Chwilio

*Scroll down for English* Mae 'na ferched o bob math - a gallen nhw wneud unrhywbeth! There are all kind of girls- and they can do anything! ♥Llyfr y Mis i blant Awst 2018♥ ♥Book of the Month for Children Aug 2018♥ Ydych chi erioed wedi clywed eich merch ifanc yn dweud ‘fedra i ddim gwneud hynny siŵr’ neu ‘thing bechgyn ydi hwnna?’ Wel, dyna ddiwedd ar siarad fel ‘na! Gobeithio bydd y llyfr yma’n troi’r hen syniad yna ar ei ben, a phwysleisio neges glir - gall merched wneud UNRHYW BETH! #girlpower Beth sydd yn y llyfr? Dyma lyfr lliwgar a llachar sy’n dangos genod o bob lliw a llun yn gwneud pob math o weithgareddau difyr a chyffrous. Mae’r hen syniadau traddodiadol o be ‘ddylia’ merched fod yn gwneud, a sut dylen nhw ymddwyn wedi mynd allan drwy’r ffenestr, diolch byth! Yn y llyfr yma, mae’r gennod yn dilyn pob math o ddiddordebau amrywiol ac yn ymfalchïo yn hynny. Mae rhai yn hoffi crefftau, eraill yn hoffi gwyddoniaeth. Mae rhai yn hoffi chwaraeon tra bod well gan eraill ddarllen a ‘sgwennu. Y peth yw, mae gan bawb ddiddordebau, sgiliau a thalentau gwahanol ac mae hynny’n hollol fine! Be oedd yn dda am y llyfr? Ar lawes fewnol y clawr, fe gychwynna’r llyfr gyda nifer o swyddi gwahanol i ferched, sy’n dangos y cyfleoedd posib. Syniad da oedd cynnwys rhestr o swyddi gwych, sy’n agor llygaid ein plant i’r hyn sydd o’u blaen, ac i ystyried swyddi mwy uchelgeisiol a chyffrous. Gall ferched fod yn beirianwyr, yn filfeddygon, yn anturwyr neu beth bynnag maen nhw eisiau - does ‘na ddim limits yw’r neges. Mae’r ysgrifen wedi ei leoli o amgylch y lluniau mewn patrymau difyr ac mae’r brawddegau yn odli hefyd. Roeddwn i’n falch iawn o weld cyfeiriad at rhai o ferched arloesol y gorffennol – byddai modd gwneud lot o waith ymchwil yma. Biti nad oedd lle i gynnwys Amelia Earhart, ond ta waeth, mae ‘na ddigonedd o ferched ysbrydoledig eraill wedi eu cynnwys. Un o fy hoff ddarnau oedd y dudalen gyda’r bws melyn. Da oedd gweld fod yr awdur yn gwrthdroi’r syniad fod merched yn gorfod bod yn dainty ac yn daclus a dim ond y bechgyn sy’n gallu bod yn ddrewllyd neu’n flêr! Mae’r dudalen olaf hefyd yn annog y darllenwyr i ddilyn eu breuddwydion. Dyfarniad Peidiwch da chi a gwneud y camgymeriad o feddwl fod y llyfr yma ar gyfer merched yn unig. Bydd y llyfr yn siŵr o fod yn sbardun ar gyfer trafodaethau ystyrlon gyda bechgyn a merched am gyfleoedd cyfartal. Os ydym ni am gael cymdeithas lle mae bechgyn a merched yn parchu ei gilydd, mae angen dechrau’r sgyrsiau hyn mor fuan â phosib - a does unlle gwell nac amser stori ar y mat! Byddai’r llyfr yn gwneud anrheg Nadolig gwych i unrhyw ferch, ac a gobeithio y bydd yn ysbrydoli merched mentrus y dyfodol i anelu am y sêr! Dyma lyfr hollol empowering! (sori, do’n i ddim yn gallu meddwl am y gair cyfatebol perffaith Gymraeg i gyfleu hynna!) Have you ever heard your little girl say things like ‘oh, I can’t do that’ or 'no, that's a boy thing?' Well, it’s time to put an end to talk like that and turn that ‘can’t’ into a CAN-DO attitude! I think this book successfully gets across it’s core message - girls, you can do absolutely ANYTHING! #girlpower What’s the book about? This bright and colourful picture book shows lots of girls of all shapes, colours and sizes doing all kinds of exciting activities. The old traditional ideas of what girls should be doing and how they should behave has gone out the window, and it’s about time! All the girls have diverse hobbies and interests and they take pride in that. We shouldn’t all be the same – that would be super boring! Some like crafts, others like science. Some go for the sports while others prefer to read and write. The thing is, everyone has different interests, skills and talents and that's absolutely fine! What did you like about it? On the inner sleeve, the book starts with a gallery of girls doing different jobs, showing the potential career opportunities. It was a good idea to include a list of cool jobs, which opens their eyes to the types of things they’ll be able to do in the future. It’s about inspiring them to think big and dream of ambitious, exciting things to come. Women can be engineers, vets, adventurers or whatever they want to be – no limits is the general message. The writing is placed around the pictures in funky patterns and the sentences also rhyme. Lots of history’s great women are also featured – this could open the door for lots of classroom research work. It’s a shame that there was no room to include Amelia Earhart, but never mind, there’s plenty to be getting on with. Another book, 'Genod gwych a Merched Medrus' by Medi Jones-Jackson has also been published, and that has even more inspirational women but also has a Welsh slant to it. Check out our review of that one too. https://en.sonamlyfra.cymru/post/genod-gwych-a-merched-medrus-medi-jones-jackson One of my favourite bits was the page with the yellow bus. It was good to see that the author has flipped the idea that girls have to be dainty whilst the boys get to be smelly and messy on it’s head! The final page is inspirational as it encourages readers to follow their dreams and think about what they can do. Verdict Don't make the mistake of thinking that this book is just for girls. The book will no doubt act as a springboard for meaningful discussions with boys and girls alike about equal opportunities. If we want a future society where boys and girls truly respect each other, and are treated as absolute equals, then these conversations need to be started as soon as possible – there’s no better time/place than on the mat! The book would make a great Christmas present for young girls, say aged between 5-8, and I hope that it will inspire them to aim for the stars! What an empowering book. Gwasg/publisher: Rily Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2018 Pris: £5.99

*Scroll down for English* ★Enillydd gwobr Tir na n-Og 2012★ ★Tir na n-Og Award winner 2012.★ Dyma bedwaredd nofel Manon Steffan Ros yng nghyfres yr Onnen. Enillodd Trwy'r Tonnau (dilyniant i Trwy'r Darlun) wobr Tir na n-Og 2010. Mae Prism yn dilyn hynt a helynt Twm a Math sy'n dianc o'u cartref ac yn mynd i deithio o amgylch Cymru, gan aros ym Mhwllheli, Aberdaron, Porthmadog, Aberystwyth, Llangrannog a Thyddewi. Twm and Math are due to visit their father in his Cardiff flat during the summer holidays. Math is disabled and the father is unable to come to terms with that. The father sends his ex-wife an e-mail to eplain that he can't have the children, after all. Twm accidentally finds the message and deletes it before his mother reads it. Crynodeb o’r Cynnwys Dilynwn antur Twm a Math ar draws Gymru. Mae hanes y ddau frawd yn drist I’w darllen ac o ganlyniad maent eisiau rhoi saib I’w mam iddi gael fynd ar wyliau gyda’i ffrindiau. Mae’r celwyddau yn troi mewn i boen ac yna mewn i reswm i alw’r heddlu. Mae Math yn wahanol i fechgyn eraill ei oedran, yn nadu ac yn llefen ac yn sgrechen nerth ei ben sydd yn cyflwyno her ychwanegol I’w frawd ar ei helynt. Y Darn Gorau Fy hoff ran yw pan gwrddodd y bechgyn ffrind ffyddlon yn un o’i cartrefi Newydd yng nghefn gwlad Cymru. Roedd gweld agwedd y bechgyn tuag at y crwt yma yn arbennig oherwydd roedd e’n rhoi amrywiaeth dwfn i’r nofel yma. Mae Llew yn chwarae rhan pwysig yn y nofel ac yn allweddol I ran mwyaf anturus y bechgyn ar eu taith trwy Gymru. Cymeriadau Twm yw’r brawd hynaf sydd yn gofalu ar ô lei frawd ac yn cadw llygaid barcud arno. Math yw’r brawd sydd yn denu llawer o sylw atynt ond sydd yn darganfod rhywbeth ar ddiwedd y nofel sydd fel blanced cysur iddo. I bwy fyddet ti’n argymell y llyfr? Pam? Os ydych chi yn hoff o antur a drygioni (felly, pob un!) mae’r stori yma i chi. Ac os yw Cymru o ddiddor i chi, darllenwch Prism. Summary We follow the adventures of Twm and Math across Wales. The histories of both brothers is sad to read about and as a result they want to give their mother a break so she can go on holiday with her friends. The lies turn into pain and then into a reason to call the police. Math is different from the other boys his age, crying and screaming his head off which presents his brother with an additional challenge on their journey. Best Bit My favourite part is when the boys met a loyal friend in one of their new homes in rural Wales. Seeing the boys' attitude towards this lad was special because it gave depth to this novel. Llew plays an important role in the novel and is key to the most adventurous part of the boys’ journey through Wales. Characters Twm is the eldest brother who cares for his little brother and keeps a watchful eye on him. Math is the one who attracts a lot of attention to them but discovers something at the end of the novel that is like a comfort blanket to him. Who would you recommend the book to? Why? If you like adventure and mischief (and more) this is the story for you. If you find Wales interesting, then read Prism. NOFEL NEWYDD I FACHU DYCHYMYG BECHGYN oddi ar Gwales.com Mae nofel newydd Manon Steffan Ros, Prism, yn un a ysgrifennwyd mewn ymdrech arbennig i ddenu mwy o fechgyn ifanc i ddarllen nofelau Cymraeg. “’Dwi’n meddwl ei bod hi'n bwysig i lenyddiaeth Cymraeg gael ei ’sgwennu i hogia' yn eu harddegau,” eglura’r awdures boblogaidd, “oherwydd does ’na ddim llawer o nofelau ar eu cyfer.” Mae’r nofel yn ymgymryd â phwnc heriol, sef y berthynas unigryw a fodolai rhwng bachgen o Gaernarfon, Twm, a’i frawd ieuengaf, Math, sy’n dioddef o anabledd emosiynol difrifol. Yn dilyn anallu tad y brodyr i ddelio ag anabledd Math, mae Twm yn penderfynu rhoi hoe i’w fam sengl, sydd am fynd i Lerpwl yn ystod gwyliau’r haf, drwy ei thwyllo a dianc â’i frawd i wersylla i gorneli Cymru. Nid oes gan Manon brofiad personol uniongyrchol o blant sy’n dioddef o anabledd emosiynol. Fe wyddai cyn ymchwilio ar gyfer y nofel, serch hynny, pa mor wahanol gall dau frawd fod, a’r elfen amddiffynnol sydd gan bob brawd a chwaer tuag at yr ieuaf yn y nyth. Credai Manon y bydd y nofel yn apelio at oedolion yn ogystal â phlant a phobl ifanc, o ganlyniad i’r amryw haenau sy’n bodoli ym mywyd teuluol y prif gymeriadau yn sgil cyflwr emosiynol y mab ieuengaf. Fe’i hysbrydolwyd i ysgrifennu’r nofel wrth weld y datblygiad ym mherthynas ei meibion ifanc ei hunan, ac o gofio’r berthynas glos a fodolai rhyngddi hi a’i chwaer, y gantores Lleuwen Steffan, ers yn ifanc. Meddai Manon: “Yn amlwg, mae'r ffaith mai dau o feibion sydd gen i yn ddylanwad ar y nofel… a phan o'n i'n tyfu, roedd fy chwaer a minnau yn agos iawn – ’da ni’n dal i fod, a dweud y gwir - ac mae o'n ddifyr i mi sut ma' gwaed yn clymu pobol wrth ei gilydd. Mae fy chwaer a ’mrawd a minnau yn wahanol iawn i’n gilydd, ac eto ’da ni'n agos iawn.” Yn deillio o hoffter yr awdures o deithio, ysgogwyd hi i ysgrifennu am ambell un o’i hoff leoliadau yng Nghymru wrth anfon y brodyr ar daith o dros 200 milltir i lawr arfordir gorllewinol Cymru. O Gaernarfon i Bwllheli, Aberdaron i Borthmadog, traeth Tonfannau i Aberystwyth, ac yna i Langrannog cyn cyrraedd Tyddewi. Ymhelaetha’r awdures: “Ro’n i’n awyddus i ’sgwennu rhywbeth Cymreig yn ogystal â Chymraeg - rhywbeth sy'n gysylltiedig efo’r wlad ei hun. Dyna pam ’dwi'n eu hanfon nhw i rai o’r llefydd ’dwi'n eu caru yn y wlad... Ni fydd llawer o'r bobl ifanc sy'n darllen y llyfr wedi bod yn y llefydd yma, a gall hynny eu hysgogi i ymweld â’r lleoliadau.” Dyma bedwaredd nofel yr awdures boblogaidd ar gyfer yr arddegau – a’r nofel gorau hyd yma, yn ei thyb hi. Mae’r awdures ifanc o Bennal, ger Machynlleth, eisoes wedi ennill Gwobr Tir na n’Og 2010 am ‘Trwy’r Tonnau’, nofel arall i blant a phobl ifanc, yn ogystal â Gwobr Barn y Bobl 2010 am ei nofel gyntaf i oedolion, ‘Fel Aderyn’. Gwasg/publisher: Y Lolfa Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Cyfres/series: Yr Onnen Pris: £5.95

