Flat Stanley Visits Grandma Marilyn

2002

For years, Flat Stanley has been traveling all over the world and then returning home to school children to tell them of his adventures.  Stanley is a character in a series of books by Jeff Brown, the first written in 1964.  One night while Stanley was sleeping, a bulletin board fell on top of him, flattening him to ½ inch thick.  Not one to be deterred by a seemingly disastrous event, Flat Stanley discovers the many advantages of his new form.  He is flown like a kite, enters locked rooms by sliding under a door, and can be mailed in an envelope anywhere in the world.

Teachers have been using these books for years as a way for bringing books to life.  Children color in their own Flat Stanley and then send him off on his own adventures.  During third grade, both Michelle and her cousin Kevin sent their Flat Stanleys to Grandma’s house for the week.  Grandma Marilyn stepped up to the challenge by not only inviting the Stanleys into her busy life, but also documenting the week in words and pictures.  They were lucky enough to go to school with Grandma, play in the garden, have a tea party or two, and a pizza party.

This folder serves as a reminder to me to not only read to children, but also to connect the books to their lives by making the stories personal.  Sometimes a book is just a time to sit together and enjoy each other’s company, but sometimes a book can be a starting point for fun, adventure, and learning. 

Life Story

The story of life on our earth from its beginnings up to now 

By Virginia Lee Burton

Written in 1962

Revised in 2009

The whole world is a stage in five acts – from the incomprehensible vastness of space to the reader’s own home.

I was familiar with Virginia Lee Burton for her more well-known books, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and The Little House.  I just discovered this beautiful, informative, inspiring book last week.  My version is the revised 2009 edition – updated for the 100^th birth anniversary of the author to reflect more current scientific knowledge of natural history.

Burton wrote a book on evolution that makes the concept easy to grasp for young children.

Explaining natural history from the Paleozoic Era to Present Day, Burton uses scientific terms and concepts in way that is clear and poetic.  It is a beautiful story, yet is also full of facts and details.  I think I would have loved this book as a child.  I can remember trying to grasp the concept of the infinity of space and time, and I think this book would have been helpful.

This book brings the focus in one step at a time to the reader, making the history of the world seem like a personal story.  It gives the reader a sense of his own miniscule, yet magnificently important place in the vastness of time.  The text eloquently ends, 

“And now it is your Life Story

and it is you who plays the leading role.

The stage is set, the time is now, and the place wherever you are.

Each passing second is a new link in the endless chain of Time.

The drama of Life is a continuous story – ever new,

ever changing, and ever wondrous to behold.”

Smokey the Bear

A Little Golden Book

By Jane Werner

Pictures by Richard Scarry

Copyright 1955

Only YOU can prevent forest fires!

This is Smokey the Bear’s plea to people.  I learned this lesson from Smokey in grade school when I was told the story of the sweet little bear cub whose family and home were destroyed by a fire.  Poor little Smokey!  He sure must have been scared, left all alone and hurt.   Fortunately, he was saved by a caring ranger and after recovering, went on to teach wildfire safety to a generation of children. 

As a child of the 70’s, I was taught by Smokey and his friend Woodsy Owl (give a hoot, don’t pollute) to take responsibility for the environment.

How much easier it is to take responsibility for the wider world when we feel that we have a personal connection.  Putting a face and a name to the creatures that are touched by our actions was a very effective teaching tool.  

I wanted to be Smokey’s friend.  He could rely on me!  

This version of Smokey the Bear’s story is especially cherished because it is illustrated by Richard Scarry.  He had a way of drawing animals that gives them personality, lending even more warmth to an already special story.  

Little Toot

By Hardie Gramatky

Copyright 1939

Little Toot is a silly, nervous little tugboat – scared of the wild seas outside the channel.  He prefers to have fun where the waters are calm, blowing smoke rings and gliding in figure eights.  Eventually, the other little tugboats making fun of his frivolous ways force him to look inside himself and discover the desire to prove his worth and make a mark on the world.  But when he tries to help, they don’t believe he has changed and push him out of the way.  

  

Lost in despair, Little Toot drifts away, not noticing that the skies are growing stormy and dark.  Suddenly, out in the wild ocean waves, Little Toot notices an ocean liner in big trouble.  Why, he can prove his usefulness by making smoke signals to call for the big tugboats to help!  Help does come, but all those big tugboats are unable to force their way out to the stormy seas.  Little Toot is the only one who can save the day.  Sure, he is scared.  But he braves the wind and waves and rushes out to attempt to save that giant ocean liner.  And guess what?  He did it!

That silly little cute tugboat rose to the occasion and became a hero!  

It is so easy, isn’t it, to stay where the waters are calm.  It can be tempting to sit back and let others take charge.  Like Little Toot, it is only when we force ourselves to brave the stormy seas that we gain the confidence to take charge and save the day!