Being around fellow librarians was completely wonderful! There, it was all about learning, connecting, and celebrating #kidlit. I didn't think it was possible, but yes, I came back with an even DEEPER appreciation for children's literature:
For example, have you read this book?
It is a 2014 Geisel Honor Book (announced at ALA MidWinter). We had it in our library, and I'd read it several times. But when I read it aloud to my kinders, (after the 3rd time ) I saw many bits of brilliance I hadn't quite seen before.
Penny really likes the marble! It's blue and shiny. But it doesn't belong to her. It's on her neighbor's lawn. Should she take it? Why is it there?
Our students really wanted to discuss this. As one of my kinders pointed out, the book IS called Penny and HER Marble.
The illustrations are placed perfectly for effect, either at the bottom, centered, or in panels. The pastel shades of blue, pink, and yellow add an extra bit of tenderness to each page. And Penny's eyes do tell all! The direction of her nose, her eyebrows, the extension of her hands-- these all give clues to emotion.
Kevin Henkes gave readers a book they can read and reread, each time with more reward.
This is just one of the books I'm celebrating after MidWinter. I am so grateful for the experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment