Today I'm excited because good things are happening. On Wednesday, I enjoyed meeting the school family and speaking at the School of Science and Technology, then yesterday, an anonymous patron at The Red Oak Cafe paid for our lunch.
Last night I got to speak at a Family Character Night
at Ferguson Elementary.
With every blessing, there's a burden.
One of the pipes in our attic sprung a leak
and flooded the carpeting in two of our rooms.
What a mess; my feelings are all over the place.
But I am super excited about today's PPBF.
Title: When You Are Brave
Author: Pat Zietlow Miller
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Birth Date: March 5, 2019
Suitable for ages: preK - 3rd
Themes: courage, feelings, mindfulness
Brief synopsis: Readers will connect with and relate to this young heroine who learns to be brave, brave as a bird, as a dog, as a butterfly, and find that light inside, even as she does the things that seem the scariest.
Opening page:
Some days, when everything around you seems scary ...
Resources:
Why I like this book: True confessions, I bought this book before I finished reading it. Two pages hooked me. Ok, fine, I'll give you the page numbers: Nine. Ten. and Eleven. But you're going to have to buy the book to find out why I got to page eleven and was sold. It's the kind of book that makes me wish I still had students to read it to. But not to worry; I will take it with me on my next school visit. It's all about finding that light within, that still, small spark that will glow stronger and burn brighter with practice until it's full-blow bravery. Until you're not longer a ground-crawling caterpillar but a transformed free-flyer.
Use this treasure as a springboard for talking about emotions.
There is no shame in being scared.
In fact, it's a part of life.
Remind your learners that feelings choose us,
but we get to choose what we do with them.
Our job is to figure out how to
respond to fear.
To take control,
to shine that light,
to show courage.
Invite your students to share about a time
when they didn't feel very brave.
Let them talk through how it felt
and what they did to self-soothe
and get through the fright
to the other side.
Encourage them to try some deep breathing exercises
while they use a mantra like: Inhale courage, exhale worries.
For shapes breathing, click {here}.
For five-finger breathing, {here}.
For eight breathing cards, visit {here}.
For the flower and leaf breathing, click {here}.
Compare and contrast it with Be Brave, Little One or another of your favorite titles that target self-awareness and emotional regulation. Here are a few of our feelings faves:
Check out this book, then head on over to Susanna Hill's blog
to see what the other bloggers are suggesting for your shelves.
Wow! What a terrific review teaser! And thanks for all of these ideas for how to use this book. I'm hooked!
ReplyDeleteThank you for highlighting this one for Perfect Picture Book Friday. I would love to see it on many classroom and school library shelves. The message puts its beautiful tentacles around every reader and emboldens them.
ReplyDeleteOur choices may compliment each other today. When I saw the title, I remember reviewing a book with a similar title -- but I was nicely surprised. I want this book! Such an uplifting book. Am adding it to my Amazon wish list so I remember to gift it to great grandchildren and great nieces and nephews. Lots of birthday coming up this summer.Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFun activities and review, thanks Barabara.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of being as brave as a butterfly. We never think about the courage it takes to wing south, without a map, to find that one place that is safe harbor.
ReplyDelete