Scroll down for English Y llyfr lluniau prydfertha i mi weld erioed! The most beautiful picture book I've ever seen! ‘In this beautiful book children describe their own fantastical dragons, from the tiny, rainbow winged variety that whispers in ears to the dragon as big as a village with a tail as long as a river.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A breathtaking picture book that will fire the imagination of all who read it… Be inspired by this magical book to tell your own dragon stories.’ TBK Mag Reit, cardia’ ar y bwrdd – hwn ydi’r llyfr plant prydfertha dwi ERIOED wedi ei weld!! YFMI (Yn fy marn i) mae o’n curo unrhyw beth arall dwi wedi dod ar ei draws! Mae o fwy fel darn o gelf na dim arall a dweud y gwir! Mae ei faint (anferthol o 365x270 mm) a’r cloriau caled yn bleser i’w ddal a’i drin. Ok, mae o’n edrych yn anhygoel, ond ydi’r stori yn dal dŵr? Wel, mi fasa fo, petai ‘na stori yna yn y lle cyntaf. Rhywsut, gyda’r llyfr yma, fe allwch ei ddarllen o glawr i glawr, ond does dim byd yn ‘digwydd’. Er nad oes plot a naratif, fel y cyfryw, fe gawn ddatganiadau disgrifiadol ar ffurf brawddegau sy’n llifo fel cerdd. Mae geiriau Jackie Morris, wedi eu cyfieithu gan Mererid Hopwood, fel petai nhw’n canu o un dudalen i’r llall. Gellir trafod rhai o’r ansoddeiriau difyr fel “igam-igamog” neu’r geiriau cyfansawdd fel “gwyrddloyw” a “melyngoch.” Teimla rhai, fod y diffyg ‘stori’ yn gadael y llyfr i lawr mymryn, ond dwi ddim yn meddwl y bydd plant yn poeni am hynny – mi fyddan nhw ar goll yn y lluniau... Mae’r brawddegau yn disgrifio amryw o ddreigiau rhyfeddol. Fe gawn ein cyflwyno i ddreigiau o bob lliw a llun, rhai’n fawr a rhai’n fach. Fy hoff ddraig ohonynt i gyd oedd draig y dŵr – am ei fod o’n anghyffredin efallai. Mae plant (ac oedolion) yn rhyfeddu ar ddreigiau, a finnau hefyd! Mae ‘na rywbeth hudolus am ddreigiau, sy’n symbolau o bŵer a nerth - creaduriaid bonheddig a mawreddog. Rydym yn dod ar eu traws ymhobman, mewn straeon, chwedlau, ffilmiau ac mae gan Gymru ddraig fabwysiedig ei hun! Mae’r ddraig goch bellach yn rhan o’n hunaniaeth fel cenedl. Dwi’m yn meddwl mod i erioed wedi dod ar draws person sydd ddim yn hoffi dreigiau! Ar ôl ein tywys o amgylch y byd a thu hwnt yn gweld dreigiau a lleoedd rhyfeddol, fe gawn neges gan yr awdur fod 'na ddraig gan bob un ohonom ni, tybed sut ddraig fyddwch chi? Fel unigolion, mae pob draig yn wahanol iawn, ac mae gan bawb ddiddordebau a thalentau amrywiol, ac mae hynny’n rhywbeth i’w ddathlu. Dwi wedi clywed am athrawon sydd wedi defnyddio’r llyfr yma gyda’ phlant ifanc iawn ac maen nhw wedi gwirioni’n lan gyda’r llyfr. Digon hawdd yw defnyddio’r llyfr gyda phlant hŷn hefyd achos mae 'na jest rywbeth am ddreigiau sy’n tanio’r dychymyg, dim ots beth yw eich oedran. Credwch fi, mae ‘na bosibiliadau lu yn deillio o’r llyfr yma, gan gynnwys efelychu gwaith celf, ysgrifennu barddoniaeth neu ‘sgwennu straeon am ddreigiau. Fe allwch ddefnyddio’r llyfr fel sbardun i fynd i ymchwilio diwylliannau’r byd sy’n ystyried dreigiau’n uchel iawn eu parch, fel Tsieina. Gwahodda’r frawddeg olaf y darllenydd i feddwl am ddraig eu hunain: “A nawr ga i hanes dy ddraig di?” Mae maint y llyfr yn berffaith ar gyfer cyd-ddarllen ac mae’r lluniau dyfrlliw yn hynod o weladwy a thrawiadol – mae defnydd yr awdur o liwiau yn fendigedig. Gallwch dreulio oriau yn astudio’r lluniau’n fanwl ac yn sylwi ar yr holl fanylion bach. Pwy sydd angen geiriau pan mae lluniau yn siarad cyfrolau? Am bris o £20, fydd y llyfr ddim yn siwtio pawb, ond cofiwch, mae copi ohono ar gael ym mhob llyfrgell i’r rhai sy’n awyddus i gael sbec. Yn bersonol, mi faswn i’n talu i gael copi fy hun er mwyn cael edrych arno dro ar ôl tro – mae’r lluniau jest mor fendigedig. Right, cards on the table – this is the most beautiful children's book I've EVER seen!! IMO it beats anything else I've come across so far. It’s more like a piece of art than a book if I’m being honest! Its massive size (365x270 mm), good quality paper and hardback covers make it a pleasure to have and to hold. OK, it looks amazing, but does the story work? Well, it would – if there was one! Somehow, with this book you can read it from cover to cover, and at the end, nothing has actually ‘happened’ as such. Although there’s no plot and narrative, in the traditional sense, what we do get is highly elaborate, elegant descriptive statement sentences that flow like poetry. Jackie Morris’s words have been translated by Mererid Hopwood, and the words seem to sing from one page to another. Some feel that the lack of a 'story' is what lets the book down slightly, but I don't think children will worry about that – they will be lost in the pictures… The sentences describe various remarkable dragons. We come across dragons of all shapes and sizes, some large, some small. My personal favourite was the water dragon – perhaps because it’s more unusual. Children (and adults) have always been fascinated by dragons, myself included! There’s something magical about dragons, which are not only symbols of power and strength, but can be gentle, noble and majestic creatures. We encounter them everywhere, in stories, legends, films and Wales even has a dragon of its own! The red dragon is now part of our identity as a nation. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a person who doesn't like dragons! After taking us around the world and beyond to see Dragons of all sorts, the author shares with us the message that we all have a dragon. Which one would you be? Like individuals, each dragon is different, with diverse interests and talents, and that is something to celebrate. I've heard of teachers who have used this book with very young children and they're been thrilled with the book. It’s also easy to adapt the book for use with older children because there’s just something about dragons that fires the imagination, regardless of age. Believe me, there are many possibilities stemming from this book, including recreating artwork, writing poetry or tales about dragons. You could use the book as a springboard for the exploration of world cultures who hold the dragon in high regard, like China. The final sentence invites the reader to think of their own dragon… The size of the book is perfect for reading to a class and the watercolour pictures are extremely visible and impressive – the author's use of colours is wonderful. You could spend hours studying the pictures in detail and noticing all the little details. Who needs words when pictures speak a thousand of them? At £20, the book will not be to everyone’s taste, but remember, a copy will be available in most libraries for those who want a peek. Personally, I would pay for my own copy so that I could look at it again and again. Gwasg/publisher: Graffeg Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £20

*Scroll down for English* Llyfr sy'n cyflwyno ymwybyddiaeth ofalgar i blant bach. A books that introduces mindfulness to young children. Genre: #lles #iechyd / #wellbeing #health Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◉◉◎ Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◉◉◉◉ Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◎◎◎◎◎ Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◎◎◎◎◎ Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎ Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎ Hiwmor/humour: ◎◎◎◎◎ Her darllen/reading difficulty:: ◉◎◎◎◎ Arlunwaith/artwork: Sïan Angharad Addas i oed: 4-7 Suitable for ages: 4-7 S4C CYW CYMRAEG: https://www.s4c.cymru/cy/ysgol-cyw/ ENGLISH: https://www.s4c.cymru/en/learn-and-play/ Ydych chi wedi clywed y geiriau ‘ymwybyddiaeth ofalgar’ [YO] neu ‘mindfulness’ o’r blaen? Efallai eich bod chi’n gyfarwydd â nhw, ond mae nifer o bobl yn clywed y geiriau yn aml, ond ddim wir yn deall eu hystyr. Na, dydi o ddim jest ar gyfer oedolion a dydi o ddim yn golygu plygu’ch corff yn bob siâp dan haul a mynd ‘ooooommm...’ Hwn yw fy nehongliad i o beth yw ‘ymwybyddiaeth ofalgar’ (dwi’m yn gado ei fod yn hollol gywir, chwaith!) I mi, mae YO yn golygu cymryd ‘chydig o amser allan o brysurdeb bywyd diddiwedd, a chymryd munud neu ddau i dalu sylw i’r foment bresennol er mwyn ymlacio. Hynny yw, bod yn ymwybodol o’n cyrff, ein meddyliau a’r byd o’n cwmpas. Hwnna yw’r diffiniad mwyaf syml ohono ond mae’n llawer mwy ‘na hynny mewn gwirionedd. Mae ymchwil yn dangos fod ymarfer YO yn fuddiol iawn, ac yn help mawr i’n lles meddyliol. Yn ôl sôn, rydych yn gallu ail-wifro eich ymennydd i fod yn fwy positif drwy ei wneud yn rheolaidd ac mi all lleihau stress a helpu gydag iselder ac ADHD. Mae’n sicr yn rhywbeth braf i’w wneud a dwi’n argymell unrhyw un i fynd i ddarganfod mwy amdano (Mi wna i atodi ambell i wefan ar ddiwedd yr adolygiad). Mae’r llyfr Shwshaswyn newydd yn cyflwyno’r syniad yma i blant ifanc iawn, a’u galluogi nhw i gymryd rhan a manteisio ar YO. Rydym yn ffodus fod y Ganolfan Ymwybyddiaeth Ofalgar ym Mhrifysgol Bangor – reit ar ein stepen ddrws, ac mae’r awdur, Nia Jewell, wedi trafod cynnwys ac ymarferion y llyfr gyda’r arbenigwyr yno. Mae amseriad y llyfr, yn sgil covid-19 yn berffaith! Chwalwyd trefn arferol pawb yn ystod y pandemig a'r cyfnod clo, ac mae’n parhau i fod yn adeg bryderus, yn enwedig i blant. Pa adeg well felly, i wneud ‘chydig o ymarferion YO? Drwy gydweithio â Cwmni Da, roedd yn bosib defnyddio ‘brand’ Shwshaswyn sy’n debygol o fod yn gyfarwydd i nifer o blant ifanc. Er, cofiwch, mae’n bosib mwynhau’r llyfr heb fod wedi gwylio’r rhaglen o’r blaen. (os dio’n newydd i chi, ewch i Cyw i weld mwy). “Holl bwrpas creu byd Shwshaswyn yw i’n hysbrydoli’n dawel i blethu’r cyfnodau byr o feddylgarwch i mewn i’n bywydau prysur,” meddai Nia. Mae gweithgareddau i gyd-fynd â’r llyfr ar wefan Cyw S4C, a bydd hyn yn gyfle ychwanegol i fireinio sgiliau canolbwyntio, hunanreolaeth ac ymdrin ag emosiynau. Garddio sydd dan sylw yn y llyfr, ac mae’r Capten, Seren a Fflwff wrthi’n plannu hadau. Wrth wneud hyn, fe sylwant ar y byd o’u cwmpas. Dyma gyfle gwych i ymarfer anadlu, arafu a thawelu gyda'u hoff gymeriadau. Mae garddio ei hun yn weithgaredd llesol, hamddenol sy’n wych ar gyfer ymlacio - cyfle i roi’r ffôn neu’r tabled i lawr a chysylltu â natur. O ran y llyfr ei hun, yn debyg i’r rhaglen deledu, mae’r gwaith celf yn lliwgar ac yn gwneud defnydd o wahanol batrymau a gweadau sy’n ddymunol. Dwi’n meddwl mai’r gweithgareddau rhyngweithiol yw un o gryfderau’r llyfr, ond efallai byddai’r llyfr wedi elwa o gael mwy o ymarferion fel hyn? Mae ‘na ddigonedd o ymarferion byrion ar ffurf clipiau fideo ar wefan Cyw i gyd-fynd a’r llyfr. Mewn byd sy’n llawn cyffro a phrysurdeb, rhaid i ni wneud amser i ymdawelu a thalu sylw i’r pethau bychain sy’n gallu mynd yn angof. Dyma gyflwyniad da i YO i blant ifanc. Have you heard of ‘mindfulness' before? You may be familiar with it, but many people often hear about it, but don't really have a full understanding of it’s meaning. No, it's not a just for adults and it doesn't mean bending your body in every shape under a sun and going 'ooooommm...' This is my interpretation of what ‘mindfulness’ is (Can’t promise it’ll be absolutely right mind you!) For me, mindfulness means taking a bit of time out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to pay attention to the present moment in order to relax. That is, to be become really aware of our bodies, our minds and the world around us. That is probably and overly-simplistic definition of it as it’s much more than that really. Research shows that mindfulness exercise is very beneficial, and a great boost to our mental wellbeing. Apparently, you can re-wire your brain to have more positive thoughts by doing it regularly and it can reduce stress, help with depression and ADHD. It's certainly a pleasant activity to do and I recommend you do some further research to find out more about it (I'll attach a few links at the end) The new Shwshaswyn book introduces this idea to very young children, and enables them to participate and take advantage the benefits of mindfulness. We are fortunate that the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice is located here at Bangor University right on our doorstep, and the author, Nia Jewell, has discussed the content and exercises of the book with the experts there. The timing of the book, in the wake of covid-19 is perfect! Everyone's routines went to pot during the lockdown, and it remains a worrying time, particularly for children. What better time then, to introduce mindfulness exercises? By working with Cwmni Da, it was possible to use the Shwshaswyn 'brand' to produce a book with characters likely to be familiar to a number of young children. Although, it is possible to enjoy the book without having watched the programme before. (if you are new to Shwshaswyn, go to Cyw S4C to see more). "The whole purpose of creating a Shwshaswyn world is to inspire us to weave the short periods of thoughtfulness into our busy lives," says Nia. There are activities to accompany the book on S4C's Cyw website, and this will be an additional opportunity to refine concentration and self-control skills whilst learning how to deal with emotions. Gardening is the main focus of the book, and the Captain, Seren and Flwff are in the process of planting seeds. In doing this, they notice the world around them. This is a great opportunity for readers to practice breathing and calming down with their favourite characters. Gardening itself is a beneficial, relaxing activity that is great for tranquility of mind and thought - an opportunity to put down the phone or tablet and connect with nature. As for the book itself, similarly to the television programme, the artwork is colourful and makes use of various patterns and textures that are pleasing to the eye. I think the interactive activities are one of the strengths of the book, but perhaps the book would have benefited from more exercises like this? There are however plenty of short exercises in the form of video clips on the Cyw website to accompany the book. In our mad and hectic world, we must make time to ‘chill out’ and pay attention to the little things that can often be overlooked. This is a good introduction to mindfulness. Gwasg/publisher: Y Lolfa Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2020 Pris: £4.99

