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The Power of Picture Books

By Kai Johnson, Grade 4 Teacher

Picture books make up many of our earliest and fondest memories. They inspire us with lyrical, simple lines and stretch our creative imagination with collage and color in combinations we never fathomed. Picture books transport and teach. When tragic or difficult moments disrupt our lives, we often turn to picture books to offer solace and a path forward. As a reader, I relish sharing books with my 2 year-old nephew and as a teacher I search the Graland library to find new classics to use in the classroom. 
Last school year, Lower School teachers on the Literacy Professional Learning Community identified some of their favorites that we knew deserved not just a space on our bookshelves, but a place in our curriculum – books to be read and enjoyed, but also discussed in detail and reflected on through writing or drawing. Additionally, teachers made selections with a careful eye towards diversity and inclusivity. 
 
As we continually re-examine and reflect on the materials we bring into our reading lessons, a lens on inclusion is essential. There are numerous considerations: gender, ability, race, age, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, nationality and so on. We realize that implicit messages hidden in our book selections matter as much as the explicit messages and themes. 
 
Teachers are increasingly aware to offer both “windows and mirrors” in our book choices. In a New York Times opinion article, Newbery-winning author Kwame Alexander explained this concept: “When we segregate literature, we focus only on mirrors. Certainly, seeing yourself in books is necessary and crucial to the development of identity, but not allowing those same books to serve as windows into the lives of others will most certainly limit imagination and possibility.” 
 
This year, my fourth graders worked to briefly summarize and introduce the books listed below to the wider Graland community. The work was inspiring. Students recognized, with little prompting or direction, the value of these stories. A few books tackle mindset and friendship; others cover more complex topics. For instance, a biography about George Moses Horton, the 19th century poet whose passion, ingenuity and determination to read and write lead to a life of letters despite his enslavement. 
 
As teachers turn to these powerful stories in the coming months, students will go beyond reading the words and analyzing the pictures on each page; they’ll discover more about their own lives and the world in which we live. Ultimately, that is the transformative power of even the most deceptively short and simple picture books. 

In 2017, Kai was named English department chair. He believes strongly that books provide an essential opportunity for students to see mirrors of themselves and windows into the lives of others; through discussion and inquiry his students examine issues in literature, history and current events. 

Available Books Include: Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton - Don Tate; Chopsticks - Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Scott Magoon; Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai - Claire Nivola; Show Way - Jacqueline Woodson and Hudson Talbott; Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade - Melissa Sweet; The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer and Elizabeth Zunon

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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.