Summer is a time for star gazing, and for taking time out to notice the little things. Children love to look out for fireflies, and to look up at the moon...
The natural world around us is such a mystery; and in a world where we all seem to be zooming full speed ahead, it's a place that can pull us back to the present. It's a place where we can take a moment to think about who we are, and how we fit into the world. Hmmm...You could say the same thing about picture books, couldn't you?
As you know by now, it's not easy for me to recommend just one book. Why? Well, whenever I read a picture book, the wheels start spinning in my head about other picture books which could be connected with that particular book.
Today, I'm happy to tell you about three picture books which go together so well because they make you think about yourself as one star in an endless sky. They make it easy for children to make book-to-book, book-to-self, and book-to-world connections, which are essential critical thinking skills for the 21st century.
In How the Moon Regained Her Shape, by Janet Ruth Heller, the moon is bullied by the sun. When a comet sees that the moon has "gotten smaller," he sends her down to Earth to someone who can help her see how much she is loved by many. Please note that there are references to Native American culture, but the author does not claim that the story is an authentic Native American tale.
You can find a lot of related information about the moon and bullying in the "For Creative Minds" section at the end of this Sylvan Dell book.
Pieces of Another World, by Mara Rockliff, is the story of a dad who wakes his daughter up in the middle of the night to take her on a surprise road trip. The only hint he gives her as to where they're going is that they will "see some pieces of another world."
They reach an empty field. In the darkness, they hear and see the nature that's all around them, and then they look up at the night sky... and they are "showered" with amazement! What a wonderful way for a father to spend time with his daughter.
You will find related information once again in the "For Creative Minds" section at the end of this Sylvan Dell book. You'll not only learn a lot about meteor showers, but you'll be able to do some "Meteor Math" with your child, model a meteor shower with cookies, and get some tips on how to host a "Meteor Watching Party."
I found the next picture book, Giraffes Can't Dance, by Giles Andreae, through an 8th grade social studies teacher (@paulbogush) on Twitter! He reads it aloud to his students at the beginning and the end of the year, and I can see why.
When the day of the "Jungle Dance" arrived, Gerald the giraffe "felt so sad, because when it came to dancing he was really very bad." When he goes out to dance, the animals call him "clumsy" and "weird." Gerald believes them.
On his way home, he looks up at the moon, and a cricket says, "sometimes when you're different you just need a different song." He helps Gerald to hear the music in the natural world around him.
I'll leave the rest to your imagination, but let's just say that this touching, rhyming story ends with Gerald and the other animals looking up at the moon and the stars...
Here's a special note for teachers: you can make a great literature/technology connection at NASA Blast Back to School.I like to group picture books with similar themes together because it's kind of like connecting the dots in a constellation of stars. Once children see that image in the sky, it's always there to guide them.
Picture books and people are like shining stars. They come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are close by, yet others are so far. If we would just take time out to notice them, just think about how much more peaceful the world would be...
When you look up at the sky, what do you see?