My boy and I found a great new book at the shops this morning. Ok, we found three, but I promise I am trying very hard to cut back. This one is called "The Colour Thief" and after only just reading it, I am seeing so many possibilities for the classroom. It is written by Gabriel Alborozo.
I deserve extra points for managing a selfie with a book cover and an excited 2 year old that just wanted me to keep reading. My daughter is 7 and I know she will love this book too, so it covers a good age range. My little man was just captivated by the illustrations, even though many of them were in grey. They are very expressive and capture attention!
It starts by telling the story of Zot. Hello cvc words opportunity!
Zot lives on a planet that has no colour, and he dreams of visiting the one he can see that is filled with colour (Earth).
After a trip in a very cool spaceship, he arrives and starts stealing all the colours.
Look at this illustration - I can see lots of ideas for student artwork right there, with paper chipping and newspaper. Friends, I am on it, and will show you something soon!
He takes all the colours and sets off back home. He suddenly realises what he has done, and returns the colours he has taken. A sweet boy offers him a balloon to take home, which he is thrilled with. He takes it back home and it warms the hearts of all his drab grey friends. The final line "A little colour can go a long, long way" is perfect.
I cannot wait to read this to my first graders!
I think it would be perfect to do with Kindergarten also, at the beginning of the school year. You can use it as a great springboard for discussions on feelings, friends, taking things, considering others and sharing. It also has a great message about not needing to destroy or take everything from someone, and that a little effort makes a huge difference.
Of course, it is perfect for teaching about colours. My friend Cindy has recently blogged about her colour unit-of-work, over at Blog Hoppin, with some amazing ideas for art as well. You can find her post HERE
