Today I'm thinking about Mindset since that's the theme of my May calendar and today's PPBF. Click {here} for a freebie download.
I thought I'd feature it today and get
you thinking about mindset, too.
Title: Stuck
Author and illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Birth-date: September 3, 2011
Suitable for: ages 3-6
Themes: problem solving, perseverance, creativity
Brief synopsis: Floyd finds himself with a problem when his kite gets stuck in a tree; can he solve it by throwing things at it?
Opening page: It all began when Floyd's kite became stuck in a tree.
He tried pulling and swinging, but it wouldn't come unstuck.
Resources: Oliver Jeffers reads his book {here}.
Read a Reading Is Fundamental review {here}.
Get activities from the Children's Library Lady {here}.
Dig in to a treasure trove of enrichment ideas {here}.
Why I like this book: I found this book about five years ago after hearing laughter coming from our reading specialist's room one day. The teacher, Rosemary Machtemes, told me that I simply must add it to my library and then, as if by serendipity, Kohl's featured some of Oliver Jeffers' books in their Kohl's Cares campaign and I got myself a hardcover copy of Stuck for only $5. Who else loves a good bargain?
Anyway, Floyd has a problem. Instead of asking for help, he decides to solve it by himself. That's likely the first talking point I'd use: What might happen when you set yourself up as a single point of failure. It's a great starting block, likely to bring up a lot of interesting mindset talk. From there, lots of laughs as Jeffers uses hyperbole (another talking point!) to show Floyd throwing things up in the tree to try to get his kite down. Talking point number 3 is kind of a metaphor for throwing a problem after a problem, allowing the snowball effect to swallow us up. As Floyd creatively keeps throwing things, the laughs keep coming; the reader will enjoy the comical speech bubbles and the surprise-twist ending. To elevate empathy, talk about how Floyd must have been feeling, then pose the question: Have YOU ever been stuck?
Use this treasure to spark deep introspection and heighten self-awareness as students share the things that they've tried in their moments of desperation or frustration at feeling stuck. Let them talk, then encourage them to put that experience and those feelings into a collage or picture. Put it into a visual display titled: When we were stuck ...
Check out this book, then head to Susanna Hill's blog for her review of The Color Collector as well as today's other PPBF picks.
EXCITING news: We are over the moon with excitement and joy that our picture book, Mr. Quigley's Keys, will launch in six weeks, on June 1st. Click on the image for a bit of the book's backstory.
Can you hear Mr. Quigley's Keys coming?
Enjoyed your mindset chart -- very creative. Goes well with your share today! What a fun book to share with kids -- something they and adults will identify with. Didn't realize Kohl's was featuring Oliver Jeffer's book. Hope it's recent, as I haven't been in the store for a while.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by the Corner, Pat; I believe that right now Kohl's has Nancy Carlson books.
DeleteI love this book, particularly the ending, which makes me laugh every time I read it.
ReplyDelete