed to help young people understand flooding and the importance of being prepared.
During morning assembly, Mary read Missy and Stanley’s Tale, which follows Missy the cat and Stanley the dog as they experience flooding in their home. Missy and Stanley’s Tale was created as part of the Blue Heart project, which is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, managed by the Environment Agency.
The characters and animations have been produced by the team at Aardman, bringing to life a story that helps children to understand what flooding can mean for a household and how being prepared can help.
The resources are now available to schools through https://befloodwarned.uk/missy-and-stanley, an online resource for flood preparedness, warnings and information. Designed specifically for primary school children, they give teachers an age-appropriate way to explore flood risk, climate resilience and the practical steps that can support households.
Mary Long-Dhonau OBE said: “Helping children to understand flooding and how to prepare is a really important part of building more resilient communities. My home flooded when my youngest children were of primary school age and they lost all their toys to floodwater. Ever since, I’ve worked hard to raise awareness of flood preparedness and help other families across the country.
“Missy and Stanley’s story gives schools an engaging way to introduce these conversations, helping children to understand what can happen and the steps families can take together to be flood-ready. It was a pleasure to share the story with the children at Pocklington Junior School during Flood Action Week.”
The visit by Flood Mary formed part of Flood Action Week and followed the official launch of the accompanying Missy and Stanley’s Tale animation by the Environment Agency, here.
Alongside the story, the book includes resources to help teachers talk with children about what happens before and after a flood, the feelings people may experience and why preparedness matters.
Activities encourage children to consider what might belong in an emergency grab bag and to spot the differences between a home adapted for flooding and one that has not. These provide starting points for classroom discussion and conversations with parents and carers at home.
Miss Libby Musgrave, Year 4 Teacher and PSHE Lead of Pocklington Community Junior School, said: “Stories can help children make sense of subjects that might otherwise feel difficult or unfamiliar. Missy and Stanley give us a way to talk about flooding, explore how people might feel and also focus on the practical things families can do to prepare. We were delighted to welcome Flood Mary and to help introduce a resource that primary schools across the country can use too.”
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The idea for Missy and Stanley’s Tale book originated via a collaboration between Blue Heart, a flood resilience project managed by East Sussex County Council, and Project Groundwater, a project managed by Lincolnshire County Council, with the book authored by Jenny Bailey from Tales From Mother Earth.
The new book and animation build on the original ‘Missy’s Tale’, a short film focusing on property flood resilience, which was a legacy of the South West PFR Pathfinder by Cornwall Council, plus ‘Darcy’s Tale’, which focuses on groundwater flooding and originated via Project Groundwater.
Tegan Illingworth, Project Manager, Blue Heart, East Sussex County Council said: “We wanted to create a story that could help children learn and talk about flooding. By following Missy and Stanley's journey, they can understand the impact of flooding from a safe distance, and feel confident about what they and their family can do. Seeing an idea that began through collaboration between Blue Heart and Project Groundwater become a nationally available resource is a fantastic legacy, and we're delighted to see it helping start important conversations during Flood Action Week.”
Shelley Evans, Technical Director of JBA Consulting and founding director of International Property Flood Resilience Association (IPFRA) has also supported Blue Heart’s work and provided technical review of the book and accompanying resources, helping to ensure all messages are accurate and accessible.
Shelley said: “We have been delighted to support the project and help ensure the book gives children clear, practical messages about preparedness and how homes can be adapted to improve their flood resilience.”
Schools can access Missy & Stanley’s Tale and find out more about the book, animation and related resources via www.befloodwarned.uk.
You can also follow Missy and Stanley’s updates via Instagram: @missyandstanleystale.
Main image: Mary Long Dhonau (in red) with children from the school, alongside (l-r) Vikki McCausland (Environment Agency), Miss Musgrave from Pocklington School, Tegan Illingworth (Blue Heart project) and Shelley Evans (JBA Consulting and IPFRA)