Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan

GLEC-PVA Library has chosen Ashley Bryan, 2004 CSK Illustrator Award winner and brilliant artist, film-maker and storyteller for our "Author of the Month!"

Without giving away, much of the plot, this wonderful read discusses the theme of being true to yourself, loving the unique features of you and how to handle the inevitable jealousy/envy that pops up in life. Though it's an adaptation of a Zambian folktale, this book has a universal theme of "wonderfully me." Additionally, this book would work well for those kiddos that don't feel like they fit in with the popular crowd: “Color on the outside is not what’s on the inside.” Beautiful Blackbird encompasses timeless themes for those young and old!

What touched my heart were the reflections of my "lunch-bunch" Blerd Book Club. We made a little podcast of our debriefing discussion. Please enjoy my very first PODCAST! 



For my younger kids (grades 2nd-4th), we kept the lesson simple with 4 easy steps and, of course, fun!
DO NOW: Choose your favorite color and defend it with this sentence stem: My favorite color is ______ because of _______.
"I love purple and gold because my mother wears a lot of gold ring and I love to wear my favorite purple dress. In India, gold is a treasure. My mommy says I'm her treasure." Khanak T.
DO TOGETHER: Read the story, Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan.

DO NEXT: Create your own community bird pond, decorating your birds like those in the story.

DO REFLECT: Turn to your shoulder partner and discuss what each of you love about yourselves for 2 minutes. Be prepared to stand up and discuss what your partner loves about themselves and vice-versa.
We had a whole nestful of fun celebrating all the beautiful colors in the world! We hope you enjoyed our cut-paper artwork and our thoughtful discussion!
P.S. To continue our theme of love, self-acceptance and black being beautiful, here's a love-letter to the Blerd Community!

Comments

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