A nice book for talking about reusing or salvaging materials! This book is nominated for the 2018 Blue Spruce Award from the Ontario Library Association. I read a copy from my local library.
Summary from the publisher:
When an ice
storm snaps a small girl's favorite branch from the tree in her yard, she's
crestfallen. The girl's mom says it's just a branch. But not to her! "That was
the branch I sat on, jumped from, played under. It was my castle, my spy base,
my ship . . ." Luckily, her neighbor Mr. Frank understands. He says the branch
has "potential." "What's potential?" she asks. "It means it's worth keeping." And so, with imagination and spirit, and Mr. Frank's guidance and tools, the
girl transforms the broken branch into something whole and new, giving it
another purpose, and her another place to treasure.
The Branch was written by Mireille Messier and
illustrated by Pierre Pratt. It was published by Kids Can Press in 2016.
Opening:
It’s past my bedtime, but I can’t
sleep.
My Thoughts as a Writer:
I really
liked how the effects of the ice storm in this story were made so personal for
the main character. There were also lots of sensory details: the sound of icy rain hitting my window and
the splintery part on the trunk. The
ending was a lovely surprise and very fitting. Unlike many recent picture books,
this one is on the longer side at 774 words.
My Thoughts as an Educator:
This book
offers many possibilities for discussion – weather and storms, losing something
you care about, fear, imagination, reusing materials and community.
Ages: 4 and up
Grades: K and up
Themes: ice storms, reusing materials, community
Activities:
Imagine: If you climbed into a tree with a perfect branch, what would you imagine? Draw a picture.
Create: Go
on a hunt outside and find your own branch. Use paint, glue, yarn or whatever
you can find to turn your branch into something special.
A teaching
guide with more resources is available on the Kids Can Press website.
Sweet. It is important to recognize the value something can have for a child that we might not see: "it's just a....." Great choice.
ReplyDeleteI remember making a treasure of a branch from a favorite tree I lost in my back yard after a storm when I was a child. I have a feeling I will more than love and relate to this story. Thank you for sharing this book today.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great find. I haven't seen it yet. I look forward to finding it. Having lost a number of "beloved" branches (the top leader of one tree) and a few trees this winter, I can definitely relate to the MC.
ReplyDeleteThis is a treasure. Can't wait to read it. It has so many applications. Enjoyed your activities.
ReplyDeleteoooh - I love the idea of finding a branch to decorate! Sounds like an interesting book to read.
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