Summary
This text is about a young boy named Ayaan who starts off the morning feeling very down and hopeless. However, his mother, friends, and neighbors all try to help turn his day around by encouraging him to focus on the bright things that life has to offer and to take each day with a clean slate.
Theme(s):
Positivity, Encouragement, & Determination
Personal Response
I really enjoyed reading this story as I was able to connect to the importance of encouraging myself to feel more optimistic and conscientious towards my own attitudes on life. This has been something I have worked on myself as it is very easy to focus too much on the negative instead of highlighting the positive. One way I try to fulfill this is by writing at least three things that made me happy everyday. I have found this has helped me to stay positive, even when life throws us obstacles.
Teaching Ideas
After reading this book to the class, I would encourage the students to think about a positive statement they could say/write about themselves. During this time, we would brainstorm together different statements we could use. The students will then pair up to create a positive statement about their partner that they would take turns sharing. Once finished, the class would share their responses as a whole and describe how it made them feel engaging in this positive activity.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01, Grade 02
