Brand new picture books!
It's surprising to me sometimes how big a message can come through in a little picture book. As teachers, we can get caught up in making sure the kids are building stamina or that the books are on an appropriate level, but sometimes, a picture book can bring home a message in such a clear and concise way. This first one is a book like that. My big kids do a unit on social issues in the spring and this book is going to be perfect for that. It's called "I Come From the Water" by Vanita Oelschlager. It's about a boy named Moses who is found after a terrible flood in Haiti. He is found floating in a basket and taken to children's village with other kids who lost their parents. The children's village is run by a church and Moses has friends and can go to school so even though he doesn't have parents, he's happy. The book has lovely, warm, inviting art work and the author emphasizes again and again how Moses is happy. It also has some ph...