MY REVIEW
Patience is something that is sometimes very, very difficult to have. This book teaches that if one has patience then good things can come from it. I liked this book because the author uses a variety of ways to show that time is passing. The author shows night and day go by, seasons change, and even decades go by, but does it in less than 30 pages without leaving the reader confused. I also like this book because it encourages children to have imaginations. Even though the older brother in the book tells Tom that the things he imagines are unrealistic, he still thinks them, and, eventually, his son see exactly what his father had imagined. My opinions one the artwork in the book are split. I think the the illustrator does a lovely job portraying the changing seasons, night/day, and the trees and landscapes. However, I'm not extremely fond of the human characters. Though they possess all the characteristics of a human, they seem flat and lifeless in comparison to the landscaping. But, in a book in which the main focus is a tree, I suppose that this isn't exactly a negative. The book features some good plant-related vocabulary including "shoot" and "bud". I think this book could be used to try and help children understand that sometimes some things are worth waiting for.
LEARNING EXTENSION
Materials Needed
*Wide, open space
*Marked Start and Finish Line
*Optional: Red and Green Signs to signal 'Stop' and 'Go'
1. Students will start at the start line. The will be lined up in one row. (This means that they all start as if they were in '1st place' position.)
2. The instructor will stand on the finish line, facing the children.
3. The teacher will announce "green light" (If using signs the instructor will hold up the green sign). At this signal the children are allowed to proceed forward toward the teacher.
4. The teacher will announce "red light"(If using signs the instructor will hold up the red sign and lower the green). At this signal the children must stop where they are and hold still. The children must have patience and await the instructors next command of "green light".
5.If a child moves during the "red light" portion of the game, they are required to return to the starting line.
6. Once all children have successfully made it to the finish line the game is over.
7. Speak with the children about how it made them feel to have to stand still during the "red light" portions of the game. Did it make them feel good when they were finally able to reach the finish line? How did it make them feel when they were not patient and had to go back to the starting line if they moved?