PPBF: How To Catch A Star

Happy Friday; today's PPBF is already fifteen years old.

How is it that I've missed this growth-mindset text until now?

And Kohl's is currently selling them for five bucks!

Title: How To Catch A Star

Author/Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

Publisher: Philomel Books

Birth Date: June 3, 2004

Suitable for ages: 3-7

Themes: dreams, growth mindset, perseverance

Brief synopsis: A young boy chases his dream of catching a star.

Opening page: Once there was a boy, and the boy loved stars very much.

Resources:

Watch a read aloud {here} and {here}.

Buy a goal-setting enrichment activity {here}.

Read the author's story {here}.

Why I like this book: This story endeared itself to me because of the perseverance with which this young boy pursues his dream, a dream that is out of reach, some might say, but his dream nonetheless. He trouble-shoots. He problem-solves. And he gets frustrated and sad. But this young boy never gives up. And when he finds a star of a different sort, it doesn't matter to him. He delights in having found, "a star of his own," even though it's a variation from his original dream. His plan B, if you will. Or C, actually, because the star in the sky doesn't pan out, nor does the reflection of said star in the water. But the Starfish? It's a dream come true.

Pair the book with this version of The Starfish.

Find out from your students or staff what their big dream is

and ask them to set intentions on how they'll catch that dream.

Maybe it's a YET goal, something they've not done just yet.

Maybe it's a global dream, like world peace.

Maybe it's something more manageable, like tidying up.

Whatever it is, encourage them to set an intention

and write down the small steps that they'll take

to reach the big outcome of realizing that dream.

Then revisit Oliver Jeffers' text with inquiries like these:

Why did the boy choose to catch the star in the morning?

What time of day would you have chosen? Why?

How many things did the boy try to help achieve his goal?

Which one did you think had the best chance of working?

What else might you have tried if you were him?

Is there an idea he gave up on too easily? If so, which one?

Talk about a time you had to adapt a dream of yours.

What happened?

What was that experience like?

How did you feel before, during, and after that pursuit?

Encourage your Starfish to write letters to the author, thanking him for this shining star, and telling him how it helped them with the virtues of growth mindset, perseverance, resilience and grit.

You could also use this gem as an intro to a unit on Stars.

When's the last time you caught a star?

When's the next?