Tag: Picture Books

Aaron Becker’s Journey: A True Picture Book

I was first introduced to Aaron Becker’s Journey while doing a teaching placement not too long ago. What I did not realize at first was how versatile this book would become, on not only an age level, but a conceptual and skill-teaching level as well. I have since read it to students at the primary and junior levels, and each time, this book has not failed to create a splash. Becker relinquishes the use of words to tell a story completely in the hands of a child’s imagination. He trusts our young readers, as we must, to make their own meaning out of this heartfelt tale.

I will intentionally not discuss the plot of this book, as I do want to create any skew toward a certain interpretation when the book provides for many. Suffice to say, this book is about a young girl who begins a journey and along the way, discovers much about herself and life.

Juxtaposing grayscale pictures with bold singular colour in the beginning, and then opening wide a world blossoming with colour as the book progresses, Becker unfolds a world that students can envelope themselves in. With magical crayons and castles, boats and hot air balloons, rescue missions and the king’s guards, this book will allow your students to draw the important messages of friendship, selflessness, generosity, imagination and compassion. The sensitively-coloured and poignantly-drawn illustrations provide your students with the opportunity to lose themselves in another world where they can tell you a story as it plays out in the turning  pages. For once, you will not be the one narrating, they will, and they will take much pleasure in making their own tale. The thing I love most about this book is that it allows for a variety of different levels of interpretation that your students can attach themselves to. It prods their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, it allows them to use language to describe pictures, it helps them with recall and attention to fine detail, and at its best, it provides them with the opportunity to acknowledge the value of a variety of perspectives. It is especially great for those of your students who just do not like reading; a great place to start to show them that books can be fun and instructive, without the burden of a multitude of words.

Teachers, this book is well worth the investment, and a true gem that will prove timeless for your students each year.

 

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Back to School: First Day Jitters!

For a lot of us Canadians, school begins next week. And yes, teachers everywhere are hunkering down for 10 months of a lot of work. And it is no far-fetched notion that the first day gives a lot of us returning to school (staff and students alike) the jitters, which is why First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg is a fantastic book to read to your students K-3.

The author and illustrator, Judy Love, are very clever with the big reveal at the end of the book where we find out that the person with the jitters about her first day at a new school is a grown woman, a full-fledged teacher. This book provides a platform for discussion about your students’ feelings around their first day of school. Questions such as “How do you feel about going to a new school?” “What are some ways that you could help someone who is new?” are a great place to start. These questions can seek to calm down students who are nervous about their first day of school, and help other students who are not, become more empathetic to their experiences. It further raises a lot of other themes such as facing your fears, being confident in yourself, welcoming new people. And it has the added advantage of being funny! Your students will love the illustrations, dear teachers, and they will find it hilarious that their teachers’ feelings are not so different from their own.

Parents, this would also be a great way for you to prepare your little one for his/her first day (back) at school. To know that his/her teachers experience a similar struggle will allow your child to be a bit less worried about what to expect on his/her first day.

I know I tout a lot of books as must-have when I review them, but I usually review books that I think are particularly helpful or poignant. It is no surprise then, that I declare this book an absolute MUST-HAVE!

Happy preparing for the first day of school, dear teachers, students and parents!

 

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I Knew You Could!: Such an Inspiration!

I should begin this post by saying that I am quite fortunate to have friends and family who are loving and supportive no matter what twists my life takes. They jump with me on my highs and hold me through my lows. So, when a very dear friend of mine gave me this book to celebrate an important event in my life, I had to share it! This book is a great gift to someone who is in need of a little inspiration or encouragement, or just a pat on the back to show your support, but also a fantastic read for your students, dear teachers.

Written by Craig Dorfman with artwork by Cristina Ong, I Knew You Could! is a truly special book. Using rhyme to make the journey one that flows quite seamlessly, Dorfman draws in his readers with thought-provoking life lessons that can be applied at the different stages in our lives. What I love about this book most is that it is relevant. It uses the symbol of  a train to chronicle a journey through life and along the way, likens a train’s experiences to bigger life experiences. The metaphors are rich and the similes just as compelling. This book is imbued with positive thinking that a lot of people can relate to. It draws attention to the harsh times we face in our life journeys, and positions hope and perseverance as the tools essential to get through the journey.It encourages the reader to be true to him/herself and rely on friendships and loved ones during hard times. It is a book truly that should belong on every shelf as the first piece of positive-thinking or self-help literature that one might own.

