Dream Street, Written by Tricia Elam Walker and Illustrated by Ekua Holmes

 


Description from the publisher:
"Visit a truly special street bursting with joy, hope, and dreams. Inspired by the neighborhood where they grew up as cousins, this gorgeous picture book from an award-winning illustrator and critically acclaimed author is the perfect gift or keepsake for every generation.
 
Welcome to Dream Street--the best street in the world!  Jump rope with Azaria--can you Double Dutch one leg at a time?  Dream big with Ede and Tari, who wish to create a picture book together one day. Say hello with Mr. Sidney, a retired mail carrier who greets everyone with the words, "Don't wait to have a great day. Create one!" On Dream Street, love between generations rules, everyone is special, and the warmth of the neighborhood shines.
 
A magical story from the critically acclaimed author of Nana Akua Goes to School and a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winning illustrator. Illuminating this vivid cast of characters are vibrant, joyful illustrations that make this neighborhood--based on the Roxbury neighborhood in Boston where the author and illustrator grew up together as cousins--truly sing. This book is a perfect way for parents to share with their children the importance of community."

Text Features: 

  • Fictional picture book in English
  • Includes author and illustrator notes explaining characters based on the author's and illustrator's real life childhoods. 
  • Includes extended dedications after the author/illustrator notes–great for exploring how friends and family enabled the book's creators to fulfill their dreams!
Critical Literacy Suggestions:

Read & Discuss: 

  • There is a lot of "everyday wisdom" (words that encourage and inspire) shared by characters in this book. Pause and discuss as you notice examples. 
  • As you read through the book, take note of the different dreams each character has: 
    • What is their dream?
    • Who encourages them to fulfill their dreams?
    • What do they learn from others?
    • Do you, or does anyone you know, have a dream similar to this one? (remember, as the author says, dreams "are different as thumbprints" but some are more alike than others!)
Write & Act: 
  • Write about a dream you have for yourself, your family, your community, or the whole world. Write about what can you do to help make it come true; and who can help you along the way.   
  • Interview someone in your classroom or family to learn more about their dreams and how you might be able to help them realize their dreams. 

Learn More:


Popular posts from this blog

The Welcome Chair, Written by Rosemary Wells and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Image
Description from the publisher: "Based in part on a 100-year-old family journal, Rosemary Wells brings to life a story that the diary’s fragile pages tell. It’s the story of a wooden rocking chair handmade in about 1825 by her great-great-grandfather, an immigrant Jewish boy who made his way to America from Germany in the early 1800s. In 1807, Sam Siegbert is born in southern Germany. Sam’s favorite pastime is carpentry, much to his father’s displeasure. His mother says he has a gift from God in his hands. After moving to America, he builds a wooden chair with the word  WILLKOMMEN  on the back. The chair’s back panel was later marked with  welcome s by four generations of the family in four different languages. After the family lost track of the old chair, the author created a new life for it among new owners from other corners of the world. All the families who loved the chair came to America, escaping religious conformity, natural disasters, tyrannies, war, and supersti...
Read more

One Wish: Fatima al-Fihri and the World's Oldest University, written by M. O. Yuksel and illustrated by Mariam Quraishi

Image
  Description from the publisher: " One Wish is a picture book biography about Fatima al-Fihri, a 9th-century woman who pioneered the oldest university in the world in Fez, Morocco. Illustrated by Mariam Quraishi.  "Fatima al-Fihri loved to learn. She wanted to know everything, like how birds flew, why the sky was blue, and how flowers grew. But more than anything, she wanted a school for all, where anyone could study and become whatever they wanted, like teachers, scientists, and doctors. As she grew older, Fatima carried her one wish inside her, through good times and bad. Fueled by her faith and her determination, she worked hard to make her one wish come true. For over a thousand years, Fatima’s one wish—her school—served students and scholars from around the globe, and it continues to do so today! ​ With lyrical text by M. O. Yuksel and stunning illustrations by Mariam Quraishi, this life portrait of an extraordinary Muslim woman shows the importance of never gi...
Read more

Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments In Nature, written by Rachel Williams and illustrated by Freya Hartas

Image
  Description from the publisher: " Bestselling author Rachel Williams and illustrator Freya Hartas invite children to  Slow Down  and watch 50 nature stories that command calm and foster mindfulness. All around us, nature is working wonders. Every day, hour by hour, magical transformations happen right in front of you. But it’s not always easy to see them . . . In this beautifully illustrated collection, 50 moments in nature are paused for you to watch them in detail. Then you should go outside and explore and see what you find when you take the time to slow down. Gorgeously illustrated, this charming collection celebrates the small wonders happening all around us every day." Text Features:  Informational picture book Select poems about nature Table of Contents Two-page spread for each mindful moment story Critical Literacy Suggestions: Read & Discuss:   BEFORE reading: Read the blurb. Ask children what they think a "mindful moment" is? What are some other ...
Read more