*Picture book for infants to Kindergarteners, contemporary fiction
*Young girl as main character
*Rating: Say Hello! is a book children will return to again and again as they learn to speak “hello” in many different languages. Rachel Isadora is a brilliant illustrator, too!
Short, short summary:
Carmelita, her mom, and her dog are on their way to see Abuelo Rosa. As they walk through the street, they encounter several people who speak, “Hello,” in different languages. There’s Mrs. Rosen who greets them with, “Shalom!” The baker says, “Bonjour,” and the pizza maker says, “Ciao!” Along the way, Carmelia and her mother answer each of them, and so does Manny the dog. He says, “Woof!” each time, but everyone is convinced it’s because he can understand the hello in a different language and is simply answering back.So, what do I do with this book?
1. The best thing about Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora is that it is meant to be read aloud, and children are meant to practice saying hello in all the different languages. And children love this! After you have read it through a couple times, you can ask children if they know any other ways to say hello. You can make a list of all the ways–from the book and from your children–and display this in the room. At home, when you pass your child in the hallway or enter a room, you can say hello in one of the ways you learned in the book.
2. This book is also great to start a discussion about businesses/buildings in a community, which is often a primary social studies objective. What are the places that Carmelita passes or visits on her walk to see Abuela Rosa? Are these same type of businesses in your community? What do you do at each of these businesses? Why are they important to the community?
3. Another discussion to have with children is about the similarities and differences between people. Depending on where you teach or where you live, your children may be in a neighborhood like Carmelita, where people come from various backgrounds, or you may be in a place where people mostly come from the same place. No matter what, you can have the discussion with children about how people may speak differently or look differently, but we are all people with feelings, friends, families, and even special talents. Again, one of the early social studies objectives is learning “ALL ABOUT ME.” This book can be a starting point for students to explore their families, share unique things about families with the class, or even create a family tree.
Don’t forget to enter the book giveaway contest for Seeds of Change, a picture book about Waangari Maathai. See the post from Thursday, May 20 (yesterday) to enter the contest and learn about this amazing book!
Add a Comment