What a week it has been; did you get to experience the eclipse?
Photo credit: Dave Kyte
We spent an incredibly-relaxing weekend in Wimberley, TX, which was supposed to be in the path of totality. We thoroughly enjoyed watching the waxing and waning but sadly we weren't able to see the entire eclipse because of cloud cover that rolled in right at the wrong time.
We did experience it getting dark, as if it were midnight in the early afternoon. It got so dark that the night lights at the B&B came on; the birds, which were chirping furiously, the roosters that were crowing relentlessly and the dogs, who were howling convincingly, all went silent.
It was eerily still ...
Enter today's PPBF.
Author: Britt Gondolfi
Illustrator: Amanda Romanick
Publisher: Paw Prints Publishing
Birth date: April 30, 2024
Suitable for: ages 5-7
Themes: mindset, mindfulness, screen time
Brief synopsis: When Fontaine, the Pigeon, notices that everyone is looking down at their devices, she decides to rally the troops and start a revolutionary new trend.
Opening page: Everyone was looking down.
Resources: Watch the book trailer {here}.
Read a comprehensive review {here}.
Engage in activities about the American Revolution.
Read about monitoring screen time {here}.
Why I like this book: Like this poem's unusual hero Fontaine, I'm not a big fan of how our devices have disconnected us. And, like Fontaine, I love humor. It's hard not to admire the brilliance behind his revolutionary idea. A bird on a mission to save humanity; what's not to love?
It's silly, sure, but kids love silly. Use it as a springboard to talk about something they'd like to revolutionize, an issue they'd like to change, a problem they'd like to see fixed. Let the brainstorm all of the ideas that come to their minds. The sillier, the better. I mean, what's sillier than pigeons purposely pooping all over the humans' devices? I can hear the giggles now as your learners tackle the tough topic of taking a digital detox and stepping out into nature to spend time mindfully unwrapping the present and enjoying the breathtaking beauty.
Like a distant sunset peering through the trees.
a patch of wildflowers backdropped by a prickly pear,
a pair of hummers juxta-positioning for this sugary sustenance,
Check out this humorous newcomer with its gorgeous, detailed illustrations, then head to Susanna Hill's blog for more PPBF picks.or a black-crested Titmouse couple feeding their offspring,
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