Hello Friends!
It's been a few months since I last wrote here, what with my daughter's wedding, my family's Christmas holiday, spending time with my grandson, and preparing for the February arrival of his baby sister!
Life has been busy, but today I really need to write about the importance of KINDNESS and share some favorite picture books to help you promote caring in your classroom and throughout your community.
SIX BOOKS TO HELP YOU TEACH KINDNESS IN YOUR CLASSROOM
To help you launch quality lessons about kindness in your classroom, I've pulled six favorite books from my shelves to share. Each of the mentor texts included on my list will help you lead important discussions with your students about how to treat others with consideration, respect, and tolerance. I hope that you will look for them in your local library or independent bookstore!
One Smile
Written by Cindy McKinley and illustrated by Mary Gregg Byrne, this picture book explores how one person's small gesture or show of kindness can help "pay it forward" and effect positive change in the lives of others. The story chronicles the walk a little girl named Katie and her mother take through town, and the people they encounter along the way. The watercolor illustrations are just gorgeous and full of light. Thoughtful group discussion questions are provided on the end pages.
Extra Yarn
In this Caldecott Honor book written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen, a young girl named Annabelle uses her knitting skills "for good" when she finds a box filled with various colors of yarn. As she creates sweaters for people, humans, animals, vehicles, and buildings with her endless supply of yarn, her generous acts attract a greedy archduke to the village. Both Annabelle's response to his offer to buy her bottomless box of yarn for one million dollars and the story's ending will surprise your students! Plan for it to spark a lively discussion about the story's themes of sharing, selflessness, and thoughtfulness.
The Other Side
Clover, a young black girl, and Annie, a young white girl, are the main characters in this story written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis. The two spend their summers watching and wondering about each other from across the fence that divides their family's properties. They see each other in town but never speak, smile, or acknowledge each other because the grown-ups tell them not to.
But one day, both girls decide to be brave and introduce themselves through the slats in the fence and their relationship becomes one of friendship instead of just wary neighbors. This story's message of "sitting side-by-side" on the fence" and "maybe someday knocking it down" is a timeless and important one.
One Green Apple
This story is about Farah, a young Muslim girl, who is starting her second day at a new school in a new country. Her class is taking a field trip to an apple orchard, and the experience is described eloquently and honestly by author, Eve Bunting, and illustrator, Ted Lewin. Despite their differences and the language barrier, Farah's teacher and her classmates do their best to make her feel included, welcome, and more certain in unfamiliar surroundings. The way the juices of the green apple Farah chooses to add to the cider press blend with the red apples her peers add is a metaphor for how she hopes to be respected and accepted by her new friends.
Love
Matthew De La Pena's poetic, rhythmic text and Loren Long's stunning illustrations make this picture book one to cherish and share with your students, your friends, and your families! It describes and depicts the many forms, faces, feelings, actions, and places we see, hear, experience, give, and receive love throughout our lives. Comfort, warmth, and caring just radiate from the words and the pictures. This is a quietly powerful colorfully beautiful read-aloud. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Wonder
I know that this story by R.J. Palacio is NOT a picture book, but it is certainly a worthy chapter book read-aloud to include in an intermediate, middle grade, or even high school classroom when you want to stress the importance of kindness! We all can learn a lot from Auggie Pullman and the life obstacles he meets, the challenges he has to overcome, and the bullying he endures because he "looks different" than the other kids at his school.
Before or after you share these picture books with your students, you might want to use some of the poster prompts in my FREE KINDNESS AND CLASSROOM COMMUNITY PACK to lead discussions about how they can help their school, community, home, and world be a kinder, gentler place.
Before I hit "publish" on this post, I'd like to share two song links that you might like to play during any or all of your lessons on kindness.
Maybe one of them could become your class anthem? Maybe they could be playing as your students arrive in the morning or as they pack -up to leave at dismissal? Who doesn't love to start or end the school day with singing and dancing?
I truly believe that MUSIC and BOOKS have the power to create positive change. I hope you do too.
Keep a song in your heart and a book in your hand!
As always, thanks for being here!
~Jennifer
storiesandsongs2@gmail.com
