On 08/08/08 at 8:08 pm, Amy Krouse Rosenthal started a Maker Movement. Hundreds of strangers answered her invitation to meet in Millennium Park in Chicago to do one thing: make something lovely. Together, they made a song, a friend, a smile, and a grand entrance. A video captured the communal creativity that transpired that evening. I invite you to watch the video and appreciate the remarkable work of an altruistic artist who left this world too soon.
Let’s pay tribute to Rosenthal’s spirit of making. Visit her website. Watch the Tedx Talks and her videos. Read all of her books. And let’s make something lovely!
Make Someone Laugh
Did you know Little Pea was Rosenthal’s first children’s book? Children always laugh when I read this book along with Little Hoot and Little Oink. As you read Little Pea, check for understanding by asking children to consider why the author decided to have Little Pea despise candy but love spinach. Next, introduce Little Hoot and ask children to predict Little Hoot’s problem. Close the read-aloud session with Little Oink.
Visit the Tumble Book Library website to see the animated version of the books and play the games. If you don’t have a subscription to the website, I highly recommend you contact a representative and ask for a free trial.
Make a Three-Word Phrase
Awake Beautiful Child creatively tells a story using three words per page, and the words start with the letters “A,” “B,” and “C.” The first page sets the stage with an illustration of a boy just waking up along with the words “All Begins Cheerily.” The rest of the story follows the ABC word pattern, expressing daily activities that occur in one given day.
Invite children to create their own three-word ABC phrase describing a daily occurrence. Have them illustrate their phrase and share it with the class. Can some of the phrases work together? If so, compile the illustrations and make a book for the class library, or hang them in the hallway to see if other children notice the pattern.
Make a Wish
If you are looking for a thoughtful gift, a copy of I Wish You More is a perfect purchase. It is full of optimistic wishes that will make the reader relish in the goodness of hopeful thoughts. After reading the book, encourage children to write a wish for a friend. Explore why people make wishes when blowing dandelions on Wonderopolis and discuss new learning.
Make a Class Dictionary
Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons helps readers understand manners by applying them to situations involving cookies. For example, the word “greedy” is defined as “taking all the cookies for myself” (15). As a class, choose a topic to work on together. Give each pair of students a word from the book to define, asking them to apply it to the chosen topic. If the class chooses “recess” as a topic, the word “greedy” could be defined as “hogging the ball.” Create an e-book with the Book Creator app or make a paper copy by stapling the children’s work together.
Make an Exciting Sentence
Introduce the exclamation mark on a keyboard after reading Exclamation Mark. Children can type a sentence using an exclamation mark and insert a picture that supports their sentence. Share work by inviting everyone to take a museum walk and read the written sentences.
Make an Argument
It’s important that children learn how to argue by supporting their statements with clear explanations. Duck! Rabbit! is a fun book that invites the audience to argue about the drawing on the cover of the book. Is it a duck or a rabbit? Ask children to decide and justify their reasoning with examples. Write starter sentences on a chart to demonstrate to the children how to politely disagree with someone. Here are some examples:
- “I understand your point of view, but I see it differently.”
- “What do you think about this idea?”
- “I have to politely disagree with what you are saying because…”
Fun Fact
Rosenthal held a contest asking readers to design a tattoo for her. The winner was a librarian named Paulette Brooks. Rosenthal and Brooks met in Chicago and got inked together with a matching tattoo with the word “more.”
Please share any creations on social media with the hashtag #TheBeckoningOfLovely
Works Cited:
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse, and Jane Dyer. Cookies: Bite-size Life Lessons. New York: Harper Festival, an Imprint of HarperCollins, 2016. Print.
Author: Maureen Schlosser
Author: Lessons Inspired by Picture Books for Primary Grades and Social and Emotional Learning for Picture Book Readers published by ALA Editions
Blogger: https://LibraryLessonsWithBooks.com
Skillshare Teacher: https://skl.sh/3a852D5
Categories: Blog Topics, Collection Development, Makerspaces/Learning Commons, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models
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