Ish

Ish
by Peter Reynolds

Universal Themes:
Creativity, Identity, Uniqueness

As five and six year-olds in kindergarten, children have a high opinion of themselves as artists. Ask a kindergarten class, "Who here is an artist?" and you'll be awash in a sea of eagerly waving hands. Over time, however, that opinion changes; some educational commentators, such as Daniel Pink, even argue that it's school's emphasis on "right answers" that is partially to blame for this.

Why is self-concept so important in learning? How large a part does a child's opinion of his or her abilities play in the risk-taking process?

That question is answered simply, skillfully, and lyrically in Ish by Peter H. Reynolds.

Before Reading Questions

• How many of you are artists? What are some of your favorite things to draw?
• How many of you think that your pictures are good enough to be in a museum?
• What is one thing you're really good at? Can you do that without ever making any mistakes? How should people react when they're not perfect at something?

Summary

Ramon loves to draw; he draws anything, anytime, anywhere. That is, at least, until a careless word from his brother makes him overly critical of his work, and he becomes less and less satisfied with his drawings. Because he can't be "perfect," he no longer enjoys what was once his greatest pleasure.

Then one day he notices his younger sister grabbing one of his discarded sketches. Chasing Marisol to her room, Ramon discovers that she has hung all of his crumpled works on her wall. "That was supposed to be a vase of flowers, " Ramon sighs, "but I couldn't get it right."

"Well, it looks vase-ISH!" Marisol exclaims.

Examining the drawings on her walls, Ramon begins to see them in a whole new way. "They do look... ish, " he says.

Feeling energized and less burdened to be perfect, Ramon begins to draw what he feels. "Thinking ish-ly allowed his ideas to flow freely." He also realizes now that he draw his feelings as well (Reynolds provides some exquisite examples of abstract feelings realized visually).

And Ramon lived ish-fully ever after.

After Reading Questions

• Why did Ramon have trouble drawing his pictures after his brother's comment? If you were Ramon, would you have reacted the same way? What could Ramon have said to his brother?
• What does Marisol mean when she says that the picture is vase-ISH"?
• What are some new ideas Ramon finds for his art once he starts to see the world in this new, an -ish way? Why hadn't he thought of these ideas before? (point out to students that his earlier work habits required that he always look at what he was attempting to draw)

About Peter H. Reynolds

Although you may not at first recognize his name, you do know Peter H. Reynold's work, including the Judy Moody books and the most recent reincarnations of the Fudge series by Judy Blume. Many of the extensions described below are drawn from his excellent official site as well as his FableVision media site.

Teachers and parents, you may also be interested to know that his many of his whimsical drawings are also offered as clip art at his North Star Resource Library.

Extension Ideas: Language Arts

• From Peter's official web site, have students choose one of his watercolors for a picture prompt. While you could assign the same picture to all students, I find that they feel greater ownership, and thus greater responsibility for the quality, when they choose their own picture.
• From his FableVision site, Peter offers some creativity tips in a section called Sparking the Creative Spirit. The ideas shared there may kindle an idea for you and your students.

Extension Ideas: Tech

• At FableVision, Peter has created a simple tutorial for working with Flash, the popular animation program. After students view Peter's animation of a tumbling boy, as well as a simpler animation created by a second grader, they can try the process for themselves.
• If you're looking for software that will inspire the -Ish in your students, you might consider Peter's own Animation-ish, the "world's easiest animation software program." Click on the link to check it out, and to see a free demo.

Other interesting Peter R. Reynolds links:

• For those who enjoy writing and illustrating, and may be considering a book for children, Peter gives some tips in the Strathmore Artist Newsletter (pdf download).

Wilfrid Gordon MacDonald Partridge

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
by Mem Fox

Universal Themes:
Change, Connections, Discovery, Generations, Identity, Loss, Memory, Relationships

Before Reading Questions

• What do you think of when I say the word "warm"? How about the word "sweet"? How about the word "fun"?
• Why didn't we all share the same ideas for those words? Who heard someone else share an idea that you've never heard of, or never experienced?
• Why can we remember some things that happened to us when we were just three years old, but we can't remember what we had for lunch two weeks ago?

Summary

Wilfrid Gordon MacDonald Partridge lives next to an old folks' home, and he knows and loves each person there. That is why he is dismayed upon learning that his "favourite person of all" (note the Australian spelling of favorite) has lost her memory.

Wilfrid wonders what a memory is, and begins asking each of the residents of the home. One answers, "Something warm, my child, something warm," while another answers, "Something from long ago, me lad, something from long ago," and so on.

Intent upon giving Miss Nancy her memory back, Wilfrid collects items which he feels match the description of memory shared by his friends. (Something warm, for example, is a freshly laid egg).
When he shares his collection of gathered treasures with Miss Nancy, she remarks, "What a dear, strange child to bring me all these wonderful things." Then she starts to remember.

Each object retrieves from her memory a long forgotten pleasure, such as days at the beach, eggs found in nests, and a farewell to a brother off to war, whom she never saw again. And the final object helps her to recall the day she had first met this sweet little boy, and all the secrets they had shared.

After Reading Questions

• Why did each person tell Wilfrid a different answer when he asked, "What's a memory?"
• What other object could he have collected for something warm? Something that makes you cry? Something that makes you laugh?
• Why does Wilfrid like Miss Nancy the most? (She has four names, just like him). How else are Wilfrid and Miss Nancy alike?

