The Great Gilly Hopkins. ISBN 978-0-06-440201-9. Katherine Paterson. 1978. Newbery Honor. Ages 9-12. Caucasian and African-American.

Galadriel “Gilly” Hopkins is 11-years-old when she is placed into yet another foster home. She daydreams about leaving Mrs. Trotter’s home which she shares with William Ernest, another foster child, and of traveling to San Francisco to be with her mother. Gilly knows that “she can’t go soft” and tells anyone who will listen that she doesn’t need any help from anybody. Gilly steals the money she needs to buy a bus ticket to San Francisco from Mrs. Trotter and her blind neighbor, Mr. Randolph. But, when this untraditional family of Trotter, William Ernest, and Mr. Randolph don’t give-up on her, even when they discover her crime, Gilly starts to care about them in return. Her mother appears for a brief visit, only to leave Gilly again. Gilly eventually ends up living with her grandmother, whom she just met but takes with her what she learned from Mrs. Trotter - that maybe she can be loved just the way she is.

The Great Gilly Hopkins could be used in social studies to discuss the differing family structures of today’s American culture, including a discussion of birth parents, foster parents, and adoptive parents. Students could make predictions about the plot based on the book title and cover illustration. Students could also write about who they think Gilly should live with and why.

George vs. George: The American Revolution as seen from Both Sides.

ISBN 0-439-80205-9. Rosalyn Schanzer. 2004. ALA Notable Book. Ages 8+. Caucasian.

George vs. George is the true story of the American Revolution as seen from two very different perspectives, that of George Washington versus that of King George III of England. We learn about both Georges’ lives, where they lived, and how each region was governed. Schanzer also presents the British and American attitudes about issues and events leading up to war, such as the Stamp Act and the Boston Massacre. We see both sides during and after the Revolution. The detailed colored pencil/pen illustrations provide additional context to the events and also show, for example, the differing military uniforms of British and colonial forces. Within the illustrations are also accurate quotes from significant players. This element truly brings history alive!

George vs. George, in and of itself, could be the basis of an entire unit of the American Revolution. Students could create a timeline of events. An obvious activity is to compare and contrast George Washington and King George III. Another compare and contrast activity could be to discuss the structure of the American government before and after the Revolution. Colonial music and songs could be explored. Older students could plan and enact a trial based on the events of the Boston Massacre.

Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship. ISBN 0-439-82973-9. Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu. Photographs by Peter Greste. 2006. The Christopher Award. Ages 4-8. Caucasian, African.

Owen & Mzee is the true story of a baby hippopotamus who gets separated from his pod and stranded on a sandy coral reef near the small coastal town of Malindi in southern Kenya. The people of the town rescue him and name him Owen, after a visitor who helps save him. A nearby animal sanctuary agrees to take Owen and place him in an area of the park with other animals, including an Aldabra tortoise named Mzee, who is not very friendly. Owen and Mzee strike up a surprising friendship, swimming, eating, drinking, and even sleeping together. This touching story is strengthened by the book’s photographs of Owen’s rescue, the transfer to the sanctuary, and many images of the friends together. There is additional information in the back of the book about the hippopotomi, tortoises, Kenya, and the sanctuary.

There are endless possibilities for classroom activities surrounding Owen & Mzee. Students could compare and contrast physical characteristics and habitats of the two creatures. Reading this book also presents an opportunity to learn about Kenya, animal sanctuaries, and other wildlife conservation efforts in Africa and around the world. And, of course, Owen & Mzee offers a unique context in which to discuss friendship. At www.owenandmzee.com, a teacher can find additional books about the two friends, activities, and teacher’s guides.

Scorpions. ISBN 978-0-06-447066-7. Walter Dean Myers. 1988. Newbery Honor.

Ages 12+. African-American, Puerto Rican.

Twelve-year-old Jamal is now the man of the house. His father only stops by for brief visits, and his older brother Randy is in prison. Jamal is torn between leading Randy’s street gang, the Scorpions, and doing “good things” with his best friend Tito. Jamal enjoys drawing, especially sketching the neighbor’s garden he can see through his sister Sassy’s window but struggles in school. Jamal’s life gets even more complicated when one of the Scorpions gives him a gun. Fighting with the school bully, trying to earn money for Randy’s appeal, and attempting to get out of the gang force Jamal to make life-altering choices.

