Month: June 2020

Bookshelf, Everyday

One day, as I was scrolling through social media, I saw a post from a former student.  She is now an amazing kindergarten teacher and her post included photos of rocks she had painted with her preschool-aged daughter.  She also shared the fun and delightful book she read to her daughter:

Scribble Stones by Diane Alber

This fun and delightful book is about a dull, gray stone that ends up as a paperweight.  Through an encounter with some scribbles on the desk, the stone turned into a colorful creation.  This little scribble stone ended up inspiring thousands of others, which spread happiness and fun around the world.  Simple directions for a scribble stone art project are included on the last page of the book.  I really love books that bridge cross-curricular content, such as art and literacy, and this book is a PERFECT example!

During this same timeframe that I saw my former student’s post, I was taking daily walks (mostly to maintain my sanity) and noticed that so many homes in our neighborhood had rocks in the landscaping around their mailboxes. I also knew that my daughter, a freshman in high school, had extra time on her hands and loves art projects. 

My inspired idea = surprise our neighbors with painted rocks. 

I shared the idea with my daughter that I wanted to bring a little joy to our neighbors and ordered supplies on Amazon. I counted how many homes in our neighborhood had landscaping (because a rock just sitting in the grass by the mailbox is not good news for the mower).  And we began scouring our own landscaping for some smooth-surface rocks. We washed and dried the rocks and waited for our supplies to arrive.

My daughter and future daughter-in-law are highly artistic, and they painted rocks from their own creative minds. However, I don’t consider myself to be a natural artist – I am just good at adapting other people’s ideas, so I knew I’d need a little help.  After looking at many choices, I decided to order two different stone art books for inspiration and I really liked each of them for different reasons.

The Art of Stone Painting: 30 Designs to Spark Your Creativity by F. Sehnaz Bac

I gained the most personal inspiration from this book!  Although the book does not offer true step-by-step instructions, there are photos of the rocks in at least three stages, which was enough to really help me conceptualize what I wanted to paint and how to get from start to finish.  I also read several reviews (with photos) from individuals who claimed they weren’t artistic, but still had great results.  After using this book myself, I would completely agree! For older children and adults this would be my go-to recommendation for painting with acrylics.

Rock Art Handbook: Techniques and Projects for Painting, Coloring, and Transforming Stones by Samantha Sarles

This book was a great resource for supplies and techniques.  I picked up some great painting tips from this book. In fact, there are many, many options well beyond acrylic paints for us to try in the future.  If you have younger kids or are looking for a wider variety of styles, this book might be the best option for you!

Supplies:
Rocks

Acrylic Paint Pens

Black Outline Pens

White Gel Pens

Gelly Roll Pens

Clear Sealant

Rocks and paint are the basic supplies you will need.  If you want to add any fancy details, you will need at least one black outline pen – we used a Sakura pen set, but even a Sharpie Ultra Fine marker could work!  However, we really enjoyed the ability to add many small details.

After painting the rocks, we allowed them to dry for over 24 hours. Knowing these would be displayed outdoors, we sprayed them with a clear coat in the backyard for an extra layer of protection.

Painting Tips and Tricks:

  • Select smooth rocks.  This will provide a much easier painting surface.
  • We quickly learned that the lighter colors needed a white undercoat.  Without the white base it took layers and layers … and way too much drying time.  After the first couple of rocks, we painted white first, which not only helped the light colors to show but made the other vibrant colors really “pop”.
  • Look at the shape of the rock and visualize what object comes to mind.  I really learned this from the two artists I was painting with!  Seriously, I was blown away by the way they transformed rocks into artwork based on the shape.  However, consider yourself warned … you may never be able to go on walks without searching for the perfect heart, rainbow, or sunshine rock.
This is the one by our own mailbox!

Once all the rocks were painted, we placed all the rocks at our neighbor’s home on our evening walk. I also created and shared a printable BINGO sheet for our neighbors so they would be able to go on their own scavenger hunt.