*Scroll down for English* Stori am gyfeillgarwch, gobaith a phwysigrwydd caredigrwydd. A story of friendship, hope and the importance of kindness. Genre: #ffuglen #ffoaduriaid #antur #amrywiaeth / #fiction #refugees #aventure #diversity Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◉◉◎ Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◉◉◉◎ Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◉◉◉◎◎ Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◉◉◎◎◎ Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎ Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎ Hiwmor/humour: ◉◉◉◎◎ Her darllen/reading difficulty:: ◉◉◉◎◎ Lluniau/illustrations: Pippa Curnick Addasiad/adaptation: Bethan Mair Oed diddordeb/interest age: 7-11 Oed darllen/reading age: 10+ I’r rhai sy’n ymwneud â byd llenyddiaeth plant a phobl ifanc Cymraeg, mae’r ddadl rhwng llyfrau gwreiddiol ac addasiadau’n un cyfarwydd. Mae dylanwad y diwydiant llyfrau Prydeinig yn gryf yng Nghymru, ac mae’n anochel y bydd plant eisiau darllen rhai o’u hoff lyfrau gan awduron byd enwog -eich David Walliams’ a’r J.K.Rowlings. Rhaid felly, sicrhau darpariaeth i fodloni’r gofyn hyn, fel y gellir o leiaf mwynhau’r rhain yn y Gymraeg. Fodd bynnag, mae nifer yn teimlo na ddylai’r nifer o addasiadau sy’n cael eu cyhoeddi mewn blwyddyn fod yn uwch na’r nifer o lyfrau gwreiddiol. Dyma ddadl sy’n mynd i barhau, tybiwn i. Nid wyf am fentro cynnig ateb chwaith, ond be dwi yn deimlo, yw bod rhaid cael cydbwysedd - mae isio dipyn bach o bopeth da yn y diet llenyddol... Dwi’n reit falch, felly, fod teitlau llwyddiannus yn cael eu cyfieithu er mwyn i blant Cymru gael eu mwynhau yn y Gymraeg. Yn amlwg mae ’na rywun yn Rily yn gwneud penderfyniadau da iawn ynglŷn â pha deitlau i’w haddasu. Bethan Mair sydd wedi bod wrthi’n cyfieithu The Boy at The Back of The Class gan Onjali Q. Raúf a dwi’n meddwl ei bod hi wedi gwneud joban dda iawn, chwarae teg (mae addasu’n llwyddiannus yn grefft, ac yn llawer anoddach nac y mae’n ymddangos!). Dyma stori annwyl a theimladwy iawn, sy’n defnyddio peth hiwmor i drafod pwnc sy’n reit ddwys, i fod yn onest. Wrth drafod pwnc sydd efallai yn ddwys neu’n sensitif, dwi’n meddwl fod gwneud defnydd o hiwmor yn beth call, neu mi fasa ’na beryg i’r nofel droi’n rhy serious. Nid yw hyn yn wir yn yr achos yma a dwi’n meddwl fod cydbwysedd da. Gyda Y Crwt yn y Cefn, cawn weld ‘argyfwng y ffoaduriaid’ drwy lygaid plentyn ifanc, o bosib tua 9 oed, felly disgybl ym mlwyddyn 5. Persbectif yr adroddwr y cawn ni drwy’r llyfr i gyd, a gwelwn y byd a’i anghyfiawnderau a’i ddryswch drwy ei lygaid ef/hi. Rhaid i mi gyfaddef, doeddwn i ddim yn siŵr tan y diwedd un os mai bachgen neu ferch oedd yn adrodd y stori (wnâi ddim dweud!). Dechreua’r stori wrth i fachgen newydd ddod i’r ysgol, sydd wastad yn ennyn dipyn o gyffro. Mae cryn dipyn o ddirgelwch o gylch y bachgen a does neb yn gwybod fawr ddim amdano. Mae’r adroddwr yn chwilfrydig iawn ac yn awyddus i ddod i’w nabod yn well. Wrth i’r nofel fynd yn ei blaen, down i wybod mai ffoadur yw Ahmet, sy’n byw gyda mam faeth gan ei fod wedi cael ei wahanu oddi wrth gweddill ei deulu wrth iddynt geisio dianc rhag y bomiau a’r trais yn Syria. Drwy’r nofel, mae cyfeillgarwch yn blaguro ac yn datblygu rhwng Ahmet, yr adroddwr a’r criw o ffrindiau, Josie, Michael a Tom. Yn anffodus, daw’r bachgen newydd a’i ffrindiau at sylw Brendan y bwli, ac mae tipyn go lew o helynt i ddilyn. Mae’n bechod nad yw pob athro yn llawer o help, ond diolch byth am Mrs Khan a Miss Hemsi. Er bod y criw ifanc yn gwneud popeth y gallent i groesawu Ahmet, mae o’n dal i ddigalonni wrth hiraethu am ei rieni. Dyma yw prif blot y nofel, wrth i’r adroddwr ddyfeisio cynllun uchelgeisiol i ffeindio rhieni Ahmet. Mae’r cynllun yn un daring a pheryglus, ac fe aiff â’r cymeriadau ar dipyn o antur... yr holl ffordd i Balas Buckingham! Dyma nofel amserol iawn, sy’n cyflwyno’r pwnc (sydd ar y newyddion yn aml) mewn ffordd sy’n ddealladwy i blant oed cynradd. Antur, cyfeillgarwch, caredigrwydd a thosturi yw rhai o’r themâu sydd fwyaf amlwg drwy gydol y nofel. Mae’r ffordd y mae’r plant yn gofalu am ei gilydd yn y nofel yn galonogol ac yn gosod esiampl o sut dylem drin ein gilydd. Mae plant yn aml iawn yn dangos llai o duedd a rhagfarn na ni’r oedolion! Efallai fod yr awdur yn gwneud i’r prif gymeriad ymddangos yn fwy ifanc na phlentyn 9 oed ar brydiau. Dwi’m yn siŵr os oedd o’n gredadwy nad oedd yr adroddwr wedi clywed am yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Mae’n bosib fod yr awdur wedi colli ambell gyfle i ddatblygu’r cymeriadau’n ddyfnach ac ar adegau. Fy marn i’n unig yw hyn a phethau bach iawn ydyn nhw mewn gwirionedd sy’n tynnu dim oddi ar nofel ardderchog. Mae’r mater o ffoaduriaid yn un gwleidyddol a dyngarol cymhleth iawn; nid oes iddo ateb syml yn anffodus. Dangosa’r llyfr fod modd i blant leisio’u barn drwy weithredu ac ymgyrchu, er mwyn sicrhau bod oedolion mewn grym yn cymryd sylw ohonynt. Un o’r negeseuon take-home o’r llyfr yw bod gan blant y pŵer i weithredu ac i ysgogi newid wrth frwydro dros gyfiawnder. Athrawon – ystyriwch hon o ddifri fel nofel ddosbarth gan fod y testun yn cynnig cyfleoedd dysgu gwerthfawr a llawer o sgôp am sgyrsiau difyr a phwysig gyda phlant. Fel nofel ar gyfer darllen annibynnol, dwi’n rhagweld y byddai angen sgiliau darllen Cymraeg eithaf aeddfed. For those involved in the world of Welsh-language children and young people's literature, the debate between original books and adaptations is a familiar one. The influence of the UK book industry is strong in Wales, and it is inevitable that children will want to read some of their favourite books by world-renowned authors. Provision must therefore be made to meet these requirements, and at least many can now be enjoyed in Welsh. However, many feel that the number of adaptations published in a year should not exceed the number of original Welsh books. This is a debate that will no doubt continue, and even though I’m not going to even try and suggest an answer, what I will say is this - I think more than anything, that there has to be a balance and you need a bit of everything in a healthy literary diet. I’m quite pleased, therefore, that successful titles are being translated so that the children of Wales can enjoy them in Welsh. Obviously, someone in Rily makes good decisions about which titles to adapt. Bethan Mair was tasked with adapting The Boy at The Back of The Class by Onjali Q. Raúf and I think she’s done a very good job, fair play (successfully adapting a novel is an art, and is harder than it seems!). This is a heart-warming and at time, emotional story, which uses some humour to discuss a subject that can be difficult to talk about at times. When discussing a sensitive subject, I think that making use of humour is a good thing, to stop a novel from becoming too serious. A good balance has been struck here. With Y Crwt yn y Cefn, we see the 'refugee crisis' presented through the eyes of a young child, around the age of 9. We get the narrator's perspective through the whole book, and we see the world, its injustice and confusion through his/her eyes. I must admit, I wasn't sure until the very end if it was a boy or a girl telling the story. Should it even matter? The story begins as a new boy arrives at school, which always arouses a lot of excitement. There is quite some mystery surrounding the boy and the narrator is very curious and eager to get to know him better. As the novel progresses, we come to learn that Ahmet is a refugee, living with a foster mother as he has been separated from the rest of his family as they escaped the bombings and violence in Syria. Through the novel, friendships develop between Ahmet, the narrator and a small group of friends. Unfortunately, the new boy and his friends soon gain the attention of Brendan the schoolyard bully, and you can bet some trouble will ensue. What a shame that some of the adults who should be helping are no help at all, and the children must take matters into their own hands... While the friends do all they can to welcome Ahmet, he longs for his missing family. The main plot of the novel involves the narrator (and co) devising an ambitious plan to locate Ahmet's parents. The scheme is both daring and dangerous, and takes them on quite an adventure… all the way to Buckingham Palace! This is a timely novel, which presents the plight of refugees in a way that is understandable to primary-age children. Adventure, friendship, kindness and compassion are some of the key themes that are most evident throughout the novel. The way the children look after each other in the novel is wonderful and shows us how we should treat each other. Children are often more tolerant than adults! Perhaps the author portrays the main character a bit younger than a 9-year-old at times. For example, I'm not so sure I buy it that the narrator had never heard of the Second World War. The author may have missed a few opportunities to further develop some characters but this is just my opinion, though, and it still makes for an an excellent novel. The issue of refugees is a very complex political and humanitarian one which unfortunately doesn’t have a simple answer. The book shows that children can make their voices heard through action and activism. One of the take-home messages from the book is that children have the power to drive change for the better. Teachers – consider this as a class novel as the text offers valuable learning opportunities and has a lot of scope for holding important conversations with children. As for independent reading, fairly good Welsh reading skills would be needed. Cyhoeddwr/Publisher: Rily Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2020 Pris: £6.99

*Scroll down for English* Oed Awgrymedig: 11+ /CA3 Suggested Age: 11+ / KS3 Nofel antur wedi'i lleoli ym merw'r chweched ganrif ym Mhrydain yn y flwyddyn 552. Ynys ranedig, llawn tensiwn, sy'n bygwth ffrwydro fel llosgfynydd. Ynys sy'n simsanu ar ôl i'r pla sgubo drwy'r tir. Y cleddyf sy'n rheoli bellach, ac mae'n rhaid i bawb ddilyn y drefn. Yn enwedig plant. Yn enwedig merched. Pawb heblaw merch deuddeg oed o'r enw Ina. An adventure novel set amidst the turmoil of 6th century Britain. Its the year 552 and the island is divided, with tensions threatening to explode like a volcano. The island is unsteady after the plague that has swept the land; the sword rules and everyone has to bow to the law. Especially children. Especially women. Everyone, apart from 12 year old Ina. ADOLYGIAD GAN REVIEW BY BETHAN GWANAS Merch fferm o ardal Dolgellau yw Bethan. Graddiodd mewn Ffrangeg yn Aberystwyth cyn gwneud amryfal swyddi, yn cynnwys gweithio gyda'r VSO yn Nigeria. Mae'n adnabyddus fel awdures boblogaidd, teithwraig, cyflwynydd rhaglenni teledu a mwy. Bethan grew up on a farm near Dolgellau. She graduated in French in Aberystwyth before doing various jobs such as working with the VSO in Nigeria. She's well-known as a popular author, traveller, television presenter and more. Mae Bethan yn blogio am lyfrau plant - Darllenwch fwy yma: Bethan blogs about Welsh children's books - Read more here: https://gwanas.wordpress.com/ NOFEL ANTUR WEDI EI GOSOD MEWN CYFNOD O’N HANES NA WYDDWN I FAWR DDIM AMDANO. Rydan ni’n gwybod cryn dipyn am gyfnod y Rhufeiniaid yng Nghymru, a rhywfaint am yr Oesoedd Canol cynnar o tua adeg Clawdd Offa, Rhodri Mawr a Hywel Dda ac ati. Ond mae’r cyfnod yn y canol yn ddiarth iawn – tan rŵan! Mae’r awdur Gareth Evans wedi bod yn hynod ddewr yn dewis gosod nofel ar gyfer pobl ifanc yn y flwyddyn 552. ‘Mission Impossible’ o ran ymchwil. Ond efallai mai clyfar oedd o – achos pwy sydd i ddeud ei fod o’n anghywir?! Ac ro’n i wedi gwirioni efo’r ffaith bod ein hynafiaid wedi sefydlu gwladfa yng ngogledd Sbaen: Brythonia! Wir yr – ymhell bell, cyn bodolaeth Patagonia. A Haleliwia! - mae yma fapiau – dwi wrth fy modd efo mapiau mewn nofelau fel hyn. Mae o wedi taro deuddeg o ran yr ochr ddychmygol hefyd, gan fod y cymeriadau i gyd yn dal yn fyw yn fy meddwl ddyddiau ar ôl gorffen ‘Y Pibgorn Hud.’ Mae Ina, ein harwres ddeuddeg oed yn apelio o’r cychwyn cyntaf: mae hi’n wahanol (a dydi hi ddim yn berffaith: roedd ’na adegau pan ro’n i isio’i hysgwyd hi!). Hi ydi’r unig un o’i theulu i fyw drwy’r pla. Mae’n ddewr a chlyfar, yn medru hela a thrin pastwn yn dda, yn medru darllen ac ysgrifennu – yn Lladin. Ond doedd bod yn wahanol bryd hynny ddim yn hawdd. Mae pobl yn meddwl bod Ina’n rhyfedd. Ci mawr sy’n hanner blaidd yw ei hunig ffrind, ond nefi, am ffrind da ydi o. Ro’n i wrth fy modd efo Bleiddyn. Taith Ina o’i chartref yng Ngwent trwy diroedd deheuol y Brythoniaid (de-orllewin Lloegr heddiw) a thros y môr i ogledd Sbaen yw’r nofel, ac ydi, mae’n cael sawl tro trwstan, ambell un yn gwbl annisgwyl – does gan yr awdur ddim ofn chwarae efo’n hemosiynau ni (cawsoch eich rhybuddio!). Mae hi’n cyfarfod bobl ddrwg, ond bobl dda hefyd, ac un o fy hoff gymeriadau yw Efa, sydd unai’n gwrthod neu’n methu siarad, a chawn ni ddim gwybod tan y diwedd un pwy’n union yw hi. Mae’r awdur yn giamstar am gadw cyfrinachau a’n cadw ni fel darllenwyr ar bigau’r drain o un bennod i’r llall. Dydi’r iaith ddim yn hawdd bob tro; roedd Gareth am gyfleu’r ffaith bod y Frythoneg yn newid a datblygu yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, felly mae rhai’n defnyddio iaith ffurfiol fel ‘Paham’ a ‘Mi a’th glywaist’ ac mae rhai cymeriadau’n siarad yn wirioneddol od, fel yr hen jaden Morwenna: ‘Agor y drâs!’ a ‘Gwnewch foyd.’ Ond mae’r darllenydd yn dod i arfer o fewn dim, ac mae wir yn ychwanegu at y nofel. Dyma nofel hanesyddol hynod o ddifyr a chyffrous, ddylai apelio at ddarllenwyr o tua 11 oed i fyny – ac at oedolion ifanc eu hysbryd. Ro’n i wrth fy modd efo’r themâu sy’n dal yn hynod o berthnasol heddiw: mewnfudo, ffoaduriaid, caethwasiaeth a diffyg cydraddoldeb cymdeithasol. Campwaith arall, Mr Evans – ac mae angen dilyniant. *Ro’n i’n hoff iawn o’r Nodyn Hanesyddol gan yr awdur ar y diwedd. Ond byddai’r rhestr enwau llefydd wedi bod yn llawer mwy defnyddiol ar ddechrau’r llyfr yn hytrach nag ar t. 276! AN ADVENTURE NOVEL SET IN A PERIOD OF OUR HISTORY THAT I KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT. We know a great deal about the Roman period in Wales, and some about the early Middle Ages from around the time of Offa's Dyke, Rhodri Mawr and Hywel Dda etc. But the period in the middle is very unfamiliar – until now! The author Gareth Evans has been extremely courageous in choosing to set a novel for young people in the year 552. 'Mission Impossible' in terms of research. But maybe it was clever – because who’s to say he’s wrong?! And I was thrilled with the fact that our ancestors had established a settlement in northern Spain: Brythonia! Honestly – long before the existence of Patagonia. And Haleliwia! - there are maps – I love maps in novels like this. He's got it just right on the fictional side as well, as all the characters are still alive in my mind days after finishing ‘Y Pibgorn Hud.' Ina, our twelve-year-old hero appeals from the outset: she is different (and she’s not perfect: there were times when I wanted to shake her!). She is the only one of her family to live through the scourge. She is brave and clever, able to hunt, knows how to handle a club and can read and write – in Latin. But being different then wasn't easy. People think Ina is strange. A large, half-wolf dog is her only friend, but my goodness, he’s a good one. I loved Bleiddyn. The novel is Ina’s tour of her home in Gwent through the southern lands of the Britons (today's south-west of England) and over the sea to northern Spain, and yes, there are a few twists, a couple were completely unexpected – the author is not afraid to play with our emotions (you have been warned!). She meets bad people, but also good people, and one of my favourite characters is Efa, who either refuses to or cannot speak, and we don't know until the end exactly who she is. The author is a good one at keeping secrets and keeping us as readers on the edge of our seats form one chapter to another. The language is not always easy; Gareth wanted to convey the fact that the Brythonic language is changing and developing during this period, so some use formal language such as ‘Paham’ and ‘Mi a’th glywaist’ and some characters speak really strangely, such as Morwenna: 'Agor y drâs!' and ‘Gwnewch foyd.' But the reader gets used to this in no time at all and it really adds to the novel. This is an extremely entertaining and exciting historical novel, which should appeal to readers from about the age of 11 upwards – and to some adults. I was delighted with the themes that are still extremely relevant today: immigration, refugees, slavery and the lack of social equality. Another masterpiece, Mr Evans – and a follow-up is needed. *I was very fond of the Historical Notes by the author at the end. But the list of place names would have been much more useful at the beginning of the book rather than at p. 276! Cyhoeddwr/publisher: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2020 Pris: £8.50 AM YR AWDUR: GARETH EVANS ABOUT THE AUTHOR: GARETH EVANS Nofel newydd awdur Gethin Nyth Brân, Gareth Evans. Addas ar gyfer ca3, 11+. Dyma yw ei ail nofel. Daw Gareth Evans o Benparcau, Aberystwyth, ond mae wedi ymsefydlu yng Nghaerdydd ers blynyddoedd lawer bellach wedi degawd dramor yn Sbaen a'r Almaen. Cychwynnodd ei yrfa gyda Radio Cymru, cyn troi at ysgrifennu ar gyfer y teledu, yn bennaf ar gyfer Pobol y Cwm. Cyrhaeddodd ei nofel gyntaf, Gethin Nyth Brân, restr fer Gwobr Tir na n-Og 2018, ac yn un o destunau gosod gogyfer rownd derfynol y gystadleuaeth Darllen Dros Gymru 2018 This is his second novel. Gareth Evans comes from Penparcau, Aberystwyth, but has settled in Cardiff for many years now after a decade abroad in Spain and Germany. He began his career with Radio Cymru, before turning to writing for television, mainly for Pobol y Cwm. His first novel, Gethin Nyth Brân, reached the shortlist of the 2018 Tir na n-Og Award, and was one of the set texts for the final of the Reading for Wales 2018 competition.

Scroll down for English O diar! Cath + Llygod = Trwbl!! Oh dear! Cat + Mice = Trouble! Genre: ffuglen byr, / short fiction Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◉◎◎ Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◉◉◎◎ Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◎◎◎◎◎ Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◎◎◎◎◎ Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎ Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎ Hiwmor/humour: ◉◉◉◎◎ Her darllen/reading difficulty:: ◉◉◉◎◎ **GWREIDDIOL CYMRAEG/ WELSH ORIGINAL ** Peidiwch â gofyn i mi pam, ond dwi wastad wedi hoffi cymeriadau llygod mewn storis ac ar y sgrin! Tra bod pawb eraill yn hoffi’r clasuron, fy hoff ffilm Disney oedd un obscure or 70au o’r enw ‘The Rescuers’ - grŵp o lygod bach anturus yn achub y dydd! Pam y ffilm yna o bob un? Ella am eu bod nhw’n fach, ac mae pawb yn hoffi dipyn o underdog story dydyn? Yn debyg iawn i’r Rescuers, mae Tomos Lygoden, er yn ‘gradur go fach o ran maint, yn llwyddo i gyflawni pethau mawr ac yn aml iawn yn achub y dydd. Mae cyfres boblogaidd Craig Russell a’r amryddawn Caryl Parry Jones yn cyflwyno byd y theatr (rhywbeth fydd efallai yn anghyfarwydd i nifer o blant) drwy lygaid yr anifeiliaid bach ciwt a fflwffiog. Dyma enghraifft da o le mae’r ‘sgwennu a’r gwaith celf yn asio’n berffaith i greu cyfres annwyl dros ben, ac un sy’n hynod o ddarllenadwy ar hynny. First Impressions Dyma lyfr reit swmpus er ei fod yn fach o ran maint -rydych chi’n sicr yn cael gwerth eich arian am y pris rhesymol o £4.95. Mae gwaith celf Leri Tecwyn yn draddodiadol, yn gynnes ac yn llawn patrymau a gweadau gwahanol. Gyda bron pob tudalen yn llawn lliw, ychwanega’r arlunwaith at y stori, drwy helpu’r darllenwyr ifanc i ‘ddelweddu’ beth sy’n mynd ymlaen. Mae’r ysgrifen wedi cael ei leoli’n synhwyrol hefyd o gwmpas y gwaith celf. Beth sy’n digwydd yn y stori? Mae Mr Meilir, y bos, yn gwneud cyhoeddiad fawr fod 'na ymwelydd pwysig yn dod i’r theatr. Hi yw Madam Blobfawr, cantores opera byd enwog, sy’n dipyn o ‘Diva’! Yn anffodus i lygod y theatr, mae ganddi anifail anwes sy’n teithio i bobman gyda hi... Crechwen y gath! O diar! Cathod + llygod = trwbl! Sut mae Tomos yn mynd i stopio Crechwen rhag bwyta ei ffrindiau? Mae ganddo dipyn o sialens o’i flaen y tro hwn! Beth sy’n dda am y stori? Heblaw am y ffaith fod Covid wedi cau pob theatr am y tro, nid yw pob plentyn mor lwcus i gael profiadau cofiadwy o ymweld â theatr a gwylio sioeau. Mae straeon Tomos y Llygoden yn dod a thipyn bach o magic y theatr at ddarllenwyr ifanc ac yn eu cyflwyno i fyd newydd, felly mae hynny’n rhywbeth i’w ganmol. Llwydda’r awduron i ddod a hiwmor i mewn i’r stori yn naturiol, ac o ganlyniad mae apêl y llyfr yn fwy – mae angen rhywbeth i wneud ni chwerthin bois bach, ac mae gweld pen ôl anferth Madam Blobfawr yn dod am Tomos druan yn ddigon i wneud i mi wenu. Trodd fy ngwen yn chwerthiniad llwyr pan ddarllenais amdani’n gwneud ei ioga. Ymlaciodd gymaint yn y sesiwn, nes gollwng “homar o rech” wnaeth wneud i Tomos a’i gyfeillion lewygu – doniol iawn! Gallaf weld dosbarth o blant ifanc yn morio chwerthin wrth gael stori ar y mat! Unrhywbeth arall? Mae ‘na dipyn o waith darllen ar y cyfan, ac mae’r wasg wedi anelu’r llyfr at y farchnad 5-8 oed. Mae oed darllen ac oed diddordeb yn reit wahanol, a dwi’n gwybod am blant iau na 5 oed fyddai’n mwynhau’r stori, ond mi fydd rhaid cael oedolyn i helpu gyda’r darllen baswn i’n deud. Roedd ambell ddarn lle'r oedd rhaid i mi ail-ddarllen i weld pa gymeriad oedd yn siarad, felly efallai fod hynny braidd yn ddryslyd. (neu mod i heb ddeffro’n iawn!) Roedd rhai o negeseuon y llyfr yn teimlo braidd yn forced ar brydiau. (e.e. pregeth Grav y Ci) Dwi’n deall pam ei bod hi’n bwysig cyfleu negeseuon fel hyn, ac yn gweld pam fod yr awduron wedi mynd â’r syniad fod Crechwen yn cael tröedigaeth ysbrydol erbyn y diwedd a bod pawb yn ffrindiau. (ia - y cwn, y cathod a’r llygod i gyd yn byw’n ddedwydd!) Ond y peth ydi, roedd rhan ohonof eisiau gweld Tomos a’i griw yn cael y gorau o’r g'nawes ac yn dysgu gwers go iawn iddi.. Ella byddai hynny wedi bod yn fwy o hwyl, er, wyrach ddim mor ‘PC’ erbyn hyn... Oes rhaid cael rhyw ‘neges’ ym mhob llyfr ‘dyddiau yma? Roedd perthynas Tom & Jerry yn un cymhleth! Dwi’n falch fod plant (a’u rhieni debyg) yn mwynhau darllen am straeon Tomos Llygoden, a dwi’n ffyddiog y bydd na fwy o anturiaethau ym myd y theatr... (Wel, dwi’n eithaf siŵr bydd ‘na fwy achos mae’n dweud hynny ar ddiwedd y llyfr! Ha ha!) Don't ask me why, but I've always liked mice as characters in stories and on TV! When everyone else liked the classics, my favourite Disney film was a rather obscure one from the 70s called ‘The Rescuers’ - about a group of adventurous little mice saving the day! Why that one in particular? Maybe because the mice were small, with the odds stacked against them and everyone likes a bit of an underdog story, don’t they? Much like the Rescuers, Tomos Llygoden, although small in size, manages to achieve great things and very often saves the day. The popular Craig Russell and Caryl Parry Jones series introduces us to the world of the theatre (something that may be unfamiliar to many children) through the eyes of the cute and fluffy animals. This is a good example of where the writing and the artwork combine perfectly to create a very loveable series, and one that is extremely easy to read. First Impressions Like our main character, despite being small in size, it certainly packs a punch. You get your money’s worth for the reasonable price of £4.95. Leri Tecwyn's artwork is traditional, warm and full of different patterns and textures. With almost every page full of colour, the illustrations really add to the story here, helping the young readers to make sense of what’s going on. The text itself has also been sensibly located and blends into the artwork. What happens in the story? Mr Meilir, the boss, makes a big announcement that an important visitor is coming to the theatre. That visitor is Madam Blobfawr, a world-famous opera singer, who is something of a 'Diva'! Unfortunately for the mice, she has a pet that travels everywhere with her... a cat called Crechwen (smirk) Oh dear! Cats + mice = trouble! How is Tomos going to stop Crechwen from eating his friends? He’s got his work cut out for him this time! What's good about the story? Apart from the fact that Covid has closed all theatres for the time being, not all children are lucky enough to get to visit theatres. The Tomos Llygoden stories bring a little bit of theatre magic to younger readers and introduces them to a new experience, so that's something to be commended. The authors succeed in bringing humour into the story naturally, and as a result the book's appeal is greater. We need a bit of humour in our lives these days, and seeing Madam Blobfawr’s huge backside coming towards poor Tomos was enough to put a smile on my face. My smile soon turned into laughter when I read about her yoga. She relaxed so much in the session, that she dropped a huge fart that made Tomos and his pals faint! Very funny! I can see a class of young children crying with laughter when they get to this bit during story time! Anything else? There is quite a bit more reading than you think, and the Publisher has aimed the book at the 5-8-year-old market. Reading age and interest age are quite different, and I know of children younger than 5 who would enjoy the story, but you’d need an adult to help with the reading. There were a few bits where I had to re-read to see which character was speaking, so maybe that was a bit confusing (either that or I hadn’t woken up properly!) Some of the book's messages felt a bit forced at times. (e.g. Grav , the dog’s speech) I understand why it's important to convey messages like this and see why the authors chose to go with the idea of Crechwen having a complete epiphany at the end and making friends with everyone. But the thing is, part of me wanted to see Tomos and his crew get the best out her by teaching her a real lesson. Maybe that would have been a bit more fun, though, probably not ‘PC’ these days.... I wonder, do we always have to have some moral message in every book? Tom and Jerry always had a complex love-hate relationship! I am pleased that children (and their parents) enjoy reading about Tomos the Mouse, and I am confident that there will be more adventures in his theatrical world. (Well, I'm pretty sure there will be more because it says so at the end of the book!) Cyhoeddwr/publisher: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch Pris: £4.95 Cyhoeddwyd/released: Medi/Sept 2020