Scorpions presents many classroom opportunities for discussion, writing, and analysis.

Classroom discussions could include:

- Jamal and Tito’s friendship

- The perceived futility of life in the neighborhood. Jamal feels, “It was part of the life they were living - police come get you” (p. 117)

Writing prompts and essay topics:

- The gun - How did the appearance of the gun in the story change Jamal and ultimately the outcome of the story?

- Randy - From what we learn about him in the book, extend your thinking and develop Randy’s character. Discuss Randy’s influence on Jamal and those around him.

Analysis for writing or creating posters and/or charts:

- Compare and contrast Jamal and Tito’s characters.

- Positive vs negative influences in Jamal’s life

Number the Stars. ISBN 978-0-440-403272. Lois Lowry. 1989. Newbery Medal. Ages 9-12. Danish and Jewish Danes.

Life in 1943 Nazi-occupied Copenhagen is already challenging for 10-year-old friends Annemarie and Ellen. But, when work spreads that Jewish families would be relocated by the Nazis, Annemarie’s family knows that they must take the risks necessary to help their Jewish neighbors, including Ellen and her parents. Annemarie, her parents, younger sister, and extended family risk their own lives to help Ellen, her parents, and other Jewish families escape the Nazis by hiding in altered fishing boats to cross the sea to unoccupied Sweden. Annemarie doesn’t realize that her own courage would ever be called upon but accepts the responsibility blindly when it becomes necessary to save her friend’s life.

Number the Stars is a useful and appropriate introduction for students to some of the issues of World War II. A next step could be a simple geography lesson of WWII Europe including a discussion of nations which were occupied by German forces. Important symbols could be discussed as presented in the book by the Star of David. These could include national symbols and their importance. For example, the American flag is used as a symbol of the United States, and the swastika was used as a symbol of Nazi Germany. Many writing prompts could be used based on Number the Stars. What would you be willing to risk to protect a friend? What is a friend? How would you feel if you had to hide your religion, ancestry, and culture? Other resistance movements could be researched and discussed, as well, from the Americans in the Revolutionary War to slaves and the Underground Railroad to other WWII resistance movements, such as that in Norway.

Kira-Kira. ISBN 978-0-689-85640-2. Cynthia Kadohata. 2004. Newbery Medal. Ages 12-15. Japanese-American.

Katie Takeshima loves her older sister Lynn. Lynn taught Katie her first work, kira-kira, which means glittering. Lynn teaches Katie to see the world as kira-kira. This Japanese-American family makes the move from Iowa to Georgia in the 1950‘s in order for Mother and Father to find jobs in the poultry production plants. The family has another baby, and the goal of purchasing a home seems attainable. Then, life for the Takeshimas changes. Lynn gets ill. Mother and Father must work even more hours to keep their jobs, pay Lynn’s medical bills, and pay the mortgage on the home that they thought would make them happy. After Lynn’s death, this close-knit family finds a way to continue with their lives and to honor their daughter. “Here at the sea - especially at the sea - I could hear my sister’s voice in the waves: ‘Kira-kira! Kira-kira!’”

Students could explore their own heritage and ancestry. The teacher could also lead a discussion or use as a writing prompt, “Why is your heritage important?” Students could also be asked to find a folk song or poem from their cultural heritage to share. The history of Japanese immigration and life in the United States for Japanese-Americans could also be explored. This exploration could include a discussion of Japanese-American internment camps during World War II. A general history of discrimination and segregation in the United States could also be studied based on a reading of Kira-Kira.

The Princess in the Pigpen. ISBN 0-395-51587-4. Jane Resh Thomas. 1989. Ages 9-12. Caucasian.

Elizabeth, daughter of the Duke of Umberland in seventeenth-century Elizabethan England is in bed sick with fever when she finds herself suddenly and mysteriously transported to what she discovers is a twentieth-century pig farm in Iowa, still clutching her doll Mariah and her music box. Joe, Kathy, and daughter Ann McCormick kindly take her to a doctor, who treats her for scarlet fever and connect with the local sheriff to try to find her parents. The McCormicks are mystified by how much knowledge Elizabeth has about seventeenth-century England. Though clearly peasants, according to Elizabeth, she is astonished that “they owned treasures no nobleman in England had ever imagined,” such as mirrors, cars, an entire room of books, and medicine. Ann becomes convinced of the truth and committed to helping Elizabeth return in time to her parents with penicillin to cure her mother’s own illness.