For a free printable OUR NEIGHBORHOOD “ROCKS” BINGO sheet with blank squares (you fill in your own words, based on the rocks you paint) enter your name and email address below and it will come right to your inbox:

For a free printable OUR NEIGHBORHOOD “ROCKS” BINGO completed gameboard sheet (you paint the rocks to match the words) enter your name and email address below and it will come right to your inbox:

Honestly, I was overwhelmed by the positive response from our neighbors.  We saw so many neighbors out searching for the rocks over the next couple of weeks. When we started this kindness project, I was thinking of something to provide a little fun for the kids, but I quickly realized this was an activity for all ages.  We hope this inspires you to look for unique ways to share a little joy and kindness!

This post includes affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you The Daily Joy will earn a commission if you click and make a purchase. All reviews are my own.

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Bookshelf

Some of my favorite picture books this past year feature dads.  I love books promoting positive family relationships, but particularly a father-child relationship. In fact, my daughter’s favorite picture book of 2019 is included in this post (keep reading to find out which one)!  I know not everyone has a dad to celebrate, but we certainly want to honor and celebrate all the great dads who are making an impact, each and every day, on our future generation!  I have even included a couple wonderful books to celebrate our grandpas too.

Check these books out at your local library, a local bookstore, or use the affiliate links in this post.

A Father’s Love by Hannah Holt and illustrated by Yee Von Chan

Although I featured A Father’s Love with my books about love recommendations here, this one absolutely MUST be included in books about dads.  Seriously, this book gives me all the feels.  Featuring how fathers care for their babies throughout the animal kingdom and ending with human fathers caring for their littles, this book is so touching. This book definitely demonstrates how a father’s love comes in all shapes and sizes! 

Teaching tip: This book would be great for comparing and contrasting animal behaviors or when learning about animal habitats.

A Hug is for Holding Me by Lisa Wheeler and illustrated by Lisk Feng

“Look around and you will see all the things a hug can be!” 

Written from the perspective of a young daughter, she makes comparisons between those found in nature to the comfort, safety, and reassurance a loving hug from her dad provides. 

Teaching tip: The teacher in me also loves the use of similes, as this book would make a great readers workshop read-aloud for launching that topic!

Good Dad, Diego by Brenna Maloney

If you want to show appreciation to dad for the many hats he wears around the house, this is a humorous way to show some love!  Yes, Diego is a dog, but he’s a dad who is a hard-worker, a complete “Jack-of-all-trades”.  This is a fun and humorous way to honor the hard-working father in your life!

Hair Love by Matthew A Cherry and illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Based on the Academy Award-winning short film of the same name, Hair Love is such a heart-warming portrayal of the efforts a daddy goes through to help his daughter find the perfect hairstyle.  I love this book for so many reasons, but it connects so personally for me.  Just after my baby girl turned one, I started working at our church as the children’s ministries director.  For the next four years my husband did her hair every Sunday morning for church.  Honestly, it was such a sacrifice for me because I LOVED doing her hair.  My husband learned several different styles and he particularly developed a special bond with her and her hair bows, which is probably why she ended up with one in just about every color and style.

Teaching tip: Use this story as a compare and contrast exercise – watch the animated short film Hair Love after reading the book. Discuss which you liked better and why.

Daddy-Sitting by Eve Coy

A little girl spends the day “daddy-sitting” – which really just shows the many activities they do together throughout the day.  From the humorous perspective of the little girl, this story lovingly shows a daddy’s love for his daughter.  One of the aspects that I love most about this book is, contrary to the title, it also showcases dad an active caregiver in his daughter’s life.

Teaching tip: Use this story as inspiration to write about (or discuss) what activity you would do with dad.

Where is Home Daddy Bear? by Nicola O’Byrne

“Home is people who love you.” 

Evie, a little bear, is struggling with all the changes that come with moving to a new place.  Throughout the entire process, her daddy is there reassuring her and offering her comfort. At first glance, this book is about the simple reassurance between a father and a child.  It can be a beautiful, simple story about love, but it can also be so much more.  When you take a closer look at the illustrations, you notice the photo they keep of mama bear.  Mama bear is only included in the storyline through a photograph, one that reappears lovingly and a photo they put next to their bed in their new home, as they read bedtime stories and snuggle. 