Scroll down for English Llyfr hardd iawn gyda negeseuon o garedigrwydd. Beautiful book with messages of kindness. Addasiad Cymraeg o L'Abri (Shelter) Welsh adaptation of L'Abri (Shelter) Genre: #ffuglen #odl #ffoaduriaid #caredigwrydd / #fiction #rhyme #refugees #kindness Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◉◉◎ Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◉◉◉◎ Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◉◎◎◎◎ Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◎◎◎◎◎ Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎ Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎ Hiwmor/humour: ◎◎◎◎◎ Her darllen/reading difficulty:: ◉◉◉◉◎ Arlunwaith/artwork: Qin Leng Argraffiadau Cyntaf Ydach chi’n gyfarwydd â’r oglau sbeshal ’na sydd mewn ceir newydd? Wel, mae’r fath beth yn wir am lyfrau hefyd - new book smell! Yndw, dwi’n cyfaddef, dwi’n un o’r rheiny sy’n hoffi sniffio llyfrau newydd - does ‘na ddim byd tebyg na chyffwrdd ac ogleuo llyfr newydd sbon danlli. Dyna’r peth cyntaf un wnaeth fy nharo wrth afael yn Y Lloches am y tro cyntaf - yr ansawdd. Wrth droi’r tudalennau, mae’n amlwg fod hwn yn llyfr o safon uchel. Mae gwaith celf ysgafn inc a dyfrlliw Qin Leng yn hudolus ac yn rhoi gwedd ‘glasurol’ i’r llyfr. Mae ‘blerwch’ y brasluniau yn cyfleu ffyrnigrwydd y tywydd i’r dim ac mae’r defnydd o liw yn adlewyrchu tymhorau’r Hydref a’r Gaeaf. Wir i chi, dyma un o’r llyfrau harddaf mae gwasg Rily wedi eu cyhoeddi hyd yma. Beth sy’n digwydd yn y stori? Cuddia trigolion y goedwig yn eu tai gan fod storm enfawr ar y gorwel. Wrth gysgodi yn eu cartrefi cynnes a chlyd, fe sylwa ambell un ar ddau ffigwr tywyll yn agosáu drwy’r niwl. Mae’r eirth yn chwilio am loches rhag y storm, ond lle bynnag yr ânt, cant eu troi i ffwrdd gan yr anifeiliaid eraill. Does dim croeso yn unman i’r eirth druan a’r unig opsiwn felly yw mynd allan i ganol y storm. Wrth i’r gwynt chwythu, caiff cartref teulu’r llwynogod ei chwalu’n llwyr a rhaid iddynt fynd allan i chwilio am help. Tybed sut fydd yr eirth yn ymateb pan ddaw’r llwynogod atynt i ofyn am gymorth? Beth sy’n dda am y llyfr? Defnyddia’r llyfr gymeriadau anifeiliaid i gyflwyno pwnc eithaf dwys mewn ffordd sensitif sy’n gwbl addas i blant ifanc. Gall rai o’r themâu fod yn anodd a chymhleth i’w trafod ar brydiau ond mae’r llyfr yn eu cyflwyno yn syml ar lefel sy’n ddealladwy. Er y caiff y llyfr ei anelu at blant iau, gall weithio ar lefel uwch gyda phlant hŷn, fel rhan o uned o waith am ffoaduriaid ddoe a heddiw. Mae’n sicr yn bwnc llosg sy’n codi yn y newyddion yn rheolaidd ac yn rhywbeth perthnasol iawn i ni heddiw. Ar lefel syml, bydd yn blatfform ar gyfer trafodaeth ystyrlon am sut y dylem drin eraill drwy ddangos caredigrwydd ac empathi (ceisio deall teimladau eraill). Dyma stori sy’n gwbl addas ar gyfer gwasanaethau ysgol neu stori amser gwely. Beth am yr iaith? Os darllenwch chi adolygiadau o fersiwn Saesneg y llyfr hwn, cyfeirir at y naratif fel un syml iawn gyda geirfa hawdd. Yn y Gymraeg, fodd bynnag, mae hi’n stori reit wahanol. Mae’r iaith yn gain ac yn farddonol. Mae’r addaswr, Aneirin Karadog, wedi mynd i lawer o drafferth i sicrhau bod y cyfieithiad yn un safonol iawn. Yn nodiadau’r awdur, cyfeiria at y ffaith ei fod yn ceisio glynu mor agos â phosib at naws y gwreiddiol, gan wneud defnydd o dechnegau barddoniaeth fel cynghanedd a chyflythrennu. Diddorol iawn oedd darllen nodiadau’r awdur a dweud y gwir. Mae’r eirfa yn uchelgeisiol ac yn reit heriol, ond nid yw hyn yn beth drwg o reidrwydd. Does dim o’i le â modelu iaith dda i ddisgyblion yn fuan, a bydd y lluniau bendigedig yn helpu i roi cyd-destun. O ddarllen y geiriau allan yn uchel, gall y farddoniaeth a’r gynghanedd gyfleu naws a theimlad y darn, gan fod o gymorth i ddeall yr ystyr. Efallai y byddai rhai yn ansicr ynglŷn a phwy y mae’r llyfr wedi’i anelu ato. O ran cynnwys ac edrychiad, mae’r stori yn fwy addas ar gyfer plant iau (o dan 7) ond ar y llaw arall, mae’r iaith yn fwy heriol ac o ganlyniad yn fwy priodol i blant hŷn neu blant a sgiliau darllen fwy datblygedig. Credaf y bydd angen oedolyn i helpu gyda’r darllen er mwyn ei lawn werthfawrogi, ac o bosib i esbonio rhai darnau neu eiriau. Dyfarniad Mae Y Lloches yn llawn negeseuon moesol am haelioni, caredigrwydd a thosturi - bron fel un o chwedlau Aesop. Fel y mae’r broliant yn ei awgrymu, gall gweithrediadau bychan gael effaith mawr. Rhaid i ni beidio anwybyddu’r bobl sydd mewn angen, a bod yn barod i estyn llaw pan fydd rhywun angen cymorth. Mae'r neges yr un mor berthnasol i oedolion ddudwn i. Dwi’n falch o weld addasiad sydd wedi dod o wlad arall heblaw Lloegr, ac o ystyried safon Y Lloches, byddai’n wych gweld mwy o lyfrau o Ewrop yn cael eu cyfieithu i’r Gymraeg...ac i’r gwrthwyneb hefyd! Syniadau yn deillio o’r nofel 1. Actio darn o’r stori neu sefyllfa debyg sy’n arddangos caredigrwydd 2. Gwaith celf ar thema ‘Y Storm’ 3. Bwrdd stori – ail ysgrifennu’r stori mewn geiriau eraill 4. Map meddwl caredigrwydd 5. Erthygl papur newydd - ffoaduriaid – neu eitem newyddion teledu 6. Trafodaeth/mynegi barn – pam wnaeth yr anifeiliaid wrthod helpu? 7. Edrych ar Hawliau’r Plentyn 1989 8. Ysgrifennu monolog o safbwynt ffoadur ifanc First Impressions Have you ever got a waft of that classic new car smell? Well, I’ll let you in on a bit of a secret, you can get the same sort of thing from new books – ahhhh, that lovely new book smell! Yup, I’ll admit, I'm one of those people who sniffs new books - there's nothing like holding that new book in your hands and getting a good ‘ol whiff. One of the very first things that struck me with Y Lloches was the sheer quality of the thing. Turning the pages, it is clear that this has that ‘premium’ feeling. Qin Leng's light and airy ink and watercolour drawings are magical and give the book it’s 'classic' look. The ‘messiness’ of the sketchy drawing style conveys the ferocity and chaos of the weather and the use of colour reflects the Autumn and Winter seasons. Honestly, this is one of the most beautiful books that Rily have published to date. What happens in the story? Residents of the forest hide in their houses as a huge storm approaches. Whilst sheltering in their warm and comfortable homes, they notice two dark figures walking through the fog. The bears seek refuge from the storm, but wherever they go, they are turned away by the other animals. The poor bears are not welcome anywhere and the only option they have is to go out into the storm. As the wind howls and roars, in an unfortunate turn of events, the foxes' family home is completely blown away and they now become refugees themselves. When they go looking for help, they come across the bears. I wonder how they’ll react now that the tables are turned? What's good about the book? The book uses animal characters to present a fairly intense subject in a sensitive way that is perfectly suitable for young children. Some of the themes can be difficult and rather complex to discuss but the book presents them in a simple and understandable manner. Although the book is aimed at younger children, it can work on a higher level with older children, as part of an unit of work about refugees. It’s certainly a hot topic that often appears in the news and is very relevant to us today. On a simple level, it will be a springboard for meaningful discussion about how we should treat others by showing kindness and empathy (this is to understand the feelings of others). We get a story that is as suitable for school assemblies as it is for bedtime reading. What about the language? If you read reviews of the English version of this book, the narrative is often referred to as being very straightforward with easy vocabulary. In Welsh, however, it is a different story. The language is elegant and poetic. The adapter, Aneurin Karadog, has gone to a great deal of trouble to ensure that the translation is to a very high standard. In the author's notes, he refers to the fact that he has tried to adhere as closely as possible to the tone of the original, making use of poetic techniques to elevate the writing. It was very interesting to read the author's notes. The vocabulary is ambitious and quite challenging, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with modelling good language for pupils from an early age, and the wonderful pictures will help to give context. Reading the words out loud, the rhyme and rhythm will help to give meaning to the words. On the other hand, some may feel a bit uncertain as to whom the book is aimed at. In terms of look and feel, it’s more appropriate for younger children (under 7) but when you take into account the written content, that may be better suited to older children or those with more developed reading skills. I think that an adult will be required to help with the reading if it is to be fully appreciated, with some bits possibly needing further explanation. Verdict Y Lloches is full of moral messages about generosity, kindness and compassion - almost like one of Aesop's fables. As the blurb suggests, small actions can have a big impact. We must not ignore the plight of people in need, and we must extend a helping hand to someone who needs it. The messages in the story are as relevant to adults as they are to children. I am pleased to see an adaptation of a book originally published in Europe, instead of yet another translation from England. (no offence intended, it’s just good to get balance and variety). Given the standard of Y Lloches, it would be great to see more books make their way from the continent into Welsh and vice versa too! Ideas derived from the novel 1. Act out a piece of the story or similar situation that displays kindness 2. Artwork on the theme of 'The Storm' 3. Storyboard – rewriting the story in other words 4. Kindness mind map – what does kindness look like? 5. Newspaper article - refugees – or TV news item 6. Discussion/expression of opinion – why did the animals refuse to help? 7. A Look at the Rights of the Child 1989 charter 8. Writing a monologue from a young refugee's perspective Cyhoeddwr/publisher: Rily Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2020 Pris: £6.99

*Scroll down for English* Dros 2,000 o eiriau anhygoel i wella'ch gwaith! Over 2,000 amazing words to improve your work! Gwasg/publisher: Rily Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £9.99 Clawr caled / Hardback Dwi’n cofio cael ffrae yn ‘rysgol gan athrawes am ddefnyddio ‘neis’ fel ansoddair wrth ddisgrifio rhywbeth. Yn anffodus, mae o’n air sy’n cael ei ddefnyddio yn llawer rhy aml, mae o’n hollol ddiflas ac yn dangos fawr ddim dychymyg! I fod yn deg, weithiau, mae disgyblion yn gwybod be maen nhw’n trio ei ddweud, ond yn aml yn methu ffeindio’r eirfa i fynegi hyn a dyna pryd gewch chi ‘neis’ yn dod i’r fei. Cymerwch y sefyllfa yma fel enghraifft - plentyn sy’n mynychu ysgol Gymraeg ac sy’n cael ei wersi yn Gymraeg. Ond, mae’n siarad Saesneg gyda’i ffrindiau yn y dosbarth, a Saesneg yw iaith yr iard. Ar ôl mynd adref (lle mae’r plentyn yn treulio canran anferth o’i amser) mae’n siarad Saesneg efo’i deulu cyfan. A dweud y gwir, mewn sawl ysgol ar hyd a lled Cymru, yr unig adeg mae’r plentyn yn siarad Cymraeg yw wrth sgwrsio â’r athro. Cyplyswch hyn gyda’r ffaith nad yw rhai yn debygol o ddarllen llyfrau Cymraeg chwaith, na chlywed y Gymraeg ar y stryd, dyw hi ddim yn syndod nad oes digon o amlygiad i’r iaith yn digwydd. O ganlyniad, dydi’r eirfa ddim bob amser yn datblygu digon i ddefnyddio geiriau ‘ffansi’ Cymraeg yn y gwaith ‘sgwennu. Rŵan, don’t get me wrong, nid gweld bai ydw i - i fod yn onest, dwi’n meddwl fod ein disgwyliadau ni o’r plantos yma’n annheg o uchel! Beth allwn ni wneud i helpu, yw ffeindio ambell i ‘dric’ i geisio rhoi boost i’r gronfa eiria’ yn eu pennau. Dipyn o turbo yn yr injan ieithyddol fel petai! Dyma le mae thesawrws yn gallu helpu. Os nad oeddech chi’n gwybod, mae thesawrws yn wahanol i eiriadur achos nid yw’n cynnig esboniad o ystyr geiriau, ond yn hytrach, mae o’n cynnig geiriau tebyg ond gwahanol. Felly, yn lle ‘hapus’, byddai’r thesawrws yn argymell y geiriau ‘llawen,’ ‘llon,’ ‘siriol’ neu ‘dedwydd.’ Yn sydyn iawn, mae disgybl (neu oedolyn) yn gallu cyfoethogi’r iaith gan ddefnyddio amrywiaeth o eiriau gwahanol. Variety is the spice of life, wedi’r cwbl! Glywish i rywun unwaith yn dweud fod defnyddio thesawrws yn ‘twyllo’! Wel am beth twp i’w ddweud, a rhywbeth sy’n hollol anghywir! Drwy wneud defnydd o’r thesawrws i ffeindio geiriau gwahanol, mae modd gwella gwaith disgybl gan fod ‘na eiriau mwy uchelgeisiol yn cael eu defnyddio. Nid yn unig mae defnyddio thesawrws yn helpu i uwch-lefelu gwaith, (teacher speak am godi safon) ond mae hefyd yn llawer brafiach marcio gwaith sy’n cynnwys amrywiaeth o eiriau. Gyda’r thesawrws yma, fydd ddim angen defnyddio ‘neis’ mewn brawddeg byth eto! Mae’r sgil o ddefnyddio thesawrws yn holl bwysig ac yn werth ei ddatblygu. Mae’n annog annibyniaeth yn y disgybl ac yn rhoi iddo’r sgiliau i wella ei waith ei hun, yn hytrach na gofyn i’r athro o hyd. Wrth ddewis geiriau newydd, ‘gwell’, tydi bob un ddim yn gwneud synnwyr bob tro, ond drwy wneud camgymeriadau mae pobl yn dysgu ac yn datblygu. Mae’r thesawrws yma’n wych achos am ei fod yn lliwgar ac yn child-friendly. Mae’r lluniau (yn ogystal â’i wneud yn fwy difyr) yn rhoi ‘chydig o gliw cyd-destun o ystyr y gair, sy’n lleihau’r tebygrwydd o eiriau’n cael ei dewis yn anghywir. Dyma i chi thesawrws cynhwysfawr, gyda dros 2,000 o eiriau ysbrydoledig i helpu. Yn wahanol i thesawrws oedolion, diflas, mae hwn wedi cael ei rannu fesul themâu, sy’n beth handi iawn wrth drio ysgrifennu stori neu ryw waith yn y dosbarth. Mae ‘nag adrannau fel teimladau, disgrifio pobl, anifeiliaid, mesur ac archwilio a mwy. Gall gael ei ddefnyddio fel adnodd sgaffaldio wrth ysgrifennu stori, neu fel canolbwynt tasgau byrion gwella iaith. Yng nghefn y llyfr, ceir syniadau ar gyfer ambell gêm iaith y gellir ei chwarae. Does dim rhaid i ymarferion ieithyddol fod yn ddiflas! Mae ‘na lawer o botensial i’r llyfr yma ac fe ddylai pob ysgol ystyried buddsoddi mewn copis i bob dosbarth, yn enwedig o flwyddyn 2 i fyny. Mae’n siŵr o fod yn adnodd defnyddiol ar gyfer disgyblion Cymraeg iaith 1af a’r rheiny sy’n dysgu Cymraeg. Dyma restr fach o ambell dasg posib yn deillio o’r thesawrws.. 