Goodbye Silence is Golden; hello Kindness is Golden.
Never have I thought to adapt that expression, but doesn’t it work beautifully in this first-grade classroom? And I’m really drawn to the precious animal decor. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that this sweet teacher was one of my students about twenty years ago. 😉 I’m so proud of her.
Title: My Heart
Author: Katrina McKelvey
Illustrator: Deb Hudson
Publisher: EK Books
Birth date: January 9, 2024
Suitable for: ages 4-8 (and beyond!)
Themes: unconditional love, connection, feelings
Brief synopsis: Travel with the heart through the first few years of a mom’s connection to her child and see how many varied emotions it truly experiences.
Opening page: When I found out you were coming … my heart glowed.
Why I like this book: The specialness that surrounds the mother-child bond is often beyond words, but Katrina McKelvey and Deb Hudson did an incredible job of bringing it to life by personifying the heart through the pages like this:
… my heart melted.
… my heart fluttered.
… my heart smiled.
… my heart giggled.
… my heart ached.
… my heart beat to your rhythm.
Hats off to this dynamic duo for creating such a lovely SEL springboard, to help our youngest feelings friends figure out what happens that makes their hearts melt, flutter, smile, giggle, ache, etc. Watch the heart map video clip, then invite your students to create one. Once it’s done, encourage them to write a book of their own about a special relationship in their lives.
As a counselor, I see so much potential for enrichment with this gem; as a mom, I wish I’d have written this terrific tribute to that unimaginable gift of compassionate connection, unbridled joy and unconditional love.
loading..
