book report: The Most Magnificent Thing

For anyone who has ever tried to build, bake, sculpt, paint, to create ... something  ...  and the reality did not work as well as the plan ...

For anyone who has become angry when a project does not go as planned ...

For anyone who has wanted to give up when a project does not work ...

For anyone who has needed a fresh perspective on a project .... 

For anyone who has plans to create a magnificent thing ...

The Most Magnificent Thing

written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

published by Kids Can Press (2014)
picture book
ages 4 - 8

Our intrepid creator/inventor/engineer has a plan - a plan for the "most Magnificent Thing". 

After hiring an assistant and collecting some materials, she sets up a workshop in an "out of the way" location.

Our inventor/creator/engineer "tinkers and hammers and measures", "smooths and  wrenches and fiddles", "saws and glues and adjusts", "twists and tweaks and fastens" and "fixes and straightens and studies".  

But none of her creations are close to magnificent. 

That can be a little frustrating.

So frustrating that our inventor/creator/engineer explodes.  And wants to quit.

Luckily, her assistant suggests that a walk would be a good idea.  

Our inventor/creator/engineer realizes that while there were things wrong with every "thing" she created, there were also things RIGHT with each one. 

Now she knows how to make the Magnificent Thing.  

She tinkers, hammers, twists, fiddles, glues and paints until she is finally finished.

No spoiler alert here: no Magificent Thing reveal here.  Just that, while it was not perfect, it was MAGNIFICENT.

I love that The Most Magnificent Thing tells the story of the creation of something magnificent.  The planning, the problems, the frustration, and the final success.  

I love that our inventor/creator/engineer did not go and order a magnificent thing from Amazon. Or Etsy.  (Not that I am against either.)  She wanted to make it. Herself. 

I love that an adult did not swoop in and take over the situation.  

I love that she did not experience success right away.  

I love that she learned what was right about all her efforts that were not right.  

I love that the story is told honestly (she has a moment that is not one of her finest), and with great fondness for our inventor/creator/engineer. 

I love that we can all go out and tinker and hammer and twist and glue and fix and tweak and make mistakes and take a break and make something magnificent. 

I love that we can bring making magnificent things into our classrooms.  

We can bring the Maker Movement into our classrooms. 

making plans

We can give kids time, space, materials and the support that they need to tinker with ideas and make them work.  

tinkering

Read more about the Maker Movement.

Forbes:  How the Make Movement will Create New Entrepreneurs   

"I realized that I should embrace mistakes and learn from them"

Christian Science Monitor: The Maker Movement Creates DIY Revolution

 Makers may be knitters, mechanics or even masters of the new 3 D printing process  - people reconnecting with the idea of doing-it-yourself and working with their hands."

making

"Imagine if every classroom was a place where every child could fail, 

without fear, on their way to success."

Mind/Shift:  Why Kids Need to Tinker to Learn

"Kids simply need a supportive environment 

to tinker with an idea long enough to make it work"

fixing

We Are Teachers:  Making Matters! How the Maker Movement is Transforming Education

"Makers learn to make stuff by making stuff."

making

reminders (for me) for this school year:

• time for tinkering
• materials for tinkering
• an environment where mistakes are learning opportunities 

The Most Magnificent Thing was a rockstar book at #pb10for10 

hosted by 

Mandy from  Enjoy and Embrace Learning 

Cathy from Refine and Reflect: Building a Learning Community.  

With good reason.