1. Gwella brawddegau e.e. Safodd y lleidr yn y tywyllwch. Gair gwell – sleifiodd, cripiodd 2. Taflen casglu geiriau 3. Anagramau e.e. Chwaraeon tud. 32 a 33 Beth ydy tufal? Taflu. Oes gair arall? 4. Geiriau croes Tal – byr Llyfn - ? 5. Ysgrifennu stori. Defnyddiwch tud. 34 a 35 fel sgaffald ysgrifennu stori 6. Gêm Chwilio yng nghefn y Thesawrws 7. Cwis Curo’r Cloc 30 eiliad i chwilio am air arall ar dudalen arbennig e.e tud 15. Oes gair arall am gwirion? 8. Disgrifio’r ardal leol yn defnyddio tudalennau 22 a 23 9. Dysgwyr- defnyddiwch dudalennau 4 a 5 fel help llaw i ysgrifennu am eich cartref a’ch teulu. Hunanbortread. I remember getting told off by a teacher in school for using 'nice' as an adjective when describing something. Unfortunately, it’s a word that comes up far too often, and as well as being completely boring, it shows little imagination! To be fair, sometimes, pupils know what they are trying to say, but often cannot find the vocabulary to express themselves. This is when ‘nice’ and other lacklustre words start popping up. Take this situation as an example - a child who attends a Welsh-medium school and has their lessons in Welsh. However, he speaks English with his friends in class, and English is the language of the yard. After going home (where the child spends a huge percentage of his time) he speaks English with his whole family. In fact, in many schools across Wales, the only time the child actually engages in Welsh conversation is when chatting to the teacher. Add to this, the fact that some are not likely to read Welsh books either, or hear Welsh on the street, it’s not surprising that with such limited exposure, the vocabulary doesn’t always develop enough to start using fancy Welsh words. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing here - to be honest, I think our expectations of these kids are unfairly high! What we can do to help however, is find a few 'tricks' to try and give their vocabularies a boost. A bit of turbo in the linguistic engine as it were! This is where a thesaurus can help. If you didn't know, a thesaurus is different from a dictionary because it does not offer an explanation of words, but rather, it offers similar but different words. Thus, instead of 'happy', the thesaurus would recommend the words 'joyful,' 'calm,’ or 'cheerful.’ Very quickly, a pupil (or adult) is able to enrich their own language by using a variety of different words. This is a quick win I’d say. I once heard someone say that using a thesaurus is 'cheating'! Well what a silly thing to say, and so utterly wrong! By making use of the thesaurus to find different words, it is possible to improve a pupil's work as more ambitious words are used. Not only does the use of a thesaurus help to up-level work, (teacher speak about raising standards) but it’s also much less taxing to mark work that contains a variety of words. With this thesaurus, you’ll never need to use ‘nice’ in a sentence again! The skill of using a thesaurus is vital and worth developing. It encourages independence in the pupil and equips them with the skills to improve their own work, rather than being dependent on the teacher. When choosing new and 'better' words, they won’t always get it right, and may choose words that don’t quite fit. But we often learn by making mistakes… This thesaurus is great because it’s colourful and child-friendly. The pictures (as well as being more engaging) give a context to the meaning of words, which reduces the likelihood of words being chosen incorrectly. We get here a comprehensive thesaurus, with over 2,000 inspirational words to help. Unlike a boring adult thesaurus, this one’s been divided into themes, which is very handy when trying to write a story. There are sections such as feelings, describing people, animals, measuring, exploring and more. It can be used as a scaffolding resource for story writing, or could even be the focus of targeted language improvement tasks. At the back of the book, there are ideas for a few language games that can be played. Work doesn’t have to be boring! There’s a lot of potential with this book and all schools should consider investing in copies for all classes, particularly from year 2 upwards. It will be an useful resource for 1st language pupils and those learning Welsh. Here’s a small list of a few possible tasks stemming from the thesaurus. 1. Improve sentences 2. Word treasure hunt 3. Anagrams 4. Opposite words 5. Writing a story. Use a page. 34 and 35 as a story-writing scaffold 6. Search Game at the back of the Thesaurus 7. Beating the Clock Quiz 30 seconds to search for another word on a special page e.g. p15. Is there another word for silly? 8. Describe the local area using pages 22 and 23 9. Learners- use pages 4 and 5 as a helping hand to write about your home and family. Self-portrait.

*Scroll down for English* Genre: #iechyd #lles #amrywiaeth #dwyieithog #cyfeillgarwch / #health #wellbeing #diversity #bilingual #friendship Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◉◉◉ Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◉◉◉◉ Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◎◎◎◎◎ Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◎◎◎◎◎ Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎ Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎ Hiwmor/humour: ◎◎◎◎◎ Her darllen/reading difficulty:: ◉◉◎◎◎ Gwaith celf/artwork: Ali Pye Mae nifer o blant wrthi’n dychwelyd i’r ysgol ar hyn o bryd ar ôl bod i ffwrdd am gyfnod hir iawn. Mae yna hefyd blant sy’n mynd i'r ysgol am y tro cyntaf, sy’n garreg filltir fawr beth bynnag, ond efallai yn fwy o beth ’leni yn sgil y lockdown. Fel bodau dynol, ’da ni ddim yn gwneud yn rhy dda ar ein pen ein hunain am gyfnodau hir – rydym ni’n greaduriaid cymdeithasol, sy’n hoff iawn o gwmni eraill. Roedd y lockdown yn amser heriol i lawer, wrth orfod ynysu yn ein cartrefi am fisoedd, heb fawr o gysylltiad gyda’n ffrindiau pennaf. Ydyn, mae ffrindiau yn hollbwysig. A dyma yw prif thema’r llyfr bendigedig yma, sy’n llawn negeseuon positif, hapus a lliwgar. Mae’n trafod beth yw cyfaill da, a’r profiadau gwerthfawr rydym ni’n eu rhannu â ffrindiau. Bydd llawer o’r sefyllfaoedd yn gyfarwydd iawn i’r plant ifanc. Mae maint y llyfr a’r gwaith celf yn ffrwydrad o liw atyniadol iawn ac yn siŵr o ddenu llygaid plant ifanc. Mae digonedd o fanylion bach diddorol yn cuddio yn y lluniau hefyd. Cyfeillgarwch, cynhwysedd ac amrywiaeth yw prif themâu’r llyfr. Fe ddarlunia lawer o blant o bob lliw a llun yn mwynhau cwmni ei gilydd ac yn gwneud amrywiaeth o dasgau gwahanol. Trafoda’r llyfr sut y mae rhai plant yn debyg, ond eraill yn wahanol. Does dim cyfeiriad uniongyrchol at liw croen ond mae’n amlwg fod amrywiaeth o hiliau gwahanol yn y llyfr. Tydi ieithoedd nac anabledd chwaith ddim yn rhwystro’r plant rhag bod yn ffrindiau. Dysgwn o’r llyfr fod rhai plant yn hoffi chwarae mewn grwpiau, tra bod yn well gan rai eu cwmni eu hunain. Y neges bwysig yw bod gwahaniaethau ac unigrywiaeth yn beth da a bod pawb yn wahanol, sydd yn gwneud pethau’n fwy diddorol. Meddyliwch pa mor boring fyddai’r byd petai bawb yn licio’r un pethau! Mae ’na negeseuon positif iawn yn y llyfr sy’n sôn am ddyfodol delfrydol (os nad braidd yn optimistaidd) heb drais a phethau tebyg. Yn y byd sydd ohoni mae’n bwysig addysgu’r genhedlaeth nesaf i fod yn oddefgar ac i barchu ei gilydd. Dwi’n gorfod gobeithio y bydden nhw’n dysgu o’n camgymeriadau ni ac yn tyfu i fyny i fod yn fwy caredig ac yn well dinasyddion y byd. Fel y mae’r llyfr yn awgrymu, bydden ni’n gallu mynd yn llawer pellach petai ni’n cyd-weithio yn hytrach na chystadlu yn erbyn ein gilydd. Gan fod mydr ac odl yn y testun gwreiddiol, mae’r llyfr yma’n addasiad yn hytrach nac yn gyfieithiad uniongyrchol, felly dylid ystyried hyn wrth ddarllen. Mae’r addaswr wedi gwneud job dda o ail greu naws y llyfr ond yn y Gymraeg, heb newid gormod. Dwi’n hoff iawn o lyfrau dwyieithog achos mae’n hybu cariad a pharch at y ddwy iaith. Bydd rhieni di-Gymraeg yn gallu mwynhau’r llyfr â’u plant – sy’n beth da! ’Dw i wrth fy modd gyda’r lluniau ar ddechrau ac ar ddiwedd y llyfr sy’n llawn o ymadroddion positif yn ymwneud â chyfeillgarwch. Efallai y gall y darllenwyr ychwanegu at y rhestr hirfaith yma? Ar ddechrau tymor ysgol, lle bydd plant o bob oed yn gwneud ffrindiau newydd, pa adeg gwell i wneud defnydd o’r llyfr perffaith yma? Llyfr sy’n sicr o fod yn boblogaidd yn y Cyfnod Sylfaen ac yn sbardun ar gyfer trafodaeth neu waith pellach. Bydd yn ideal ar gyfer unedau thematig fel ‘myfi fy hun’ neu ‘ffrindiau’ ac mae’n ticio nifer o flychau ym maes Datblygiad Personol a Chymdeithasol. Am lyfr gwych ar gyfer amser cylch neu amser gwasanaeth. Dyma i chi lyfr sy’n cyfleu’r negeseuon hollbwysig ‘mewn undod mae nerth’ a ‘gyda’n gilydd, gallwn newid y byd.’ Many children are currently returning to school after being away for a very long time. There are also those who are attending for the first time, which is a huge milestone anyway, but perhaps even more of a big deal following the lockdown. As human beings, we don't cope too well on our own for extended periods of time – we’re generally social creatures, who love the company of others. The lockdown was a challenging time for many, having to isolate in our homes for months on end, with little contact with our closest friends. Yes, friends are so important. Friendship is one of the main themes of this wonderful book, which is full of positive, happy and colourful messages. It discusses what being a good friend looks like, and talks of some of the experiences we share with friends. Many of the situations will be very familiar to young children. The large size of the book and the vibrant artwork is very attractive and sure to catch the eyes of younger readers. There are also plenty of interesting little details hidden in the pictures. Friendship, inclusion, diversity, kindness, tolerance and uniqueness are some of the themes that crop up in the book. There are depictions of children of all shapes and sizes happily playing together. We can see that some children are similar and others are different, both in terms of appearance and interests. There is no direct reference to skin colour but it is clear that the book is diverse. Neither differing languages or disability prevent the children from becoming friends. We learn from the book that some children like to play in groups, whilst some prefer their own company. The important message is that differences are a good thing and that makes things more interesting. Think about how boring the world would be if everyone liked the same things! There are very positive messages in the book that look towards an idealistic future without violence and such things. One can but dream… In today's world it is important to educate the next generation to be tolerant and respectful of each other. I have to hope that they will learn from our mistakes and grow up to be kinder, better citizens of the world. As the book suggests, we could all go much further if we worked together. As there’s rhyme in the original text, this book is an adaptation rather than a direct translation, so this should be taken into account when reading. The translator has done a good job of maintaining the ‘feel’ of the book but has added a little something too. I love bilingual books because they promote an appreciation of both languages. English speaking parents will be able to enjoy the book with their children – which is a good thing! The beginning and end covers of the book are full of positive phrases relating to friendship. Perhaps the readers can add to this list…? At the beginning of the school term, where children of all ages will be making new friends, what better time to make use of this book? It’s one that is bound to be popular in the Foundation Phase and can be used as a springboard for further discussion or work. It would be ideal for ‘Circle Time’ discussions or for topics such as ‘friendship’ or ‘Myself and I.’ It ticks a number of boxes in personal and social development also. The core message of ‘together we’re stronger’ can be felt throughout the book. Gwasg/publisher: Rily Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £5.99 Not related to the book but it's a great song to learn in school. Welsh version available on http://www.cansing.org.uk/ Copyright Out of the Ark Music.

