I usually share single poems from collections here, but today I want to share a bit of Think Big!, Liz Garton Scanlon’s latest beautiful picture book (Bloomsbury, 2012).
This is a fantastic celebration of all forms of creativity, told in terse verse.
The art shows kids preparing for a school production, and the text names the
activity. Here’s an excerpt:
Black ink
Line, shade
Knit, purl
Handmade
No thought
Too great
You think
We’ll wait
I love that last couplet I shared there because the waiting is important. If
you’re reading this book aloud, it might be tempting to zip through it, because
it’s so short. But don’t. Read slowly. Let kids study the picture. Help them
figure out what is happening on each spread. Art and understanding both take
time.
And then the book ends:
Big breath
Brave heart
Ready,
set…
Make art!
What a great celebration, full of both art and heart!
The very funny Ed DeCaria at Think Kid, Think! has the?Poetry Friday roundup. Go enjoy!
LOVE this! Thanks for highlighting it.
Isn’t it wonderful?
LOVE this! Thanks for highlighting it.
Isn’t it wonderful?
Looks and sounds like a fun book!
It is! The story that unfolds through the pictures is terrific, too (even though I mostly focus on words:>)
Looks and sounds like a fun book!
It is! The story that unfolds through the pictures is terrific, too (even though I mostly focus on words:>)
Thank you, Laura!!! I’m so flattered!
You’re so welcome, Liz. Another picture book where your compassion and enthusiasm pour out on every page. Well done!
Thank you, Laura!!! I’m so flattered!
You’re so welcome, Liz. Another picture book where your compassion and enthusiasm pour out on every page. Well done!
I shared this all over school last week, Laura. It is a wonderful book, especially for any class that does lots of projects, including dramatic ones. The illustrations are great, too. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you already knew this book, Linda!
I shared this all over school last week, Laura. It is a wonderful book, especially for any class that does lots of projects, including dramatic ones. The illustrations are great, too. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you already knew this book, Linda!
Oh, the terse verse is fabulous, and that last couple of lines “You think / we’ll wait” – perfect! I think this is a must for our home library, where I hope to be raising literary/artistic kids (you know, as soon as they’re out of fireman phase). 🙂
Haha–well, at PiBoIdoMo this morning, I read about Ned the Knitting Pirate: A Salty Yarn. So I bet you can get those firemen of yours doing some artsy stuff between fighting fires:>)
Oh, the terse verse is fabulous, and that last couple of lines “You think / we’ll wait” – perfect! I think this is a must for our home library, where I hope to be raising literary/artistic kids (you know, as soon as they’re out of fireman phase). 🙂
Haha–well, at PiBoIdoMo this morning, I read about Ned the Knitting Pirate: A Salty Yarn. So I bet you can get those firemen of yours doing some artsy stuff between fighting fires:>)
Lovely!
It is!
Lovely!
It is!
Looks like so much fun! This would be a great book to practice recitation with my sixth grade kiddos.
It would be! It would read great to either recite as a whole, or with a different kid (or small group) reciting each line.
Looks like so much fun! This would be a great book to practice recitation with my sixth grade kiddos.
It would be! It would read great to either recite as a whole, or with a different kid (or small group) reciting each line.
Hi Laura, I am a sucker for poetry books like this – so inspiring – encourages children to dream beyond themselves, think BIG – how beautiful. Haven’t read this one yet, will look for it. 🙂
You will LOVE this one, Myra!
Hi Laura, I am a sucker for poetry books like this – so inspiring – encourages children to dream beyond themselves, think BIG – how beautiful. Haven’t read this one yet, will look for it. 🙂
You will LOVE this one, Myra!
Kids need to hear this message over and over again until it is written on their hearts!
And adults, too:>) But yes, kids deserve and need to hear this. So do the powers that be that control arts funding…
Kids need to hear this message over and over again until it is written on their hearts!
And adults, too:>) But yes, kids deserve and need to hear this. So do the powers that be that control arts funding…