Tonight is the first event for the new book, and I've spent most of the afternoon at home with curlers in my hair and cucumber circles on the eyes...
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I was required to read this book to my class as a book of the month at school. It was a bit over their heads (kindergarteners), but all the children were very interested in it. They felt sympathetic towards the father and daughter and really disliked the mother for her attitude towards them. And lets face it in our world nowadays we need to evoke sympathy into people's hearts and teach them how to help others. It's a great book to teach children the value of looking beyond socioeconomic status and loving the person just as they are. I read the previous comment and am very sadden by it. I have 26 students in my class with 1/3 of them being African American. No parent in my class complained about this book nor did the children make any connection between the charatcers and themselves.Even if they had, instead of sheltering children from the world and the comments that COULD be made I would have used it as a teachable moment. We need to use every possible avenue to teach children. Nowhere did the author ever insinuate the gorillas represented the African American population (as stated in the previous comment- not by myself). When reading it to my class the thought never crossed my mind. The illustrations are fantastic the way the illustrator infused so much into them. I brought this book to one of my graduate courses and all the teachers including the professor really liked the book.
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ValandJenn has commented on (1) product.
Voices in the Park (DK Ink) by Anthony Browne
ValandJenn, May 26, 2008
I was required to read this book to my class as a book of the month at school. It was a bit over their heads (kindergarteners), but all the children were very interested in it. They felt sympathetic towards the father and daughter and really disliked the mother for her attitude towards them. And lets face it in our world nowadays we need to evoke sympathy into people's hearts and teach them how to help others. It's a great book to teach children the value of looking beyond socioeconomic status and loving the person just as they are. I read the previous comment and am very sadden by it. I have 26 students in my class with 1/3 of them being African American. No parent in my class complained about this book nor did the children make any connection between the charatcers and themselves.Even if they had, instead of sheltering children from the world and the comments that COULD be made I would have used it as a teachable moment. We need to use every possible avenue to teach children. Nowhere did the author ever insinuate the gorillas represented the African American population (as stated in the previous comment- not by myself). When reading it to my class the thought never crossed my mind. The illustrations are fantastic the way the illustrator infused so much into them. I brought this book to one of my graduate courses and all the teachers including the professor really liked the book.(8 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)