Teachers’ Resources

February 28 – Tooth Fairy Day

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Throw Your Tooth on the Roof picture book review

About the Holiday

For hundreds of years losing baby teeth has conjured up stories, legends, and superstitions. The idea of paying for teeth may have come from the Vikings, who reportedly believed the teeth could make them better warriors and so paid their children for their teeth, which they fashioned into necklaces to wear in battle. Some people buried the teeth, wanting to hide them from witches and evil spirits. The first immaginary creature to actively search for and take teeth was perhaps a mouse, which is still taught in many countries today. From the mouse came the Tooth Fairy, who is one of those mysteries of childhood in America and other English-speaking lands.

Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World

Written by Selby B. Beeler | Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

 

When children lose a tooth, it’s so exciting! They know it means they’re growing up. It also means they can participate in a tradition that is fanciful and fun. American kids put the tooth under their pillow, believing that while they sleep the Tooth Fairy will visit them, take the tooth, and leave them money. But what do kids in other countries do with their baby teeth?

In Throw Your Tooth on the Roof, Selby Beeler reveals traditions from 65 countries around the world. In many countries children are rewarded with money but the deliverer differs. El Ratón, a magic mouse, visits children in Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Columbia, and other countries. A rabbit sneaks into homes in El Salvador, and in India, Korea, and Brazil birds take the tooth.

In some places what children do with their teeth doesn’t bring monetary riches, but the value of a beautiful smile. In Yellowknife Déné putting a lost tooth in a tree and dancing around it ensures that the new tooth grows in as straight as a tree. In many Asian countries upper teeth are placed in the ground and lower teeth are thrown on the roof in the belief that the new tooth will grow straight toward the old one.

Selby B. Beeler’s book offers children a fascinating way to learn about their counterparts in other countries through a common experience and rite of passage. Each description is accompanied by Brian Karas’ appealing illustrations of children in their native environment happily performing their tradition.

Ages 4 – 8

Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001 | ISBN 978-0618152384

Tooth Fairy Day Activity

CPB - Tooth Fairy Maze finished

Help the Tooth Fairy Find the Tooth Maze

 

The Tooth Fairy has a job to do, but she doesn’t know which way to go! Can you show her the right path? Print out the Help the Tooth Fairy Find the Tooth Maze and lead her to the tooth! The Solution is included.

February 24 – National Tortilla Chip Day

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About the Holiday

If the tortilla-making machine had produced perfect rounds every time back in the 1950s, the world may never have known the crunchy deliciousness of tortilla chips. Back in the day, Rebecca Webb Carranza and her husband owned the El Zarape Tortilla Factory in Los Angeles, California and were one of the first to automate tortilla production.

Instead of wasting the odd-shaped ones, Carranza cut them into triangles, fried them, and sold them in bags.They were a hit! People all over began enjoying them dipped in salsa and guacamole and smothering them in cheese. In 1994 Carranza was honored with the Golden Tortilla Award for her contributions to the Mexican food industry, and in 2003 Texas named the tortilla chip the official state snack!

Round is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes

Written by Roseanne Thong | Illustrated by John Parra

 

“Round are sombreros. / Round is the moon. / Round are the trumpets that blare out a tune. Round are tortillas and tacos too. / Round is a pot of abuela’s stew. / I can name more round things can you?” With wonderful, lyrical verses, Roseanne Thong introduces children to the shapes—circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, ovals, stars, and more—that make up their multicultural world.

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Image copyright John Parra, 2013, text copyright Roseanne Thong, 2013. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Here are round chiming campanas and nests full of swallows, square ventanas for peering through and clocks for telling time. Rectangles are cold paletas to eat on a hot summer day and the ice-cream carts that deliver them, and triangles make tasty quesadillas and gliding sailboats. Each verse ends with an invitation for kids to find more shapes around them—an invitation that’s hard to resist!

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Image copyright John Parra, 2013, text copyright Roseanne Thong, 2013. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Rebecca Thong’s bright, fun-to-read verses shine with evocative words that elevate this concept book to a celebration of the sights, sounds, and sensations that make up readers’ lives. Spanish words sprinkled throughout the story enhance the theme of the book and are defined following the text. 

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Image copyright John Parra, 2013, text copyright Roseanne Thong, 2013. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

John Parra’s beautiful folk-art illustrations, which are sure to put a smile on kids’ faces, immerse readers in the daily life of a Latino town. People dance, cook, play games, walk in the park, attend a festival, and more—all while surrounded by colorful shapes. Kids will love lingering over the pages to find all of the intricate details and may well want to learn more about what they see.

