Today I'm excited because we just got back from our Autumn retirement excursion to see the Fall foliage in my home state of Wisconsin. Words can't adequately explain the sensory explosion we experienced, so I snapped a few (536) pictures. We brought these back to Texas, to share with some of the children here.
the leaves blanketed the ground as they fell from their trees,
which are going dormant for the winter that lies ahead.
Each leaf uniquely special in color, shape and size,
each one completing a season, a poignant metaphor for life.
The farmers were out en force, working diligently on their harvest.
Every single shot a cool kaleidoscope of beauty,
for city dwellers and country folk alike.
Drink in the color and enjoy the a scent-sational forest bath
as we segue into today's most colorful PPBF pick.
Title: The Color Monster
Author and Illustrator: Anna Llenas
Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
Birth Date: September 4, 2018
Suitable for: grades PreK - 3
Themes: feelings, emotional literacy, self-regulation
Brief synopsis: A confused Color Monster gets a lesson on why he feels how he feels and what to do about it.
Opening page:
LOTS of enrichment ideas from Marissa {here}.
Use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast this title with
Invite students to draw a Feelings Monster selfie. Or do some feelings leaf rubbings, intentionally choosing colors that coordinate to how the leaves may be feeling. Are there leaves that look happy? Sad? Afraid? Mad?
Why I like this book: In the technological age, when people are spending upwards of seven hours per day on a battery-powered digital device rather than interacting face to face with the heartbeat of another person, it has become increasingly important for us to intentionally teach emotional regulation to our children. This treasure helps facilitate feelings identification by pairing them with colors; for example, green = calm, red = angry, brown = fear, yellow = happy. The incredible illustrations make the Monster's feelings jump off of the page. And which feeling is pink? Such a playfully engaging way to end the book with a wordless page.
Want a creative way to help increase emotional literacy?
Consider turning your ceiling tiles into feeling tiles.
Do your feelings a favor and check out this gem,
then head to Susanna Hill's blog for other terrific PPBF titles.
Breaking news: A Wausau news station covered my school visit in Stevens Point on Monday {here} and the Houston Chronicle wrote an article about Friendswood Junior High's Mustang Impact Time to address #SEL needs {here}.
Don't you love it when empathy and kindness make the headlines?
Great book choice, Barbara. This is one of my favourites. My daughter-in-law, who's also a counselor, uses this book in her practice.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos, too! Have you ever been to Quebec? It's also just as beautiful this time of year:)
I have not been to Quebec ... yet ... but Canada seems to be really calling my name lately! This is a new pick for me though I do see that a few other versions came out a few years back. I would have LOVED to have had this one when I worked at the elementary.
DeleteFun book and I love your pictures. Fall offers such a treat for the senses.
ReplyDeleteYay! A new book to check out and enjoy. I love that feelings are compared to colors. I can see this book generating lively discussions in the classroom. Also, thank you for sharing your colorful fall photographs.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are stunning!! Thank you for sharing them. I live in the San Francisco where we have few seasonal changes, other than fog, rain, or sun.
ReplyDeleteOur son used to struggle with modulating his emotions, and we found this kind of color charting to be quite helpful. He knew that when he approached the color red, he needed to pull back. This sounds like a great book!