Extension Ideas: Language Arts

• A day or two before sharing the book, ask each child to bring in a small object that holds a special memory for them. Have students write a short paragraph describing that memory. These can be shared aloud, or all of the objects can be displayed, and the teacher can read each description aloud (omitting the name of the object) and students can guess which object matches each description.
• Students can create simile poems describing favorite places. The ocean might be described as "salty as a pretzel," and the sand as "blinding as a light bulb." Or , the simile poems can deal with opposite sides of each student's personality. A student might write, "At school I am as quiet as a mouse, At home I am as loud as a tornado."
• Students can interview parents, grandparents, older uncles and aunts, or residents of a senior citizen's home. They can ask standard questions about favorite memories, or, keeping more in line with the book's theme, students can ask, "What was something warm you remember from when you were a child? What was something that made you laugh?" and so on.

Extension Ideas: Science

Conduct a memory experiment using Kim's Game.

• First, gather 30-40 common objects from home and the classroom. Arrange these objects on a table in the classroom and cover them with a tablecloth or blanket. Have students gather around and make some hypotheses about what might be under the blanket. What are some likely items? (kickball, scissors, rulers) What are some unlikely items? (the teacher's car, a classmate)
• Second, inform students that once the cloth is lifted they will have thirty seconds to look at (but not touch) all of the items on the table. They are to then go back to their desks and individually create a list from memory (and the tablecloth is again placed over the objects). Younger students might be paired with upper grade students or parents who can record their items quickly (and help recall them as well, if desired).
• Third, take a quick survey of how many items each child could recall. If the lists seem especially short, the teacher might provide memory-prompting questions such as, "Were there any items that were silver? Did any of the items have numbers on them?" These prompts can later lead to a conversation of how and why scientists categorize things into groups (reptiles, birds, mammals, etc.) based upon common criteria.
• Fourth, (and this is important!) have students draw a thick, dark line under the last object on their list. Then, tell students that they will now be placed into groups. Each group can share ideas, and students can add to their lists if they agree.
• Fifth, after some time sharing in groups, get together and debrief: "How many total objects could your group list? There were actually ___. Raise your hand if your group got at least ___. Great! Raise your hand if your group helped you to add some items which you couldn't remember. What does that tell us about working together? Now, let's see if we can recall what was under that blanket. Let's start with those objects I mentioned earlier, that had numbers on them. Who can tell me what they were? (watch, ruler, playing card) How about objects that were black and white, with no other colors? (domino, dice, Oreo cookie) And so on.
• Sixth, ask, "If we did this activity again, what could we possibly do so that we could remember more of the objects once they're covered up again?" What's fantastic about this activity is that it introduces, in a very concrete manner, scientific behaviors including hypothesizing, observing, recording, communicating, classifying, confirming, evaluating, and drawing conclusions.

Ruby the Copycat

Ruby The Copycat
by Peggy Rathman

Universal Themes:
Change, Identity, Uniqueness

Before Reading Questions

• What does the term "copycat" mean?
• Is it considered good or bad to be a copycat? When might copying someone be a good thing? (Some students may notice the step-by-step drawing of the cat on the back cover, which is a good example of how copycatting might be a good thing).
• Look at the front cover. Which character do you think is Ruby? How do you know? (Note that Ruby's flowers are really pinned on, and she is copying Angela's answer, oblivious to the fact that she is solving an entirely different math problem).

Summary

Class newcomer Ruby admires Angela's bow. After skipping home to lunch, Ruby returns to class wearing a similar bow in her hair.

Another day Ruby admires Angela's handpainted T-shirt and sneakers. Coincidentally enough, Ruby returns after lunch with a hand-painted T-shirt and sneakers. "Don't touch," she warns, "I'm a little bit wet."

This continues until Angela, who had been flattered at first, grows tired of Ruby's replications, which are stealing the thunder from Angela.

Finally Miss Hart, the girls' teacher, asks Ruby to stay after school for a talk. I what seems like the final scene, Miss Hart encourages Ruby to be herself, to be the best Ruby she can be. Miss Hart smiles at Ruby. Ruby smiles at Miss Hart's long, painted fingernails. (A great scene to revisit for a discussion of foreshadowing).

When Ruby returns after the weekend with long, painted (fake) fingernails, and continues to copy what her classmates say, an exasperated Miss Hart asks, "And what else did you do this weekend?" Ruby responds, "I hopped." She then demonstrates her unique hopping skills for the class, and the teacher, seizing upon the moment, turns on some music and has everyone copy Rudy.

Thus dignified for her own unique gifts, Ruby hops home with Angela in a satisfying happy ending.

After Reading Questions

• Why do you think Ruby felt it was necessary to copy Angela?
• Why did Angela enjoy it at first and then become upset?
• What clues gave Ruby away? For example, how did the teacher know that Ruby hadn't been a flower girl?
• What advice do you think Ruby would give another child who came into this class as a brand new student?
• When might there be times that it's hard to be ourselves?

Extension Ideas: Math

• Extending patterns is an excellent math concept that connects the idea of pattern and repetition with copying. Many books offer examples of both numerical and graphic patterns.

Extension Ideas: Language Arts

• Create a class poem titled "Sometimes." The lead-in phrase would be "Sometimes I wish I could..." and each student offers a talent which they feel is uniquely their own. So the poem might read: "Sometimes I wish I could /Swim like Ronald/ Cook like Margaret/ Build with Legos like Anthony/ etc." The final line of the poem might be "But most of the time I'm happy just to be me."
• Play the drama game called "Mirror." One student is the actor, and she slowly changes her hands, body, or face. Her partner must mirror, or copy, the movements. Let students practice this for some time, and you'll find that it becomes difficult to tell who is the actor and who is the mirror.

Ruby the Copycat is an excellent beginning of the year book, and also a wonderful common-culture-creator for an introduction to other books (especially novels) related to the theme of Identity.