I Talk Like A River, Written by Jordan Scott and Illustrated by Sydney Smith

 


From The Publisher:

"When a boy who stutters feels isolated, alone, and incapable of communicating in the way he'd like, it takes a kindly father and a walk by the river to help him find his voice. Compassionate parents everywhere will instantly recognize a father's ability to reconnect a child with the world around him.

Poet Jordan Scott writes movingly in this powerful and ultimately uplifting book, based on his own experience, and masterfully illustrated by Greenaway Medalist Sydney Smith. A book for any child who feels lost, lonely, or unable to fit in."

Text Features: 

  • Figurative Language ("the P in pinetree grows roots inside my mouth and tangles my tongue", "the M in moon dusts my lips with a magic that makes me only mumble", "I feel a storm in my belly; my eyes fill with rain"...and of course "I talk like a river")
  • Author's Note (great for exploring the author's inspiration for writing this book and his hopes for what it will offer young readers)
Critical Literacy Suggestions:

Read & Discuss: 

  • What feelings does the boy in the story have? How do the words and illustrations show these feelings?
  • How do the boy's classmates treat him? What harm does this cause? 
  • Does anyone help the boy? Why or why not?
  • Why do you think the boy's dad takes him to the river? How does it make the boy feel? What does it help him understand? 
  • At the end of the book, in the author's note, Jordan Scott talks about how the book is based on his own experience growing up with a stutter. He asks questions to help us think about how we each communicate and he says that "stuttering is terrifyingly beautiful." What do you think he means?
  • Do you think that Jordan Scott feels proud to have a stutter?    

Write & Act: 

  • Write about what you've noticed about how different people speak. (How do they sound? Why do they sound that way? Do people sound different in different situations?) 
  • When you meet someone who has difficulty communicating, what could you do to make them feel more comfortable? What might make them feel less comfortable?
  • Practice communicating in different ways! 

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