The Princess in the Pigpen would be a wonderful base to study the everyday life of a child’s life in seventeenth-century England or in any other time in history. Students could write a narrative or create a chart about the differences in daily life today versus a given time in the past and then write about in which time they would prefer to live and why. Students could choose a time period to research. The class could have a discussion about the differences in lifestyle of a wealthy family versus a peasant family in Elizabethan England. Gender roles in history could also be explored.

Jane Resh Thomas was awarded the Minnesota Book Award for Behind the Mask.

Monsoon Afternoon. ISBN 978-1-56145-455-6. Kashmira Sheth. Illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi. 2008. Ages 4-8. Indian.

A young boy and his grandfather, Dadaji, make the most of the first day of the monsoon season inside and outside of their home in India. Together they make and sail paper boats, watch the dancing peacock, swing on a banyan tree, pick the last of the season’s mangoes, and even clean-up their muddy footprints in the house when they return. Along the way, Dadaji shares his boyhood memories of the monsoon season with his grandson. The pastel shades of the watercolor illustrations show the subtle beauty of the rainy season in India. The illustrations also show us Dadaji’s memories of his childhood.

Monsoon Afternoon could be used in social studies simply as one view of the very diverse Indian culture. Of course, there could also be a discussion about weather in the more temperate regions of the world. A connection could be made to the students’ own families by creating an opportunity to research common experiences between generations. The book could also be used as the basis of a discussion about the change of seasons and rainy day activities.

Kashmira Sheth earned the ALA Best Book for Young Adults for Keeping Corner.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. ISBN 0-14-038451-0. Mildred D. Taylor. 1976. Newbery Medal. Ages 9-12. African-American.

Cassie and her three brothers are part of a land-owning, African-American family in 1933 Mississippi. The Logans are educated. Ma is a school teacher, and the children attend school. None of the members of this family accepts the status-quo of Depression-era, Jim Crow Mississippi. Papa’s greatest desire is to keep his family physically safe from those who will seemingly use any excuse to harm their black neighbors. The Logans, in return, will do whatever it takes to keep their black neighbors, and themselves, safe. The Logan children stand-up to adults and children alike when they are discriminated against. Big Ma, Papa, and Ma choose more sophisticated and somewhat more covert methods to stand up for themselves and their neighbors.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry could be used in many ways in a classroom. This book could be used as a base for combined English and social studies projects. English activities could be to create a timeline or story map of events as well as performing character studies of Cassie, Little Man, etc. Students could also read aloud, as a group, and discuss the “Roll of Thunder” poem in the book. Students could cross subject lines by researching and writing about sharecropping and answering the question, “Is sharecropping an extension of slavery?” Students could also write about the complexities of Stacey’s friendship with T.J. as opposed to that of Jeremy. Roll of Thunder would also be an opportunity to discuss oral history and its importance to African Americans of slave ancestry. What could students learn about their own family history from the stories that are told around the dinner table? What does your family tree look like? Are there hardships in your family’s history?

Bud, Not Buddy. ISBN 978-0-440-41328-8. Christopher Paul Curtis. 1999. Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award. Ages 9-12. African American.

When 10-year-old Bud Caldwell decides that enough is enough of the orphanage and foster homes, he chooses the road and a quest to find the father he’s never met. 1936 Flint, Michigan has nothing left to offer Bud, so, with suitcase in hand, he heads out on foot to Grand Rapids in search of the famous Herman E. Calloway, certain that this man on the flyer is his father. “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself” helped Bud, not Buddy, make it these four years since his mother died. On his journey, Bud meets people who are kind to him and are willing to help him. Bud’s life seems to finally be turning around with Herman Calloway, who, they are both surprised to discover, is Bud’s mother’s father.

Bud, Not Buddy could easily be used as the basis for useful classroom activities. Depression-era necessities could be studied, such as soup kitchens and Hoovervilles. To expand on these topics, the class could plan and execute a community service project. Depression-era music and photography could also be explored. Students could consider what items they would put in a suitcase that would represent their life and history. They could decorate the outside of a suitcase (drawn on paper), draw what they would put in it, and then write or tell about the contents.

