grandparents

Today we the kidlets and I were chatting about wants and needs.

We had a bunch of pictures, and had to figure out if they were wants or needs.  The last picture in the pile (I didn't set it up, but it worked perfectly), was a heart.  Is love a want or is love a need. Some children said that love is a want, because you would still be alive even if you were not loved.  After a bit of conversation, one girl spoke up:  we need love, because if we are not loved, we will not learn how to love other people.

That settled it.  Love is a need.  We need to learn how to love.  Then we can love other people.

That's what families are for.

That's what grandparents are for.

Grandparents are celebrated in this beautiful picture book.

created by Maya Mjmera, Sheila Kinkade, and Cynthia Don 

with a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

published by Charlesbridge Pub Inc (February 2010)

juvenile non-fiction

suitable for ages 3 - 8

themes  family, grandparents, children, love, multi-cultural

opening lines  

Our grandparents love us. They give the biggest hugs and hold our hands. 

synopsis 

In the foreword, Archbishop Desmond Tutu states the overall theme of the book - grandparents receive the gift of seeing the world, once again, through the eyes of children and have a responsibility to teach their grandchildren "Love. Compassion. Integrity. Perseverance." Clear, colorful photographs show the two generations engaged in a variety of activities and invite careful observation. The pictures are clearly labeled with the name of the families' countries and highlight common threads, e.g., "listening," in Tibet, India, Mexico, and USA. Spare text defines the actions represented. The book concludes with "Five Things to Do with Your Grandparents."

School Library Journal, February 1, 2010

I liked this book because ...

The loving bond between all the grandparents and grandchildren is the unifying theme of the book.  And then the differences are celebrated.  The photographs show grandparents and their  grandchildren from countries all over the globe, showing different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, all engaged in a variety of activities.  

I know that the love, compassion, perseverance and integrity that Desmond Tutu hopes children learn from their grandparents does not always abound in families or extended families; I believe that it it worth celebrating where it exists and nurturing where it has yet to bloom. 

resources ...

Talking about families is a springboard for my kidlets to make a family tree with their families, and then bring it back to show the class.  

In the past, I have sent the kidlets home with materials to make the traditional brown trunk on blue background with fall coloured leaves.  This year, I might shake it up a bit.  

source: Lakeshore Learning

source:  Teaching Resources Center

I like that this trunk has a place for the child's picture.  Then you add the leaves.

source: Kiboomu

I really like the hands for leaves.