Teachers, do yourselves a favour and buy a copy. Not only will you love reading this to your students as you teach them valuable life concepts, but you will smile as you read this to yourself. Moms and dads everywhere, you might just want to head off to the store to pick a copy to read tonight to your precious little one(s). Trust me, you will be glad you did.

And to my dear friend (you know who you are if you are reading this), thank you for believing in me, and for this beautiful memento of inspiration.

 

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Picture Book Spotlight: The Name Jar

I should probably start this post by saying that this book is a certain gem. What a wonderful concept Yangsook Choi has weaved into the fantastic vehicle of a children’s book! This book opens with a young girl making a long journey that will change her life. Unhei comes from Korea to America, and to a new school. Before she gets to her new school, kids on her bus begin to tease her about her name. How will she possibly get through the first day of school?

Choi weaves a compassionate and thoughtful cast of characters in this book. The Korean tradition is briefly touched upon, and a young child’s love of her native land is showcased with generosity of character. Unhei goes to school and decides she will not reveal her name to her fellow classmates, saying that she hasn’t picked one yet. She does not want to risk being bullied again. Her classmates, in helpful form, put together a Name Jar for her, with suggestions for what name she could pick. All except Joey. Joey takes some extra time to get to know Unhei, and the story thumps along to its heart-warming end.

This book delves into cultural identity and what it means for people to uproot themselves from familiar cultures and assimilate into new ones. It especially focuses on the struggle young children face, and the bullying that oftentimes ensues. It measures the weight of a name and what it means for every individual. It is also a warm narrative of what happens when you can find your identity in the country you came from, and the one you now call home.

Teachers, set mostly in a school, this book provides the perfect backdrop from broaching the conversation around cultural identity, bullying, family, self-identity, and what it means to be who you are. This books is also versatile in his accessibility. It can be read aloud to students from grades 1 – 6.

As an Extension Activity, you can do a Name Jar Activity with your students where you invite them to ask parents and/or guardians about how they got their names. Each student can then write his/her name and the reason for being given that name on a piece of paper, and slip it into a jar at the start of class the next day. Circle Sharing Time can be utilized to give each child the opportunity to pick a piece of paper out of the jar and the teacher can read out the contents of the paper. Such an activity would allow a better awareness of the identities and lifestyles of their peers, for each student.It can also be a great opportunity to help sow the seeds of respect, if their leaves are not already flourishing.

 

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Picture Book Spotlight: A Slight Change in Perspective

Let’s face it then, in today’s world with messages about the way we should act and dress and talk and smile, children don’t really have a fighting chance to decide who they are and love themselves for it. There is so much pressure on our little ones today, that it is a wonder not all of them break under it. Little girls as old as 5 are wearing makeup…trust me, there is a lot wrong with that. And while that is in itself a discussion for another blog, I would like to talk about a Picture Book (Because let’s keep true to the main obsession of this blog, right?) that does a lot of good in helping children understand their own worth, and taking them on one of their first steps to loving themselves. All this with a slight change in perspective.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a gifted Children’s Author, and today I want to profile my favourite book from her collection: Spoon. Spoon is a book about…you guessed it, a spoon. A spoon who feels that he is not as special as the forks and the knives and the chopsticks of the world. He ambles on feeling sorry for himself and pining away at the special qualities that his other kitchen folk posses. Until, of course, a slight change in perspective helps him appreciate what he is.

Rosenthal uses the simple, yet profound analogy of being a spoon, to help children understand that each of them is special as (s)he is. With all the conformity inherent in our world, where being part of the pack is championed, the outliers don’t often have the chance to offer their special talents to our world. Rosenthal tries to help with that. Replete with illustrations that tickles a child’s imagination, and dialogue that brings spoons everywhere to life, this book offers children the rare opportunity to see the world differently in any situation, if they just learn how to change their perspective. It offers an option to put a positive spin on just about anything that might look particularly dire. Children have the chance to learn how to be grateful for what they have and who they are. And gratitude is much needed in a world bursting at the seams with entitlement.

So, if you’re a primary teacher, a parent of a child between the ages of 4 and 8, this books MUST be on your shelf. Who knows, that child sitting in the corner in the back of the room, might have his world turned to a shining view after you’ve read this one out loud!

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