About the Holiday
Some holidays require rushing around, shopping, and lots of preparation. Today’s celebration is just the opposite! Today is dedicated to slowing down, looking up, and appreciating the beauty above you. Whether the day is sunny, cloudy, rainy, or downright stormy, the sky is always intriguing. Today take some time to scan the skies; make shapes of the clouds, appreciate how tall some trees really are, watch birds flit overhead, or just take in the depth of color. Be inspired – and Relax!
The Knowing Book
Written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich | Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
A little bunny opens the door to a wide world. But before starting on life’s adventure, the bunny receives some gentile advice and reassurance: As you start on your journey, it’s good to begin with something you know. If you wonder what that is, look up at the sky. You know it has always been above you and will remain that way forever. Taking your first steps, carry that assurance with you as you choose which door, path, or trail you will take. You may get lost, but embrace the hum or cry that comes from inside because they will help.
Image copyright Matthew Cordell, 2016, text copyright Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Courtesy of Boyds Mills Press.
You can be sure that magic is all around you. But you must look because sometimes it’s found in the most unexpected places. Take quiet time to imagine what’s out there and for others to get to know you then step into the unknown. Carry a map, curiosity, and adventure and trust yourself. You will know when to run toward something and when to run away.
Image copyright Matthew Cordell, 2016, text copyright Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Courtesy of Boyds Mills Press.
Pretending leads to knowledge, so play at who you are and who you aren’t; what you want and what you don’t want, and let your imagination fly. Don’t lose sight of the small things, the fun things, the childhood things because these are invaluable. Always listen to yourself, for you know the song in your heart.
Image copyright Matthew Cordell, 2016, text copyright Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Courtesy of Boyds Mills Press.
As the sky darkens, look again. “It holds a wing, a hoot, a chill. Allow the breeze of each to slip through the cracks of your window and into your sleep.” And when you look up into the night sky never forget that the stars have always been above you and always will be, and that “all the paths you take will join to lead you home.”
Image copyright Matthew Cordell, 2016, text copyright Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Courtesy of Boyds Mills Press.
Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s The Knowing Book is a lyrical tribute to the inner voice that guides each person on their life’s journey. The assurance that every action, song, imagining, and path combine to create the person you are meant to be resonates, whether the reader is a child just starting off to kindergarten, a young person graduating from college, or an adult navigating life’s changes. The value of play, reflection, and experimentation as well as the importance of understanding who you are and who you are not is beautifully expressed in this charming and wise picture book.
Image copyright Matthew Cordell, 2016, text copyright Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Courtesy of Boyds Mills Press.
Venturing out into the world Matthew Cordell’s sweet rabbit embraces the sky with the kind of beaming smile seen on excited children. The rabbit picks up a friend and together they explore the world. Cordell’s softly illuminated images in blues, yellows, pinks, and greens are appropriately uncluttered, leaving the particular experiences open to each individual reader. The buuny and bird travel to the vast seaside, over undeveloped fields, and through dreamy landscapes of imagination. They look up into the endless blue sky of day and the deep mystery of night. It’s only when the rabbit returns home that details are sketched in.
The Knowing Book is a beautiful reminder of the whims of life and a gentile reassurance of one’s ability to flourish. As it invites multiple readings for so many occasions, The Knowing Book would make a wonderful addition to anyone’s bookshelf.
Ages 5 and up
Boyds Mills Press, 2016 | ISBN 978-1590789261
Look Up In the Sky Day Activity
Fluffy Clouds Craft
It’s fun looking up at the clouds and imagining what shapes you see. Bring those fluffy, white clouds into your room with this craft!
Supplies
- White girls’ dress bobby socks in various sizes
- Fiber fill, 20-ounce bag
- Fishing line, different lengths
- Needle
- Clear adhesive mountable hooks or clips
Directions
- Stuff the socks with fiber fill, pushing it far into the sock and adding more here and there to make various lumps and give it a rounded, cloud-like shape
- When the sock is full, tuck the end of the sock in to close it
- Cut lengths of fishing line. The lengths will depend on how and where you will hang the clouds
- With the needle or by hand, feed one end of the fishing line into the top of the sock and out to attach the line for hanging.
- Knot the fishing line
- Attach the mountable hooks or clips to the ceiling
- Hang your clouds!
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