The Giver. ISBN 978-0-440-23768-6. Lois Lowry. 1993. Newbery Medal. Ages 12-14. Caucasian.

Life in the community seems perfect. The Elders ensure that citizens in the community have everything they need. Citizens are safe, happy, fed, clothed, and without physical or emotional pain. Rules and rituals are essential for this perfect life, including the Ceremony each December in which those who have reached the age of twelve are assigned their vocations by the Elders. Jonas learns that this seemingly perfect existence comes with a price when his training as the Receiver begins. The Giver reveals to Jonas that his role is to hold all the memories of life for the community. Now Jonas will be the sole keeper of those memories. When the transfer process is complete, Jonas alone will hold the memories and knowledge of life’s great pleasures and its worst pain, including physical pain and death, from which the community is sheltered. When Jonas learns the true meaning of “release” and discovers that a child is scheduled for this ceremony, he takes the child and runs away from the perfect society.

The Giver provides many opportunities for expanded reflection, discussion, and writing. Are there religious or cultural ceremonies marking specific ages/milestones that you know of or have participated in? How does Jonas’ new-found knowledge represent his maturing while the rest of the community remains immature/childlike in their ignorance? Are there good memories you would sacrifice in order to forget the bad? Write about what you think happened to Jonas and Gabe after the book ended.

The City of Ember. ISBN 978-0-375-82274-2. Jeanne DuPrau. 2003. American Library Association Notable Book. Ages 9-12. Caucasian.

Lina and Doon are twelve-years-old when life in the city of Ember begins to feel fragile. The sky in Ember is always dark. The supply of lightbulbs is running low, and the generator is breaking down. Lina and Doon are young, curious, and concerned about the future of their city. With open eyes and open minds, they search for clues, combine their knowledge, and realize that the Builders may have left Instructions for finding the world outside of Ember. With city officials, though, who want to keep life (and their own power) as it has been for generations, how will Lina and Doon notify the city that life can continue outside of the city of Ember?

Students could write an ending about what happens to Lina and Doon after they leave Ember and about what happens to the rest of the population in Ember. Students could also design a town or city of their own. Students could also learn about hydropower, including the Hoover Dam and the environmental effects of hydroelectric power.

Charlotte’s Web. ISBN 978-06-441093-9. E.B. White. Illustrated by Garth Williams. 1952. Newbery Honor. Ages 9-12. Caucasian.

Fern rescues the runt of her father’s litter of newborn piglets from a certain death. Wilbur soon outgrows his accommodations and is sold to Fern’s uncle. Wilbur is lonely at the Zuckerman’s farm but is soon befriended by Charlotte, a spider who lives in the barn’s doorway. Charlotte is a special spider and, as Wilbur discovers, a very special friend who will do whatever she can to spare Wilbur the pain of a pig’s certain fate on a farm, regardless of her own.

Many curriculum areas could be explored using Charlotte’s Web as a base. Younger children could learn about farms and farm animals, especially pigs, of course! Students could learn about spiders, spider webs, and other types of arachnids. After learning about spiders and webs, older students could build webs, as individuals or in groups, using discarded picture frames and string, for example. Many language and writing activities could be explored using Charlotte’s Web, from performing character studies of Fern, Wilbur, or Charlotte to creating and solving word puzzles using Charlotte vocabulary, such as salutations, friendship, gratified, unremitting, enchanted, and spinnerets. Students could write short stories about the lives of the other animals on the Zuckerman farm or about Wilbur, Joy, Aranea, or Nellie’s adventures after the book ends. Finally, an exploration of Charlotte’s Web is the perfect time to discuss friendship. Friendship, as a theme, can then be expanded using various techniques and activities.

The Snowy Day. ISBN 0-670-86733-0. Ezra Jack Keats. 1962. Caldecott Medal. Ages 4-8. African American.

