"But the skill it takes to make people laugh
is the skill you'll use to help people learn
when you become a favorite teacher.
And when a restless kid like you
lands in the back of the class,
you will see her,
you will love her."
I am a great admirer of the team that has created this ode to children being who they are. Matt De La Pena is an expressive and supportive champion of children and writes books that speak to the heart. Corinna Luyken shapes a diverse group of children using a palette of appealing colors while also setting the individual children on a patchwork pattern that is sure to concentrate attention on the child themself.
Affirming words and images encourage children to be themselves, not someone others expect them to be. Too often, a child is born with a plan for their future, without any knowledge of who they actually are. If given the chance, without restrictions, to explore and celebrate their own unique and evolving personality, they have much to offer. Their choices are endless and full of opportunity.
A child fully engaged in 'any-kind-of-ball' might one day become someone else.
"But soon you will see your sport for what it really is.
An expression.
The sound of a bouncing ball
is the language of your loneliness.
You are bilingual.
And one day you will carry words with you instead.
You will spin couplets on your finger
because you've always been a poet."
Children are absolutely more than is expected of them. They need time to consider each facet of themselves to find where they can be comfortable. Each personal discovery is an affirmation for the children who read or hear these reflective words reminding them that eyes should always be wide open to the possibilities in life. Bravo!
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