PPBF: The Boy Whose Face Froze Like That

Happy Friday the 13th; wait, is that an oxymoron?

I hope that you're staying safe despite uncertain times.

We're washing our hands and using more germy gel than ever, 

but also trying to take our lead from this Eastern Bluebird

who has been hanging out outside of our breakfast area,

cautiously optimistic, flitting about with grace and grit.

And, since laughter can be such a strong resilience skill, 

today's PPBF just might help momentarily to take the edge off.

Title: The Boy Whose Face Froze Like That

Author: Lynn Plourde

Illustrator: Russ Cox

Publisher: Running Press Kids

Birth Date: March 10, 2020

Suitable for ages: 4-8

Themes: resilience, grit, unconditional love

Brief synopsis: Wendell always makes good choices, so when his friends make faces even though their parents tell them not to, it follows that he would not want to follow their lead, right?

Opening page: Kids have always made faces. Blame it on the cave-kids. They started it. Cave-parents warned: "Stop it! Your face will freeze like that!"

Resources: 

Read conflicting reviews {here} and {here}.

Why I like this book: The first-grade students I read it with last week really connected with it. They giggled at the silly faces and laughed at the even sillier thought that a face could really get stuck like that. They thought it absurd, of course, but they roared when, at the end, it appears the dog's face might be stuck like that. It's a super engaging, funny read-aloud.

With some hidden gemstones.

First, Wendell tends to be a perfectionist, so your perfectionists might especially get what he's going through. Use this as a springboard with all kiddos for discussing what it means to be someone like Wendell, a kid who "always ALWAYS followed the rules." Is there a certain kind of pressure that comes with "He never once disobeyed his parents."? Is that even possible? If so, where and/or from whom does that pressure come? From parents? From peers? From within? And what, if anything, can you do about it?

Second, Wendell caves under the pressure of wanting to try making a face, just to see what happens. This picture-perfect moment just begs for a writing activity that asks for our impressionable young learners to describe a time when they gave in to the pressure of doing something just because everybody else was doing it. 

(Cue the age-old parenting question: Would you jump off of a cliff 

just because everybody else was doing it?)

What happened and how did peer pressure influence you?

What was that experience like, positive or negative?

How would you describe the feelings that came along?

Who else was involved and how did they feel?

What, if anything, might you do differently next time?

Find out what other things their caregivers tell them not to do

that they've always wanted to try for themselves, just to see.

Then, encourage them to draw a Selfie of that experience.

Third, in the end, this is a timeless treasure

of unconditional acceptance and love.

When his parents see Wendell's face stuck like that, 

they don't scold or shame him, belittle or berate him.

Instead, they kiss him, high-five him, and dance with him

before reminding him, "We love you . . . Just the way you are."

Is it didactic? Sure is.

But in a world that tries to tell us that we are not enough,

the time is right to do an about-face:

You are loved are uplifting words

for us to hear, embrace, and share.

Head. Heart. Hands.

No pressure, but this silly newcomer is one

that I think you'll want to check out!

Then head to Susanna Hill's blog for today's other PPBF picks.

Before I join that brilliant Bluebird outside to soak in some Vitamin D and to pick some more weeds, a reflection about loving one another through tough times. Today and tomorrow and for the foreseeable future, I pray we'll continue to seek and find bountiful blessings in our burden, maybe even more opportunities than ever before to not only tell people but to show them that we see them, that they matter, that they are loved ... just the way they are. 

Let's be kind to one another as we push through this pandemic,

a poignant, powerful message for a beautiful Springtime day.