Written and Illustrated by Kerascoët, Published by Schwartz & Wade, 2018. (Picture Book, ages 3-8)
I first spotted this title in the airport on my way to ALA New Orleans (a library conference). What struck out to me was the fact it is a wordless anti-bullying picture book. Some adults may be hesitant about not having any narration, but wordless books are such an awesome learning opportunity for young kids. Not only do they get the opportunity to tell the story, but visual learners just get to sit longer in the illustrations and you can get a rich open dialogue about themes in the story. It also gives pre-reading kids the opportunity to “read” on their own or to others.
BACKGROUND
In this wordless story, a young girl with straight black hair and brown skin witnesses a classmate with black wavy hair and a darker skin color get bullied. At first the witness is torn in how to alleviate the visual pain of the victim. Finally she comes up with a simple act of kindness, which soon spreads throughout the neighborhood.
BEST FOR
About a two minute (longer depending how open of a dialogue you want) read aloud. Perfect for modeling empathy and kindness. Also great for teaching inference, practice storytelling or pre-reading skills (looking at the pictures, and checking back for understanding).
PAIR WITH
WHERE TO PURCHASE
If you have an interest in reading I Walk With Vanessa
Shop your local indie bookstore
or here is a link for the book on Amazon
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