The word "parent" is not just a noun. It's also a verb.
Yokki and his Romani Traveller family live in tents, and move around a lot. They sell their crafts, wisdom, and services as well as perform odd jobs to take them through the slow seasons. Yokki is a gifted storyteller in a community that values oral tradition, and he weaves his tales while the family sits around a fire every night.
This is a story that tells about the circle of life and how important it is to feel loved, appreciated, supported, and special. It is a story that teaches us that the greatest gifts we can give our children do not come from a store but rather from our hearts.
Eric Carle, a favorite author for years, and one that has been a big part of my teaching journey, brings us a little gem of a book. Not only do his stories always manage to incorporate a multitude of lessons, they are simply and honestly breathtakingly beautiful. So, when I saw this title, I was naturally curious. As with any Carle work, it does not disappoint.
Each story is bite-sized, perfect for dipping in and out of over the course of a day or two, and would be fantastic for parents and children to read together, or for a teacher to read to his or her class. (Zoom story time is going to be a thing this year, youse guys.) Featuring a mix of elements from the natural world as well as tales of good old-fashioned human nature, Wynne-Jones’ style is witty, smart, and most importantly of all, relatable.
Aimed primarily at the youngest “readers,” the book provides a good introduction to the different types of families that have existed for centuries in our world. In a simple expository format, basically show and tell, the book takes the child on a tour of various familial groupings.
Scared of the Dark? It’s Really Scared of You is a charming little story that helps young children face their fear of the dark, by personifying darkness, and giving it a personality and emotions that children can relate to.
Snow Doves, Hartry’s compelling entry into the world of wordless picture books, “tells” the story of Sami, who has arrived in a new country, very different from his own.
What did you feel like when you found out a baby was on the way? It doesn’t matter how that baby was expected to arrive. The accompanying feelings are pretty much the same for any parent to be: excitement, fear, uncertainty, anticipation, anxiety; and a long list of other descriptors certainly come to mind.
The key to making the book successful, however, is that it actually has a well-developed, original storyline that unifies all of the elements. De Palma knows that children are capable of understanding complex stories even at a young age.