Summary
This simple, yet thought provoking story surrounds a curious little boy named CJ who begins to question the things that are around him: Why do we have to take the bus? Why is the neighborhood so dirty? How come that mean can’t see? However, even though CJ cannot see it, his grandmother helps him acknowledge that beauty is everywhere if you just stop and look. She also helps him discover that he is a part of the community, and that he can help make a change.
Theme(s):
Building community, Inequality, Appreciating differences
Personal Response
I thought this story was simple, but had a very clear and deep message behind it. Often, children have trouble seeing the beauty in things that do not look “pretty” on the outside. I think it is important for our students to read this so that they understand that even though sometimes a situation isn’t always ideal, there are always things to be grateful for. This book is recommended for a younger age group, but it might be hard for them to understand the message.
Teaching Ideas
This would be a great read aloud for a younger set of students. There are a lot of points in the story that can serve as stopping points to have a discussion with the class, such as after CJ asks about why they always have to take the bus. There are probably a handful of students in a class that can relate to this story. A task to accompany the read aloud could be the write down a list of things/situations that are not ideal in their lives and try and come up with positives in each situation.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03
