Ready Rabbit Gets Ready!

Imagination, Originality, Picture Books,

“Ready Rabbit Gets Ready!”

Brenna Maloney brings her background with stuffed sock creations to her first children’s book, Ready Rabbit Gets Ready!Sewn out of a striped sock with inked facial expressions,Ready Rabbit needs to get ready for the day, and this bunny’s imagination is on the go. 

Before he completes a task, bunny needs to build a spaceship, 

save an incapacitated whale, 

and drive a stagecoach. 

Will Ready Rabbit ever get ready?

This story promotes creative components of originality and imagination.

WHY I LIKE THIS BOOK: I like this book because it is a celebration of a child’s imagination. The character is original with his stuffed body and inked facial expressions. Humor abounds in this cute story that all children and caregivers can appreciate.

TITLE:Ready Rabbit Get Ready!

AUTHOR: Brenna Maloney

Photographs by: Chuck Kennedy

PUBLISHER: Viking, 2005

AGE GROUP: 3-6

TOPIC(S): getting ready for the day, imagination

CREATIVE COMPONENTS: imagination, originality

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

1) Make Feeling Puppets. Write a list of emotions. Pick five emotions. Color five paper plates yellow. Draw a different face on each plate that shows the five emotions. Tape a popsicle stick to the back of each plate. 

2) Pick one of your stuffed animals. How might you move your stuffie to show different feelings?

EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

To learn more about author Brenna Maloney, visit:

https://www.brennamaloneydc.com/work-2

My Beautiful Birds

Originality, Picture Books,

“My Beautiful Birds”

In My Beautiful Birds, this story begins with the title page.

 Just look at this gorgeous title page.

In this evocative refugee story, Sami, his family, and neighbors are forced to escape their homes due to the bombings during the Syrian Civil War. Sami loves his beautiful pigeons and worries that they did not get out safely. After walking days and nights, they arrive at a refugee camp.

As his family settles into camp life, Sami does not. He cannot forget his birds and the life his family left behind. Until one day, four birds fly into camp and settle on Sami’s outstretched arms. 

Whena new refugee enters the camp, he welcomes her with his birds and as a new friend.

These dimensional illustrations transport readers into this world.

This story promotes creative components of originality and inspiration.

WHY I LIKE THIS BOOK: I like this story because it tackles a heartbreaking subject and transforms it into a beautiful story. It shows the endearing relationship between humans and animals that can inspire hope and love. Also, I am in awe of Suzanne Del Rizzo’s gorgeous illustrations.

TITLE:My Beautiful Birds

AUTHOR: Suzanne Del Rizzo

ILLUSTRATOR: Suzanne Del Rizzo

PUBLISHER: Pajama Press, 2017

AGE GROUP: 5-8

TOPIC(S): refugee camp, birds, relationships, hope

CREATIVE COMPONENTS: originality, inspiration

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

1) Study a feather. Notice all the details. Using clay and a toothpick, sculpt a feather as best as you can.

2) Think about ways that people turn a tragedy into something positive. In what ways might you help someone to feel more positive?

EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

To learn more about author/illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo, visit:

About
http:// https://suzannedelrizzo.com/about-2/

Because

Creative Person, ,

“Because”

Intro: Because a man named Ludwig wrote beautiful music—

a man named Franz was inspired to write his own. 

In this cause and effect story, readers learn how circumstances, luck, and hard work contribute to being a creative who in return inspires another person to be creative and pursue his/her dreams.

A girl attends a concert with her aunt because her uncle catches a cold. The music inspires her.

Because the music changed her, she works hard pursuing her passion.

Because her music is heard, she inspires another person.

And the cycle continues…

Who will you inspire today?

This story promotes creative components of the characteristics of a creative person and the creative process such as talent, hard work, inspiration, looking at what others have done in the past, and the role that luck play in the creative process.

WHY I LIKE THIS BOOK: I like this book because this story demonstrates the components of the creative process and demonstrates that even though a person can be a creative individual that person also works hard at pursuing his/her passion. I truly appreciate the message of inspiration, and how readers can inspire themselves as well as others.

TITLE: Because

AUTHOR: Mo Willems

ILLUSTRATOR: Amber Ren

PUBLISHER: Hyperion Books for Children, 2019

AGE GROUP: 5-7

TOPIC(S): music, inspiration

CREATIVE COMPONENTS: creative person, creative process, inspiration

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

1) On a piece a paper, write the word inspiration. Draw, write words, or doodle what inspiration means to you. On the back of the paper, make a list of things that inspire you and/or evoke wonder for you. How might some of those things help you to inspire someone?

2) As you listen to a piece of music, draw with markers (because they move smoothly and quickly on paper) to create an image or doodle. Let your lines flow with the music.

3) How do you think a writer or illustrator are inspired to create a picture book?

EXTENDING CONNECTIONS:

To learn more about author Mo Willems, visit:

http://www.mowillems.com

To learn more about illustrator Amber Ren, visit:

https://www.amber-ren.com/about