So, I have just entered this book that I wrote and illustrated, in a contest for self-published books. Frankly, I am filled with trepidation. The publishing business is incomprehensible to me, but I love this book and hope that someday Scholastic will publish it and create fabric dolls depicting Silkii and the butterfly.
There...I said it!
When Silkii, a brave young mermaid, explores the air above her lagoon. She discovers and becomes friendly with a butterfly. As we move through the story the butterfly's life cycle is displayed in pictures on the left side, but never mentioned.
Since your beginners have already read the indispensable and wonderful The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle they will surely notice the butterfly developing throughout the story.
I hope they will interrupt the reading (after raising their hands) to point out the egg and the chrysalis and feel very smart, indeed.
Even though Silkii and the butterfly are from very different worlds, they find ways to spend a lovely summer playing on the lagoon between the air and the water. In the end they say good bye when the butterfly must migrate south and the mermaid must hibernate for the winter.
The rhythm of this gentle story makes it perfect for quiet time reading. Silkii's themes of friendship, common ground, life cycles, fantasy/reality are all useful conversation starters for circle time.
I loved creating this book because for twenty years my students loved the story and through it's telling they learned the power and beauty of creating and telling a good yarn.
I hope you will enjoy the story as much a much we have - Karen
Learn more about Silkii in the classroom here...
To be continued...
I used the story in my Library class curriculum and the children loved it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan I remember that you did wonderful activity pages with the class. At any rate it's a classic at EWS.
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