"Sometimes he showed his pictures to his friends.
'What is it?' one of them would ask.
'It's the ring-a-ling of the ice cream truck," Niko would answer.
'It doesn't look like the ice cream truck,' someone else would say.
'It's not the ice cream truck,' Niko would explain. 'It's the ring-a-ling.'
'Where's the bell?'
'It's not the bell. It's the ring-a-ling.'
'I don't get it.' "
Niko loves to draw, carrying around a book and colours so that he can draw whenever something inspires him. Niko draws the sensations he experiences when he sees, hears or feels something. However, when he shares his pictures with people around him, they do not understand his drawings...often getting stuck on what he DID NOT draw. Disappointed, Niko looks at himself in the mirror drawing what he feels at that moment, hiding this drawing behind the door.
Then one day a new girl moves in next door and is curious about Niko’s book under his arm and colours in his hand. Niko shows her his drawings and he is surprised that she ‘gets’ him and his art.
A quiet, powerful, rather profound story and my ‘Dragons’ from #redwoodmontessorichennai could feel it.. Children are often taught what to notice or how to react. Yet, here is a book that sends out a subtle message to look at the world in our own unique ways and to express whatever we feel, whether it’s what is commonly accepted or not. A celebration of individuality and friendship, about finding that friend who appreciates your uniqueness and quirks.
To extend the book, the children were asked to try and remember how they felt for every prompt I give them. They could do this in any way...different colours, figures, scribbles or anything that they felt best expressed the sensation. We folded and A4 sheet into 8 little boxes and each prompt was to be expressed in individual boxes.
Some of the prompts I gave them to think about:
How do you feel when you listen to stories?
When it's raining
When you have a wonderful idea
When you are angry
When someone says something mean to you
It's your birthday and you are opening your presents
When you are really sick
When you are spending time with your best friend
Do share your ideas for other prompts in the comments.
Other ideas to extend this book...
Encourage them to take a pad an colours with them on a walk or to sit on their balcony and soak in all that they hear, feel or smell.
Keep a little pad by the side of their bed where they can record how the day made them feel. At the end of the week, display these pictures in a row.
SEL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:
Self Awareness: Emotions/Self-efficacy and Growth Mindset
Social Awareness: Perspective taking
Relationship Skills: Communication, Relationship building
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I accessed this book on GetEpic