Young Peter spends a day outside after a fresh snowfall. In his red snowsuit, he discovers the wonders of snow as well as sadness when he realizes that he can’t keep the snow in his pocket to play with the next day. However, when he wakes up the following morning, more snow is falling for more adventures in the snowy city! The paint and collage techniques create a colorful backdrop for Peter’s snow-filled adventures. Peter’s red snowsuit among the white snow clearly presents him as the focus. The simple shapes and use of bold colors create a winter world which children would want to discover.

This classic book for young children could be used in the classroom in many ways. A winter theme would be an opportunity to introduce this book. The students could learn about the individuality of snowflakes, the solid and liquid forms of water, and the characteristics of winter. For older students, a social studies theme could be expanded to discuss geography, more specifically, the regions in the United States which are cold-weather regions and those that are warm-weather regions which do not generally experience snowfall. The Snowy Day could also be used in art to show a creative method of creating patterns and the beauty of simplicity in a work.

Mama, Do You Love Me? ISBN 0-87701-759-X. Barbara M. Joosse. Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee. 1991. Golden Kite Award. Ages 4-8. Traditional Inuit.

This is a simple story in which a young girl seeks to hear from her mother that her love is unconditional. The girl wants to know how much her mama loves her and whether or not her mama will love her even if she does things that she knows she should not do. No matter what happens, Mama always says, “I will love you . . . “ The colorful watercolor and colored pencil illustrations of the mother and daughter’s clothing stands out against the mainly white backgrounds of the pages. The detailed illustrations represent the Inuit culture in a way that the fairly simple text does not. The illustrations represent the traditional Inuit culture prior to the encroachment of contemporary, western influence.

I can see uses for this book by many age groups and across many curriculum areas. Very young children would appreciate the repetition present in the prose, the colorful illustrations, and the introduction to the Inuit culture and Arctic animals. Emotions, as displayed by the mother, could also be explored with younger children. Older children could explore the Inuit culture, as introduced in this book: in art by creating their own masks, in science by discussing the seasons of the Arctic (the Midnight Sun and the Polar Night), by exploring the changing weather and environment of the Arctic, or in social studies by exploring the day-to-day life of the traditional Inuit and their geographic location. Some of these topics could be extended further in an exploration of how the traditional Inuit culture is changing with the encroachment of contemporary, western influence.

Ruby’s Wish. ISBN 0-8118-3490-5. Shirin Yim Bridges. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 2002. Ezra Jack Keats Book Award. Ages 5-8. Chinese.

Ruby is a girl in China from a wealthy family who allows her to learn to read and write, at a time when most girls are not allowed to do so. She wishes that when she is old enough, rather than marrying, she can attend university. Ruby shows her grandfather her talent and her desire for education, and he grants her wish. The watercolor illustrations extend the text by showing the reader the beauty of traditional Chinese culture with which many young readers may be unfamiliar, such as the clothing, hairstyles, Chinese calligraphy, and architecture.

Ruby's Wish could be used in the classroom, most likely in the social studies curriculum, to discuss traditional gender roles and traditions of other cultures. The class could have a Chinese New Year celebration with Chinese lanterns and red envelopes with wishes inside for their classmates or families. This book also provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of children speaking-up for themselves. Art is another area in which this book could be used. Simple Chinese calligraphy could be explored along with a discussion about the use of pictographs in the evolution of written language.

John Henry. ISBN 0-8037-1606-0. Julius Lester. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. 1994. Caldecott Honor. Ages 5-10. African American.

This American folk tale retells the story of African American John Henry from his birth and tremendous growth to his death. John Henry grows to be so strong that he uses only two sledgehammers to chop through a mountain faster than a steam drill in order to build a railroad tunnel. This wins him the bargain he makes with the owner of the steam drill. However, his enormous effort causes his death. The pencil and watercolor illustrations in this version of John Henry’s story are bold and show the strength of the man and of the world in which he lives.

John Henry could be used in a classroom in many ways. Social studies seems to be the perfect subject area in which to use this book. This book could inspire discussions of folk tales, the construction of the transcontinental railroad, the industrial revolution, and how African Americans contributed to all of these. In addition, a history of oral story-telling could be studied. This story could also contribute to art and music curriculums. Folk music and the oral tradition of passing down stories and music could be dealt with along with how a single folk legend, such as John Henry, can inspire numerous visions of artistic representation.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf. ISBN 0-15-266197-2. Lois Ehlert. 1991. Ages 4-8. Child and father could represent any number of cultural and socio-economic groups.