Teaching tip: This book could be used as a read-aloud when teaching inferencing.

Dandy by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Charles Dantoso

Raise your hand if the dad in your life loves to maintain a pristine lawn.  This humorous story begins when Daddy spies a dandelion on the lawn.  Just as he is about to remove the weed from his treasured lawn, Sweetie (his daughter) is delighted by the new flower … and even gives “her” (the dandelion) the name Charlotte.  As the story progresses, Daddy changes from trying to sneak and remove “Charlotte” to frantically attempting to save her.  This sweet tale demonstrates the lengths a daddy will go to when attempting to mend the heart of his daughter – which sometimes includes major personal sacrifices.  By the way, this was my daughter’s FAVORITE picture book this last year … and she turns 15 next week.  She also convinced me last fall that I had to read it aloud to our university’s Lab Kindergarten and it was certainly a hit with five and six-year-olds too!

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero and illustrated by Zeke Peña

Written as a young girl’s love story to her hardworking dad, this story follows Daisy Ramona and her Papi as they zoom through their community, spending a day enjoying life together.  Written with the theme that home is found with those you love, no matter what changes may come – this story showcases finding joy in the everyday … something that is obviously near and dear to my heart. Reading this story reminded me of some of the wonderful everyday moments in life.  Such as the memory of my husband and kids running through the yard with a big blue tarp flowing behind them like a giant super-hero cape.  One of my favorite memories!

 I also love that there is both an English and Spanish version!  You can find the Spanish version here.

Teaching Tip: This book is so important for providing windows into another culture and mirrors for children with a similar background. One of my university students shared in class such a beautiful personal connection to this book that it left me in tears. Kids may use this book as a mentor text to write about a time when they found joy in an everyday moment.

Drawn Together by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat

Sometimes the generational gap between a child and a grandparent seems as wide as the ocean.  In this nearly wordless picture book, a young boy and his grandfather are originally portrayed as having nothing in common.  They like different foods, they watch different shows on TV, and they even prefer to speak different languages.  But when the young boy brings out his markers and paper, grandpa pulls out his ink and sketchbook.  Suddenly, they realize a common interest and the pages come alive with their two artistic styles, intersecting and merging to create common ground.  I love that this book so simply, but beautifully, portrays the gift of finding common interests.

Teaching Tip: Have your kids or students help contribute questions that could be used as a questionnaire to get to know a grandparent better. Then compile the list and have them interview a grandparent (grandparents LOVE Facetime and Zoom calls – especially during quarantine). Have your child/student fill out the questionnaire with her own answers and compare the results.

Around the Table That Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill and illustrated by Jaime Kim

In this cumulative tale, the story progresses to show all the ways that a family gathers around the table that Grandad built.  This book is wonderful for many reasons. I love that it honors the handiwork of grandad and showcases diversity in both foods and faces. I found this book so retable for our family, as we know the gift of having a grandfather who is a skilled craftsman. We also have diversity in skin tones within our family though the gift of adoption, and I loved that those who gathered around the table could be interpreted as either family and friends laughing. loving, and sharing a meal together. 

Teaching tip: There are so many ways you could incorporate this into the classroom, but the obvious connection would be the inclusion of this story when teaching cumulative tales, such as There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly (and many others).  This book could also serve as a great mentor text for writing.

All reviews are completely my own and I only recommend books I truly believe are worthy of sharing with others. (Believe me, I read many books I do not recommend, which means you won’t see me writing about them!)

This post contains affiliate links. This means if you use these links to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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Bookshelf

Books have always been an important part of my life.  Growing up, books were a part of our conversations and were used as teaching tools. As a mom of four, a former public schoolteacher, and now as a university professor I have used, and continue to use, books as conversation starters and to launch opportunities for learning.  Honestly, I have such a love for literature – and particularly children’s literature – that I often am searching for the perfect book to launch a lesson or to connect on a topic.  Since I teach Children’s Literature, I even keep a little notebook (I know, it’s a bit “old school”) and also an app on my phone to tag books for specific topics. 

I have been asked in the past week for book recommendations on the topic of prejudice, racism, and social justice, so I am sharing some of the books I’ve acquired in the past couple of years on this subject.  This in NOT meant to be a comprehensive list, by any means.  These just happen to be books I own and am familiar with.  I’m certain there are other fantastic books on the topic – and I’ve seen some recommendations in the past week that I look forward to reading in the future.

For the record, this post in not about making your bookshelves more diverse.  That is an important topic for another day … striving to have shelves full of books with diverse characters, living and playing together, and being portrayed in authentic, respectful ways.  Instead, these books are meant to help facilitate specific conversations about prejudice, racism, and how to advocate for social justice.

Affiliate links are included to take a closer look at any one of these books. If you have access to a local book retailer, that’s a great place to purchase these.  I would also encourage you to request that your local library include these books on their shelves.

On the Playground: Our First Talk About Prejudice written by Dr. Jillian Roberts and illustrated by Jane Heinrichs

As a part of The World Around Us series, this is a nonfiction book that uses illustrations and full-color photographs of diverse characters to address the topics of harassment, bullying, various forms of prejudice, and inclusivity.  The text and photos are written with a young elementary audience in mind, with many sidebars that answer questions and offer additional details.  Written by a child psychologist, the informational text is more “clinical” in nature – although very age-appropriate – and would be a great guide to help parents or teachers discuss this topic with kids.

Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice written by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard and illustrated by Jennifer Zivion

Kids are often aware of what is happening, even when we attempt to “shelter” them.  Written by three psychologists who advocate for children’s behavioral health and social justice, this book is an age-appropriate retelling for an elementary audience.  The book follows the story of two families, a Black family and a White family, as they process the tragic outcome after a Black man is shot by a White police officer.  The youngest children in each family are in the same class at school, and in the storyline they are able to apply positive lessons they are learning from their parents when a new student arrives. This book takes a dive into what can be uncomfortable territory – including topics of stereotypes and aggression, but with processing and discussion are healthy when used appropriately. I would encourage family dialogue and discussion to learn and process this content together. Eight pages of notes to parents and caregivers are included, with helpful guidelines and information on addressing racism, vocabulary with child-friendly definitions, as well as sample questions and answers to facilitate a parent-child conversation.

The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

A book is special when it has been awarded a Caldecott or a Newbery Award.  When a book is awarded BOTH – well, then you know it is spectacular.  Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal, 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and 2020 Newbery Honor, this poetic text was written by Kwame Alexander as a love letter to America.  Kadir Nelson’s illustrations are phenomenal at supporting the lyrical cadence, often stealing the show.  If White people truly want to listen, to really listen … they need to listen to the heart and soul of Black authors and illustrators.  Honoring the perseverance and bravery of Black heroes, this book is a wonderful place to start.

Say Something by Peter H. Reynolds

Kids need to know practical ways to pursue social justice. Say Something is a wonderful book that demonstrates the various ways kids can share their voice.  We can say something with words, action, creativity … even peacefully.  This book inspires readers to keep using their voices until the world listens. 

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López

Is this a book about prejudice, racism, and social justice? Not directly. This beautifully written and illustrated picture book is about walking into a new situation and not looking like anyone else.  Or not speaking the same language.  Or not being the kid who traveled to cool places over summer break.  Or not having the same lunch.  This book is written from the perspective of feeling like an outsider, but finding the inner strength to be brave – and discovering new friendships. Illustrated with many diverse characters, all kids should be able to see themselves in this book. This book demonstrates what it looks like to be anti-prejudice, anti-racist, and how to love and accept your neighbor.  So, is this book about prejudice, racism, and social justice? Absolutely!

BONUS:  I LOVE that this book comes in a beautiful Spanish language edition.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions about any of the books you see here. Feel free to email me at michelle@thedailyjoy.com

All reviews are completely my own and I only recommend books I truly believe are worthy of sharing with others. (Believe me, I read many books I do not recommend, which means you won’t see me writing about them!)

This post contains affiliate links. This means if you use these links to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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