*Scroll down for English* ♥Llyfr y Mis i Blant, Mawrth 2019 ♥ ♥ Children's Book of the Month March 2019 ♥ Crynodeb o’r cynnwys Mae’r llyfr yn dilyn Tom wrth iddo gwrdd a Joni, sydd yn deithiwr. Mae rhan helaeth o drigolion Glannant wedi gwylltio wrth i’r teithwyr symud eu carafannau yno. Does neb wedi gwylltio mwy na Tad Tom. Cymeriadau Prif gymeriad y stori yw Tom. Mae ei ffrind Joni a’i deulu hefyd yn gymeriadau pwysig yn y llyfr. Mae rhieni Tom yn rhan bwysig hefyd Fy hoff ran Fy hoff ran yw’r brotest ar ddiwedd y llyfr. Mae Tom yn protestio’n ôl atyn nhw gan ddweud pa mor garedig mae Joni a’i deulu wedi bod iddo dros yr haf. I bwy fyddet ti’n argymhell y llyfr? Pam? Bydden i yn awgrymu’r llyfr yma i blant yn eu harddegau sydd eisiau darllen rhywbeth gwahanol iawn. Summary of contents The book follows Tom as he meets Joni, who is a traveller. Many of the residents of Glannant are outraged as the travellers move their caravans there. No one is outraged more than his father, Tom. Characters The main character in the story is Tom. His friend Joni and his family are also important characters in the book. Tom's parents are also an important part. The best bit My favourite part is the protest at the end of the book. Tom protests back at them and says how kind Joni and his family have been to him over the summer. Who would you recommend the book to? Why? I would suggest this book to teenagers who want to read something very different. Gwasg/publisher: CAA Cymru Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £4.99 Yr awdur yn trafod y llyfr: The author discusses the novel: Gwybodaeth o Gwales: Nofel wreiddiol, afaelgar ar gyfer yr arddegau cynnar, gan un o awduron mwyaf poblogaidd Cymru. Yn gefnlen i'r stori mae hanes cymuned o deithwyr sy'n symud eu carafannau i Gae Rhianfa. Dyma stori gref am ragfarnau, cyfeillgarwch a brawdoliaeth rhwng dynion ifanc. Adolygiad Gwales gan Mared Llwyd Rhaid i mi gyfaddef i mi wirioni ar nofelau Manon Steffan Ros ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc byth ers i mi brofi’r wefr o ddarllen Prism gyda chriw o ddisgyblion Blwyddyn 6, a rhannu eu mwynhad pur ohoni, rai blynyddoedd yn ôl. Heb os, mae gan Manon ddawn arbennig – y ddawn o fedru dweud llawer mewn ychydig eiriau, ac o ysgrifennu mewn arddull rwydd, ddarllenadwy gan dreiddio’n ddwfn o dan yr wyneb ar yr un pryd. Yn amlach na pheidio, yr hyn nad yw’n cael ei ddweud yw’r dweud mawr yn ei nofelau, a llwydda i siarad â darllenwyr ifanc mewn iaith maen nhw’n ei deall heb fod yn nawddoglyd na phregethwrol. Yn dilyn llwyddiant diweddar Llyfr Glas Nebo a Fi a Joe Allen bûm yn edrych ymlaen yn eiddgar at ddarllen Mis yr Ŷd. A chefais i ddim o fy siomi. Treiddia rhinweddau Manon fel awdur drwy’r nofel hon, unwaith eto – y cynildeb, y symlrwydd ymddangosiadol, y dwyster cudd ynghyd â’r gallu i ddarlunio cymeriadau cofiadwy, hawdd uniaethu â hwy a datblygiad arwyddocaol eu perthynas â’i gilydd. Nofel ar gyfer yr arddegau cynnar yw hon. Mae’r stori’n wedi’i hadrodd o safbwynt Tom, bachgen ifanc sy’n byw gyda’i dad a’i fam yn nhref ddychmygol Glannant. Unig blentyn yw Tom, a phlentyn unig. Ar ddechrau’r nofel, dysgwn fod ei dad, sy’n gynghorydd tref, wedi’i gythruddo gan ddyfodiad haid o deithwyr a’u carafannau i Gae Rhianfa ynghanol y dref. O dipyn i beth, daw Tom yn ffrindiau â Joni, un o’r teithwyr sydd yr un oed ag ef, wedi iddyn nhw gwrdd ar y traeth un diwrnod ar ddechrau gwyliau’r haf. Yn dilyn hynny cawn ddarlun o anghydfod mewnol Tom, a’i ddatblygiad yntau fel gŵr ifanc, wrth iddo ddewis brwydro yn erbyn rhagfarnau cul gweddill y pentrefwyr, a’i dad yn enwedig. Nofel gymharol fer yw Mis yr Ŷd. Mae’r stori’n ddigon syml ond wedi’i saernïo’n gelfydd. Mae hi’n hawdd iawn ei darllen o ganlyniad i’r iaith naturiol, rwydd a’r penodau byr, bachog. Er hynny, mae’r ysgrifennu’n gyforiog o ystyr ac o ddywediadau a throeon ymadrodd Cymraeg hyfryd. Gwneir defnydd o wahanol fathau o destunau – gan gynnwys blog, poster ac erthygl papur newydd – wrth adrodd y stori mewn mannau (techneg ddefnyddiol, heb os, wrth annog trafodaeth ar arddull mewn ystafell ddosbarth). Ymdrinnir â nifer o themâu pwysig ac amserol yn y nofel - themâu megis cyfeillgarwch, rhagfarnau, teyrngarwch a brawdoliaeth – ac mae’n ddarlun triw o fywydau arddegau heddiw. Ceir yma bortreadau hyfryd o’r gwahanol gymeriadau a’u perthynas â’i gilydd. Enghraifft berffaith o hyn yw’r darlun o berthynas gynnes, hapus Joni â’i deulu mewn cyferbyniad â pherthynas dan straen Tom â’i rieni: 'Er ein bod ni i gyd adref, fy nheulu i gyd, roedden ni ar ein pennau ein hunain.' Mae’r disgrifiad o dad Joni, â’i 'wên go iawn oedd yn cyrraedd ei lygaid' yn aros yn y cof, yn ogystal â’r awgrymiadau cynnil, sensitif o iselder mam Tom a geir gydol y nofel. Llongyfarchiadau i Manon Steffan Ros ar ysgrifennu chwip o nofel arall ar gyfer yr arddegau cynnar. Fedra i ond edmygu ei gwreiddioldeb, ei naturioldeb a’i dawn dweud dihafal. Edrychaf ymlaen yn barod at ddarllen y nesa! Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatâd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. Info from Gwales A gripping, original novel for young teenagers, by one of Wales' most popular authors. A story about prejudice, friendship and comradeship among young men set against the backdrop of a community of settlers moving their caravans to Cae Rhianfa. Gwales Review by Mared Llwyd: I must admit, I’m in love with Manon Steffan Ros’s novels for children and Young people ever since I read Prism with a Group of pupils from Year 6, and enjoyed it with them, some years ago. Without a doubt, she has the ability to convey meaning in a few words, whilst writing in an accessible way that is deep and layered in meaning at the same time. More often than not, the things that aren’t said are the most effective in her novels, and she successfully speaks to young readers in a way they understand without being preachy or patronising. Following the success of Llyfr Glas Nebo and Fi a Joe Allen I was looking forward to Mis yr ŷd. I was not disappointed. Her style as an author permeates this book, once again, I refer to the perceived simplicity, the hidden meaning and the ability to create memorable characters that are easy to relate to and their developing relationships together. This is a novel for early teens. The story is told from the viewpoint of Tom, a young boy who lives with his Father in the fictional town of Glannnant. Tom is an only child, and a lonely child at that. At the start of the novel, we learn that his Father, who’s a town councillor, is furious because a group of travellers and their caravans have descended on to the fields in the middle of town. Over time, Tom becomes friends with Joni, one of the travellers the same age as him after they met one day on the beach at the start of summer. Following this, we are told of Tom’s internal struggles and his development into a young man as he choses to fight against the prejudices of the other villagers, including his Father. Mis yr ŷd is a relatively short novel. The story is simple enough but it has been well crafted. It’s easy to read because of the natural everyday language and short, catchy chapters. Despite this, the writing is full of meaning and Welsh sayings too. Use is made of different formats, including a blog, poster and a newspaper article which will inspire a discussion in the classroom. Several important and timely topics are discussed in the novel, themes such as friendship, prejudice, loyalty and brotherhood – a fine portrayal of life as a teen today. There are wonderful portrayals of characters and their relationships with one another. For example, take Joni’s warm, happy relationship with his family as opposed to Tom’s strained relationship with his parents. Well done to Manon Steffan Ros for writing such another excellent novel for teenagers. I can only admire her originality, and her natural and unrivalled ability to convey meaning. I look forward to the next! A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Further information by the publisher: One quiet Saturday, Tom is kicking his heels in the park after his best friend decides to go into town with the popular boys without inviting Tom. A young boy comes to the park, and the two start talking and laughing together. After a whole day in each other's company, Tom realizes that Joni is one of the travellers. 'Mis yr ŷd' is a novel about prejudice, friendship and brotherhood between young men as Tom learns to stand on his own two feet to protect his new friend and his kind community. * An original novel for older readers (12-14 years), by one of Wales' most popular authors; * It can be read independently for enjoyment, or used in a classroom with Key Stage 3 learners; * There is a digital package available for free on the Hwb website, which includes questions to accompany the novel. The novel will help learners enjoy a novel by identifying, selecting and using information as well as responding to the material in a stimulating way - this will lead to an understanding of the novel as a prose medium and responding to new GCSE 2016 specifications in due course.