A child tells the story of his/her favorite tree, from seedling in the forest to the garden center and finally to the yard. The child also shows us the sugar maple during all four seasons as it continues to grow in the yard. Following the story is a fairly detailed description of the parts of sugar maple trees as well as how to select, plant, and care for a tree. The illustrations combine watercolor art with photographs and pen and ink drawings in collages. The images add to the information that can be gained from this book by showing us that birds, animals, and even worms use the space around trees.

This book could easily prompt many hands-on activities, including making a bird seed treat as is suggested on the hardcover book jacket. In addition, though, younger children could perform leaf-rubbings or plant a tree in the school yard. This book could be used to teach simplified plant biology to young children. Teachers could also lead conversations about taking care of the environment and what trees contribute to the earth, including homes and food for animals as well as maple syrup. This book also has the potential to inspire many types of art projects, including painting or pressing leaves, using leaves as texture, and creating collages with leaves. Many of these projects could be used any time of year, but fall would be the best season for using Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf in the classroom.

Lois Ehlert received the Caldecott Honor for Color Zoo in 1989.

Tales from Grimm. ISBN 0-8166-4936-7. Wanda Gag. 1936. Ages 9-12. European peasants and royalty.

Wanda Gag retells classic Grimm folk and fairy tales, from the well-known such as “Hansel and Gretel” and “Cinderella” to lesser-known tales. In these traditional tales, we see princess, princes, witches and magic as well as peasant families and talking animals. Many lessons can be had from Grimm’s tales including but not limited to generosity, kindness, triumph over adversity, and that things are not always as they appear. The pen and ink drawings lend to the prose of these classic tales in their beauty but simplicity. These illustrations are as timeless as the stories themselves.

Folk tales could be used in the classroom in many ways. Students could write their own fairy tales, and, in doing so, learn the characteristics of fairy tales. A teacher could incorporate art by having the students make puppets and perform puppet shows of various folk and fairy tales. Folk tales can also be used to discuss culture by reading and discussing other versions of “Cinderella”, for example. The Korean Cinderella, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, and The Rough-Face Girl are all based on the story of Cinderella but represent cultures other than the European as in the Grimm’s version.

Wanda Gag received the Newbery Honor for Millions of Cats and the ABC Bunny and the Caldecott Honor for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Nothing at All.

Where the Wild Things Are. ISBN 0-06-443178-9. Maurice Sendak. 1963. Caldecott Medal, New York Times Best Illustrated Book, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Ages 4-8. Caucasian.

Young Max’s mother sends Max to his room without supper, because he was making mischief. While in is room and wearing his wolf suit, Max’s room turns into a forest, and he travels by boat to another world full of large monsters. The “wild things” make Max their king, but Max gets lonely and hungry and wants to be home. Max travels back across the ocean and ends up back in his room with his supper waiting for him. The pen and ink drawings have subtle color but give texture to the landscape as well as to the "wild things" themselves.

The beautiful drawings are colorfully sketched. This lovely book could be used to discuss emotions, dreams, and nightmares with young children. Keeping in mind the background of the individuals in the classroom, one could also discuss having a safe and loving place or person to go to. Creativity could also be challenged as the kids create their own “wild things”.

Flower Garden. ISBN 0-15-228776-0. Eve Bunting. Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. 1994. Parenting Outstanding Children's Book of the Year. Ages 4-8. African-American.

A young girl and her father buy and plant a flower box of different types of flowers as a surprise gift for her mother’s birthday. They buy the flowers at the grocery store and live in an apartment in a city. The girl must carry the flowers from the store, on the city bus, and up the stairs of the apartment building. Then, the planter must be planted before Mom arrives home. “I can hardly wait” and “Hurry! Hurry!” cause us to wonder what the excitement is all about. Is she simply excited to plant her flowers, or is there something else about to happen? The bright oil paintings in this book bring the story to life by showing emotion on faces as well as a sense of joy and peace on pages absent of words.

Discussion surrounding this lovely picture book could go in many different directions, from the types of flowers and their colors to why there might be ladybugs on the flowers. In a rural or suburban school, there could be a dialogue about city living and differences in lifestyles. This book could also be used to talk about finding joy in giving to others.