SUNDAY: "Tear Soup" by Pat Schwiebert

Tear Soup, a Recipe for Healing After Loss [Hardcover]

Pat Schwiebert (Author), Chuck DeKlyen (Author), Taylor Bills (Illustrator)

Laura's Review
This is a 5+ star book in my estimation.  After my daughter lost their little girl, (stillborn at 8+ months), we were all heart broken.  We had recently suffered another death of a young dear friend and my heart felt  heavy for a long time.  My daughter received this book from a friend at work and said "that of all the books and gifts that she had received, this one was the most helpful and really hit the mark".  She sat me down on the couch and she read it to me.  We wept together, page by page, as Grandy, the main character, describes her process of dealing with her loss by making tear soup.  (You don't know what loss she has suffered, but it doesn't matter.  You do know it is a very significant loss though.)  As my daughter read the book, I could literally relate to each sentence and each page.  As I listened to Grandy explain to her grandson what she was doing, I felt like I had discovered a new friend, who was going through the pain with me and who finally understood how I felt.  Because this is a picture book, it is written for adults and children alike.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is grieving the loss of anyone or anything significant.

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2005 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

If you are going to buy only one book on grief, this is the one to get! It will validate your grief experience, and you can share it with your children. You can leave it on the coffee table so others will pick it up, read it, and then better appreciate your grieving time. Grand's Cooking Tips section at the back of the book is rich with wisdom and concrete recommendations. Better than a casserole!

Hardbound; 56 full-color pages. Affirms the bereaved. Educates the un-bereaved. A building-block for children..... WINNER! of the 2001 Theologos Book Award, presented by the Association of Theological Booksellers.

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2007 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Through simple prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love. Bucket filling and dipping are effective metaphors for understanding the effects of our actions and words on the well being of others and ourselves.

THURSDAY'S Picture Book and Lesson Plan for: "I Miss You Every Day" by Simms Taback

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2007 | Age Level: 5 and up

What do you do when you miss someone every day? If you live in the magical
world of Simms Taback, you wrap yourself in paper, close yourself up in a box
(don't forget the air holes!) and mail yourself to the one you love. From the
creator of the Caldecott Medal-winning Joseph Had a Little Overcoat comes
 this tale about what a little girl will do to reach the person she just can't live without.
Filled with Taback's signature vibrant colors and dynamic characters, with a lyrical
text that's as silly as it is moving, this gesture of love will resonate with anyone who's
ever missed someone.

Lesson Plan:  Have the children write a letter inside a card to someone they
miss, everyday!  Then draw a window frame on the front of the card, similar to the
cover, with a picture of themselves inside.  Give each child a stamp, show them
where it goes and how to put their return address on it.  Have them take it home
to address to the person "They Miss Every Day".

THURSDAY'S Cherished Picture Book of the Week & Lesson Plan

City Dog, Country Frog, by Mo Willems Ill. by Jon N Muth 

Publication date: June 8, 2010, ages 3 and up.

This is one of my favorite books, both because of the message and the gorgeous watercolor pictures.  I could eat the dog and the frog up, they are so cute!

The front cover flap tells part of the story!  City Dog needs a friend and in the Spring he meets Country Frog and they play country games.  In the Summer, they play City Dog games, but in the Fall, they only play "remembering" games, because Frog is tired.  In the winter, the frog is not there.  (Thus the sad doggy face above.)  In the Spring though, he meets a chipmunk and a brand new, different sort of friendship forms.

This is such a lovely book.  The story is so simple but it speaks volumes about love, friendship, loss, and change ... and living a life full of memories.  To view a delightful video of Mo Willems talking about his inspiration for writing this book, visit the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/v5co8FZXz0o

HERE IS A SIMPLE LESSON PLAN IDEA: 

TOPIC:  Seasons
Text-to-Text Connections: City Mouse, Country Mouse

Life Cycle of a Frog:
This book is a great one to show the seasons. During the season of winter, frog does not come out to play. He could be hibernating since frogs hibernate. I think the reader can read this book on many levels. For the youngest child, the focus on the seasons, hibernation, and playing is enough. For the older reader, a discussion about meeting new friends, coping with change, and enjoying life as it comes to us can happen. Maybe the frog did diec but the reader is not told. I choose to think he is just hibernating and will join dog and chipmunk later.