*Scroll down for English* Mae'r gadair ar goll. Dim ond 'Trio' all helpu! The chair's gone missing. Only 'Trio' can help! Genre: #ffuglen #doniol #antur / #fiction #funny #adventure Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◉◎◎ Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◉◉◎◎ Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◎◎◎◎◎ Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◎◎◎◎◎ Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎ Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎ Hiwmor/humour: ◉◉◉◉◎ Her darllen/reading difficulty:: ◉◉◉◎◎ Gwaith celf/artwork: Huw Aaron Oed diddordeb/interest age: 7+ Oed darllen/reading age: 7+ Wel, efallai na chawsom ‘Steddfod ‘lenni, ond mae gennym achos i ddathlu achos mae Manon Steffan Ros a gwasg Atebol wedi cyhoeddi llyfr arall yng nghyfres boblogaidd ‘Trio.' Gan fod 'na dri llyfr bellach, mae’r ‘Trioleg Trio’ yn gyflawn o’r diwedd! Fe gafodd y llyfr ei lansio ym mis Awst I dipyn o ffanffer a dweud y gwir. Dwi’n meddwl fod Atebol wedi dallt hi efo sut i werthu llyfrau. Mae angen creu dipyn o ‘hype’ o amgylch y cynnyrch er mwyn cyffroi plant (a rhieni) I ddarllen a phrynu’r llyfrau. Gyda chyllid yn brin, mae marchnata llyfrau a lledaenu’r neges wedi mynd yn anoddach yng Nghymru, felly 10/10 gyda’r Gwaith marchnata ‘Trio.’ Mae’r peiriant cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn gweithio’n dda! Lansiwyd y trydydd llyfr yn yr Eisteddfod AmGen gyda sioe arloesol dros Zoom i deuluoedd. Roedd y sioe Antur y Goron yn un rhyngweithiol ‘whodunnit’ ac yn llwyddiant mawr, gyda dros 400 o bobl yn cofrestru i gymryd rhan. O’m safbwynt i, roedd hi’n hollol wych gweld yr holl fwrlwm o amgylch cyfres llyfrau Cymraeg, a bod y wasg a phawb fu’n gysylltiedig wedi rhoi cynnig ar wneud rhywbeth gwbl newydd a gwahanol. Gobeithio bydd yr holl ‘ffỳs’ yn talu ar ei ganfed ac yn cyflwyno’r gyfres i fwy o ddarllenwyr ifanc (yn ogystal â shifftio mwy o gopïau!) *** Pwy/beth yw ‘Trio’? Dyma gyfres newydd wreiddiol a chyffrous i blant gan yr awdur profiadol, Manon Steffan Ros. Arwyr y straeon yw tri o blant, sy’n galw eu hunain yn ‘Trio,’ ac maen nhw’n defnyddio eu sgiliau i ddatrys dirgelwch wrth fynd ar anturiaethau difyr. Mae blas tebyg i hen glasuron Enid Blyton ar y llyfrau Trio, ond mae hon yn gyfres ffres, fodern a gwreiddiol sy’n unigryw i Gymru. Mae’r criw, sef Derec Dynamo, Clem Clyfar a Dilys Dyfeisgar yn arwyr, ydyn, ond maen nhw hefyd yn hollol ddi-glem. Yn aml iawn, gwnânt smonach lwyr o bethau gyda chanlyniadau doniol. Fedrwch chi ddim helpu ond hoffi’r cymeriadau yma! Am beth mae’r llyfr yn sôn? Y tro hwn, mae’r plant yn mynd am antur i’r Eisteddfod (yn fwy eironig nac erioed yn 2020!) Yn debyg i lawer o blant Cymru, doedd y tri ‘rioed wedi bod i’r ‘Steddfod Genedlaethol o’r blaen felly roedd hyn yn mynd i fod yn brofiad newydd a chyffrous. Heb fynd dros ben llestri, mae’r awdur yn llwyddo i grynhoi beth yw’r eisteddfod fel rhan o’r stori, felly fydd hyn ddim yn broblem i blant sy’n anghyfarwydd a hyn. A dweud y gwir, ella bydd yn sbarduno rhai i fynd i ymweld â’r ‘Steddfod! Wrth i’r criw archwilio’r maes, fe ddônt ar draws yr Archdderwydd ei hun (y dyn pwysig yn y wisg ffansi!) a thrwy dipyn o glustfeinio craff, daw’r criw i wybod fod Y GADAIR wedi diflannu! Nid unrhyw gadair, o na, ond PRIF gadair arbennig y BRIF seremoni! O na! Bydd rhaid i’r tri ddibynnu ar eu holl sgiliau os ydynt am ffeindio pwy yw’r lleidr - a dychwelyd y gadair cyn y seremoni! Ras yn erbyn y cloc felly! Beth sy’n dda am y llyfr? Yn wahanol i Star Wars, dwi’n meddwl mai’r llyfr diweddaraf yw’r gorau eto. Fel hen win, mae’r gyfres yn gwella wrth fynd yn ei flaen ac nid oes unrhyw dystiolaeth ei fod yn colli stêm. Mae’r ffaith fod y cymeriadau dipyn bach yn wirion (ond yn hoffus) yn rhoi spin bach gwahanol ar y syniad o ‘arwyr.’​​ Dydyn nhw ddim yn cael pethau’n iawn bob tro - ond maen nhw’n trio dydyn! Ba-dwm! Mae’r stori yn ysgafn ac yn hawdd ei ddilyn, a fyddwch chi’n hapus i wybod fod ‘na loads o luniau cŵl gan Huw Aaron a dim gormod o ‘sgwennu ar bob tudalen. Yn bersonol, dwi’n licio’r darnau bach asides sydd yn y llyfr. Rhain yw’r darnau sydd yn dod ar ôl y symbol yma * Fel arfer mae’n cynnwys rhyw eiriau doeth gan yr awdur (llais yr awdur/adroddwr) sydd bron yn gorfod ychwanegu hyn ar ôl yr holl bethau gwirion mae Trio yn ddweud. (sy’n hollol boncyrs fel rheol) Beth bynnag, dwi’n meddwl fod hyn yn gweithio’n dda ac mae o reit amusing - ydw i’n iawn i feddwl fod ‘na fwy o hyn yn y llyfr yma na’r rhai blaenorol? Ac wrth gwrs, fel pob llyfr da – mae ein harwyr yn achub y dydd yn y diwedd! Pwy fyddai’n hoffi’r llyfr yma? Wel, does dim gormod o ‘sgwennu ar bob tudalen a dydi’r llyfr ddim yn rhy hir, felly mae’n berffaith fel dipyn bach o ddarllen ysgafn, er pleser. (sy’n wahanol i ddarllen trwm, ar gyfer gwaith!) Bosib fod y llyfr yn addas i blant rhwng 7-9 oed, ond yn sicr byddai plant Bl.5/6 yn mwynhau’r llyfr hefyd. Os ydych chi’n licio dipyn o antur, straeon ditectif a hiwmor – fe gewch chi hyn i gyd a mwy yn y llyfrau Trio. Oes yna le i wella? Mi faswn i’n licio gweld cyfres debyg (sef criw o blant yn arwyr) ond ar gyfer plant ‘chydig yn hŷn hefyd. Ond tydi hynny ddim byd i wneud gyda’r gyfres yma, felly dwi heb rili ateb y cwestiwn naddo! Dwi’n falch fod yr awdur yn canolbwyntio ar Gymru ac yn tynnu sylw at bethau Cymraeg, ond efallai bydd rhai yn teimlo fod y themâu braidd yn gyfyngedig. Wrth gwrs, dwi’n siŵr fod ‘na ddigon o bethau diddorol dros Gymru ar gyfer anturiaethau pellach, ond, tybed oes ‘na le i ‘Trio’ fynd i grwydro i wledydd eraill Ewrop (neu’r byd) yn y dyfodol? (jest dim i Loegr!) OMB dwi ‘di mwynhau - oes 'na fwy? Bosib fod ti’n gwybod hyn yn barod, ond os nad wyt ti - mae ‘na ragor o anturiaethau - Trio ac Antur y Mileniwm (Llyfr 1) Trio ac Antur y Castell (Llyfr 2) Athrawon/rhieni Mae’n ddyletswydd ar athrawon i gyflwyno straeon amrywiol i blant, a dwi’n gwybod fod cymaint o bwysau gwaith ei bod hi’n anodd dal i fyny â’r holl lyfrau newydd sy’n dod allan. Yn aml iawn, mae plant (yn enwedig dysgwyr) yn cysylltu’r Gymraeg gydag iaith yr ysgol - sef iaith gwaith. Tydyn nhw ddim bob amser yn gwneud y cyswllt rhwng llyfrau Cymraeg a straeon y gallen nhw fwynhau. Felly, os ydych chi’n chwilio am lyfr ysgafn i’w ddarllen ar ddiwedd y dydd gyda’ch dosbarth (rhywbeth sy’n HOLLOL HOLLOL BWYSIG ond yn aml yn cael ei hepgor yn CA2) yna dwi’n argymell y llyfrau Trio yn fawr. (yn enwedig i blant bl.3/4 a phlant Bl.5/6 sy’n llai hyderus yn y Gymraeg). Yn fy marn i, mae’r llyfrau Trio’n gweithio’n well fel llyfrau i’w mwynhau (er pleser) a dim ar gyfer gwneud gwaith e.e. ymarferion darllen a deall. Cofiwch am GLWB TRIO! Nid pob cyfres o lyfrau Cymraeg sy’n gallu brolio ‘clwb’ ecsgliwsif ei hun! Mae Atebol yn cynnig clwb darllen cyfrinachol (ia – fel ers talwm) ar gyfer aelodau sy’n hoffi darllen a dilyn hanesion Trio. Fe allwch gofrestru â’r clwb AM DDIM a chewch bethau difyr a hwyl yn y post. Dyma’r linc i gofrestru: https://atebol-siop.com/criw-trio.html?___store=cym&___from_store=eng (O ia – by the way - dydw i ddim yn gweithio i Atebol a dydyn nhw ddim wedi fy nhalu i ddweud hyn - dwi jest yn meddwl fod o’n syniad bril!) Well, we may not have had an Eisteddfod this year, but we still have cause to celebrate because Manon Steffan Ros and Atebol have published another book in the popular 'Trio' series. Now that there are three books, the 'Trio Trilogy' is finally complete! It just feels right now somehow! The book was launched in August to quite some fanfare. I think Atebol has cottoned on with how to sell books. Especially with children’s books, you need to create a bit of 'hype' around the product in order to generate buzz that will lead to sales. With less money around than in the past, the marketing of books in Wales can be difficult, so 10/10 in this instance. The third book was launched at the virtual Eisteddfod AmGen with an innovative show over Zoom for families. Antur y Goron was an interactive, detective whodunnit-type experience. It was a big success, with over 400 people signing up to take part. From my point of view, it was absolutely wonderful to see all the buzz around a Welsh-language book series, and everyone involved had taken a punt to do something completely new and different. I hope that it was a worthwhile endeavour that will introduce the character to new readers, as well as shifting more copies! What/what is ‘Trio’? This is an original and exciting series for children by experienced author, Manon Steffan Ros. The heroes of the stories are three children, who call themselves 'Trio,' and they use their skills (or lack thereof) to solve mysteries whilst on their entertaining adventures. The Trio books have a similar flavour to Enid Blyton's old classics, but this is a fresh, modern and original series that’s unique to Wales. The crew, called Derec Dynamo, Clem Clyfar and Dilys Dyfeisgar are heroes, yes, but they are also completely barmy. Very often, they’ll make a hash of things with hilarious results. You can't help but like them! What’s the book about? This time, the children go for an adventure to the Eisteddfod (more ironic than ever in 2020!) Like many welsh children, the three had never been to the National Eisteddfod before so this was going to be a new and exciting experience. Without it ever feeling forced, the author brings in many aspects of the Eisteddfod’s traditions as a natural part of the story. This will help those who are not familiar with the Eisteddfod and may even encourage some to go for themselves! As the gang explores the ‘Maes’, they will come across the Archdruid himself (the important man in the fancy dress!) and through some crafty eavesdropping, the crew learn that THE CHAIR has disappeared! Not any chair, but THE SPECIAL chair that forms part of the MAIN ceremony! Oh no! The three will have to rely on all their skills if they are to discover who stole the chair. Can they get it back in time? It’s going to be a race against the clock! What's good about the book? Unlike the Star Wars films, I think the latest book is the best yet. Like fine wine, the series is improving as it goes. The fact that the characters are a little bit silly (but likeable) puts a different little spin on the idea of 'heroes.' They don't always get it right - but they do try! The story is lighthearted and easy to follow, and you’ll be happy to know there’s lots of cool illustrations by Huw Aaron and not too much writing on every page. Personally, I like the little ‘aside’ bits in the book. These are the parts that come after this symbol * It usually contains some wise or witty remarks by the author (the author/narrator’s voice) who almost feels obliged to say these things after ‘Trio’s’ usual nonsense. In any case, I think it works well and it's rather amusing - am I right to think that there’s more of this in this book than the previous ones? And finally, of course, like all good books – our heroes save the day in the end! Who would like this book? Well, it’s not too long so it’s perfect for a bit of light reading, for pleasure. (which is different from heavy reading, for work!) The book may be suitable for children aged 7-9, but certainly Yr.5/6 would also enjoy the book. If you like adventure, detective stories and humour all rolled into one – Trio is for you. Is there room for improvement? I would like to see a similar series (a bunch of children as heroes) but for the teen years too. However, that’s got nothing to do with these books so I haven’t really answered the question, have I?! I am pleased that the author is focusing on Wales and drawing attention to Welsh landmarks and/or events, but some may feel that the themes are somewhat limiting. Of course, there are plenty of interesting things in Wales for further adventures, but I wonder if there’s scope for 'Trio' to go a bit further afield on their next adventures? Perhaps to other European countries? OMG I love it – are there more? You probably already know this, but if you didn't - there are more adventures - Trio ac Antur y Mileniwm (Book 1) Trio ac Antur y Castell (Book 2) Teachers/parents Teachers have a duty to introduce children to a wide variety of texts, and I know that a heavy workload makes it difficult to keep up with new releases. Very often, children (particularly those learning Welsh as a 2nd language) associate Welsh with the language of schooling – the language of work. They don’t always make the connection between Welsh books and stories they may enjoy. So, if you are looking for a light read for end-of-day class story time (Something VITALLY important but often forgotten in KS2) then I highly recommend the Trio books. (especially for year 3/4 children and those in Yrs. 5/6 who are less confident in Welsh) or just looking for a quick read. In my opinion, the Trio books work better as books to enjoy (for pleasure) and not for doing work e.g. comprehension exercises Remember about CLWB TRIO! Not every Welsh book series can boast its own exclusive club! Atebol offers a secret reading members club (yeah, like you used to get years ago) for anyone who likes to follow Trio's stories. You can register for FREE and you’ll get fun things in the post. Here’s the registration link: https://atebol-siop.com/criw-trio.html?___store=cym&___from_store=eng (Oh, and by the way - I don't work for Atebol and they haven't paid me to say all this - I just think it's a brilliant idea!) Gwasg/publisher: Atebol Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2020 Pris: £6.99