Today I'm feeling grateful to have been a guest on the Dave Burgess show; click {here} for my convo with this passionate Pirate educator.
I'm still on Cloud 9 even though we recorded it a week ago;
I'd love to hear your takeaways if you give it a listen.
And now, for today's PPBF. Wait, what? It's not Friday?
So goes the life of a retired (reinspired) educator.
Author: Melanie Joyce
Illustrator: Julie Seal
Publisher: Igloo Books, Ltd.
Birth date: September 1, 2011
Suitable for: ages 5-8
Themes: identity, friendship, growth mindset
Brief synopsis: Before Freddy realizes that he's a flight-less bird, he dreams of soaring with his friends; will it be okay if he prefers swimming?
Opening page: "Hello, I'm Freddy. Have a fantastic time reading all about my adventure!"
Resources:
Enjoy a read-aloud {here}.
Check out the book/plush combo {here}.
Try some penguin activities from this post.
Compare and contrast with Flight School and Penguin Flies Home.
Why I like this book: First of all, I found this special gem when I was antiquing on our retreat outing this weekend; this fun find reminded me SO much of one of my all-time Lita Judge faves, Flight School, and its sequel Penguin Flies Home. Its vivid illustrations invited me in and its text, riddled with onomatopoeia, kept me engaged and entertained. Kids will love to hear and imitate all of the bolded, playful language.
The plot is a familiar one; the main character wants something that his friends have. In this case, it's flight. But what he doesn't realize is that, unlike his friends, he's not a bird that flies. Enter the growth mindset, problem-solving piece: Freddy works with intention to fix his problem. When his solution isn't quite right, his friends jump in to help. Use this as a together-we're-better conversation. How does his friends' solution help Freddy succeed?
And when flying isn't all Freddy thought it'd be, then what?
Journal prompt for your young readers: Have you ever thought you really wanted something, only to realize that it wasn't all that great? That maybe there was even something out there that might fit you better? What does it take to stay flexible enough to pivot and reprioritize when that happens? What can you learn from Freddy's discovery? What did you learn from yours?
Check out this book, a valuable addition to your shelves, then head over to Susanna Hill's blog for this week's other PPBF picks.
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