Friday, March 20, 2020

SATURDAY by Oge Mora – a story about coping with disappointment, and the strength of family


I really loved this story! A wonderful tribute to the simple moments spent with family. I read a hard copy from my local library, but I noticed they also have it as an e-bool.


Summary from the publisher:

In this heartfelt and universal story, a mother and daughter look forward to their special Saturday routine together every single week. But this Saturday, one thing after another goes wrong–ruining storytime, salon time, picnic time, and the puppet show they’d been looking forward to going to all week. Mom is nearing a meltdown…until her loving daughter reminds her that being together is the most important thing of all.

Saturday was written and illustrated by Oge Mora. It was published in 2019 by Little Brown & Company.


Opening:    

This morning Ave and her mother were all smiles.
It was SATURDAY!
Because Ava’s mother worked
Sunday,
Monday,
Tuesday,
Wednesday,
Thursday,
and Friday,
Saturday was the day they cherished.



My Thoughts as a Writer:

I really love the way the author created a tone and voice with a very limited number of words. The opening wonderfully gets across the mood of excitement for their special day.

The bright, creative illustrations are eye-catching! So many interesting details to explore.



My Thoughts as an Educator:

This is a lovely story about family togetherness and about coping with disappointment when things don’t turn out the way you’d like. It would be so much fun to use these illustrations to inspire mixed media art. 


Ages: 3-7

Grades: PreK – 2

Themes: family, coping with disappointment, days of the week

Activities to Try:

Invent a comic: Think about something special you look forward to. Make a three or four frame comic. Here are some tips: Frame 1 - show how you prepare for your special experience  Frame 2 - create a disaster that might ruin your plans. Frame 3: How can you save the day?  Be creative!

Draw & Write: What is your favourite day of the week? Draw a picture and write a "because" sentence to explain why. For example, "I like Monday becuase...."

STEAM Challenge: Create a piece of art using paper scraps and paint. Can you create a scene from your own neighborhood? How about some art that shows you and your family?

I also really love this idea for puppet-making from the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. 

Here's a link to an interview with Oge Mora from We Need Diverse Books.


For more links to wonderful picture books with activities to try, check out the links at Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book Friday blog.

3 comments:

  1. This sounds like a great book, and I like how the author sets up the emotional element of the story with so few words. Thanks for the rec!

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  2. What a beautiful story about spending precious time together. I love the simplicity of the words, so that young children can follow along. The illustrations look wonderful!

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  3. What an interesting book. It's on my list TBR once I can get a hold of it. Thanks Andrea.

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