"Is school only one place?
Are there other classrooms?
Different teachers?
New things to learn?
Where else is school?
Can school be found
among hoots and howls
at the zoo?"
The child narrator for this book about school and learning first describes his school: what it is, what is in his classroom, what he does while he is there, and what he wonders while there. Most of all, he wonders about the word school itself.
His question about the concept of school leads him to wonder about field trips to the zoo, to the aquarium, to the museum or to the pumpkin farm. Are they school, too? He even wonders if school only happens when there are other kids with him, or can it be while he is alone. The questions posed are worth contemplating for readers.
"My classroom could be Nana's kitchen,
where I overstuff the potstickers.
And my desk might be
Papa's workbench, where
we build a bird mansion.
His curiosity about the concept of school extends his thinking and allows him to realize that no matter where he is, he is learning. It might be inside, outside, at the library, in his school classroom, on his computer. In gentle language, and without any pressure, the author offers an opportunity for extended thinking. There are opportunities for learning something new wherever we are, and whatever we do. It is an empowering realization. We are lifelong learners, when given the opportunity to expand our experiences.
Digital artwork explores emotions, settings, imagination, and quiet thought. Can you make a list of the places you enjoy that help you learn more about yourself and the world?
My list begins with the books that I am lucky enough to read every day. They 'school' me in endless learning.
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