Be a Bridge

Description

In this upbeat picture book, acclaimed authors Irene Latham and Charles Waters bring key themes from their earlier collaborations (Can I Touch Your Hair? and Dictionary for a Better World) to a young audience. Rhyming verse describes different ways in which readers can be a bridge, from welcoming a new student and listening respectfully when someone else is talking to standing up to a bully and comforting a classmate who is upset. Nabila Adani's cheerful illustrations depict a diverse group of students, including young versions of Charles and Irene. Scan a Page Plus QR code at the end of the book to download a Bridge Builder Pledge. An ideal book to share with students in the fall to set the tone for the whole school year!

Irene Latham is the author of more than a dozen current and forthcoming works of poetry, fiction, and picture books, including Charlotte Huck Honor Book Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship (co-written with Charles Waters) and the Caldecott Honor Book The Cat Man of Aleppo(co-written by Karim Shamsi-Basha). Winner of the 2016 ILA Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award, she became obsessed with octopuses after reading The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. Just like Agnes, she enjoys sending--and receiving--postcards. Visit her at www.irenelatham.com. Charles Waters is a children's poet, actor, and co-author of Charlotte Huck Honor Book Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship. His poems have appeared in various anthologies including One Minute Till Bedtime and The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry. Charles performs his one-person show as well as conducts poetry performance and writing workshops for elementary and middle school audiences. He lives in Georgia. Nabila Adani lives in Jakarta, Indonesia and enjoys illustrating different cultures around the world. She originally studied Industrial Product Design in Bandung Institute of Technology earning her degree in 2013, yet found her way into illustration later in life. She briefly worked as product designer in Japan and Indonesia before moving to the United States with her family. Now, living back in Jakarta she enjoys illustrating and telling stories for children worldwide.

Every moment of your day is an opportunity to connect with someone else . . . to build a bridge! Follow a beautifully diverse classroom of young children through their day at school and see how they connect to others in different ways. It can mean giving a friend some space, inviting them to play, or standing up to others on their behalf. At the end of the day, we see that we are not the only bridges and together we can make a difference. This books feels whole and complete, as though the author and illustrator devotedly worked together to create the perfect book for preschool and early elementary school students. This picture book combines detailed illustrations of a classroom of students with rhythmic verses about how these students can become bridges of connection. Each page is a new idea that is simplistic but thought-provoking for young students, and the illustrations effectively convey what the verse suggests. The illustrator incorporates much diversity in their art. This would make a great book to start the school year, to help create rules for the classroom, or to start discussions about connecting to others. Includes great suggestions for fun activities to go with this book, as well as a list of additional resources. Reviewer Rating 5--Children's Literature -- "Website" (10/10/2022 12:00:00 AM) Beginning with a Rumi quote--Love is the bridge between you and everything--previous collaborators Latham and Waters reteam for this rhyming exploration of how children can learn to be a bridge, building key connections through kindness. Brief, unevenly scanning quatrains describe various ways to exhibit kindness, connection, and respect throughout the school day: When someone new walks in, / be the first to say hello./ Your smile could be the sunshine/ that helps a friendship grow. Other actions include inviting kids to play, calling out classmates for unkind acts, empathizing, and listening. And after school is dismissed, the story continues visually, via Adani's kid-centered digital artwork, which shows the variously inclusive students and teachers creating a bridge-themed community art project. An authors' note, bridge builder activities, and a pledge conclude. Ages 4-9. (Aug.) --Publishers Weekly -- "Journal" (8/1/2022 12:00:00 AM) An exuberant ode to the virtues of kindness and inclusion. Latham and Waters take readers through a day in the lives of a diverse group of students who cross a literal bridge to school--and a metaphorical one toward a world of compassion and respect. Upbeat, rhyming text urges readers to persevere, connect with others, stand up to bullies, and be respectful, complemented by digital, watercolorlike illustrations depicting kids being welcoming to their fellow students in art class, in gym, at lunchtime, and at storytime. The theme of rainbows and bridges can be found throughout. Brimming with colorful details, each page is a visual delight that reminds teachers, librarians, and caregivers of the need to model kindness and compassion to little learners. The backmatter includes a 'Bridge Builder Pledge' with statements such as 'I will be the one to reach out and say hello, ' and 'I will keep an open mind.' Uplifting and accessible, this one pairs well with The Day You Begin (2018) by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lopez and Be a King (2018) by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by James E. Ransome. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A charming and welcome read bound to help cultivate a kinder next generation.--Kirkus Reviews -- "Journal" (6/1/2022 12:00:00 AM)