Round is a Tortilla is not only a book of shapes, it makes shapes exciting! The book is a wonderful stepping stone to discussions about the places, celebrations, symbols, and decorations found on the pages for students or individuals and would be a welcome addition to any classroom or child’s bookshelf

Ages 3 – 6

Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2013 | ISBN 978-1452106168 (Hardcover) | ISBN 978-1452145686 (Paperback)

Learn more about Roseanne Thong and her books for children and adults on her website!

View a gallery of books and artwork by John Parra on his website!

National Tortilla Chip Day Activity

CPB - Tortilla chips (2)

Homemade Baked Tortilla Cinnamon Chips

Ingredients

  • 2 10-inch flour tortillas
  • ¾ Teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons Sugar
  • Butter

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Combine the cinnamon and the sugar in a bowl
  3. Butter the tortillas
  4. Sprinkle the tortillas with the cinnamon sugar mixture
  5. Cut the tortillas into 8 pieces
  6. Place pieces on a baking sheet
  7. Bake in 350-degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes
  8. Chips will become crispier as they cool.

Makes 16 chips

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You can find Round is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

 

February 22 – Museum Advocacy Day

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CPB - How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum II

About the Holiday

Today is a day when we can show our museum curators and representatives in government how much we value museums. Without these grand (and sometimes small) buildings dedicated to preserving and teaching about our historical, scientific, and cultural achievements, our lives would be much poorer. Show your support for museum funding by visiting and/or donating to your favorite museum!

Another wonderful way to celebrate our custodians of history, science, art, and life is by reading the clever How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum / How the Sphinx Got to the Museum / How the Meteorite Got to the Museum series by author-illustrator Jessie Hartland.

How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum

By Jessie Hartland

 

“So…” asks a little boy visiting the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, “how did the dinosaur get to the museum?” Thus begins the tale—not of the dinosaur’s life, but of its journey from life to the museum exhibit hall.

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Image and text copyright Jesse Harland, courtesy of Blue Apple Books

One hundred and forty-five million years ago, the dinosaur roamed the plains of what is now Utah, Overcome by weather and evolutionary events, the dino is buried and much, much later once again exposed. A Dinosaur Hunter finds one large bone and believes it to be from a Diplodocus Longus. He calls in the Paleontologist who confirms it. A team of Excavators arrives and unearths the rest of the skeleton.

The Movers pack the skeleton which was found by the Dinosaur Hunter, confirmed by the Paleontologist, and dug up by the Excavators and load it on a train that transports it to the Smithsonian. Here, the bones are cleaned and preserved by the Preparators, who discover that the head and neck are missing!

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Image copyright Jesse Harland, courtesy of Blue Apple Books

The Curator locates a plaster cast at another museum and work continues. The Diplodocus is assembled, but in the darkness the Night Watchman trips over its tail and breaks it! In come the Welders to fix it, and finally the Riggers can display the skeleton.

The Exhibits Team creates a background, lighting, and signs for Diplodocus, and the Cleaners give it a final dusting before the Director invites the public to view the magnificent exhibit with a speech and a toast.

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Image copyright Jesse Harland, courtesy of Blue Apple Books

Jessie Hartland’s bold, colorful illustrations offer a child’s-view perspective on the behind-the-scenes working of a museum, while her highly entertaining and educational text will keep kids giggling and reciting along as each page builds on the next to reveal the story of the men, women, and processes engaged in creating a museum exhibit.

Ages 5 – 9

Blue Apple Books, New Jersey, 2011 | ISBN 978-1609050900

Museum Advocacy Day Activity

CPB - Cookie Jar Museum (2)

Create a Museum Exhibit

Every item has a story. Is there a funny anecdote behind that knick-knack on the shelf? Does your favorite serving dish hold sentimental value? A fun and educational way for kids to learn family stories and interact with their own history is to create a museum exhibit of objects in your home.

For teachers this can be a fun classroom activity that incorporates writing, art, and speaking, and categorizing skills. Students can use objects in the classroom or bring items from home to set up museum exhibits. This activity can be done as a whole-class project or by smaller groups, who then present their exhibit to the rest of the class.

Supplies

  • A number of household or classroom items
  • Paper or index cards
  • Markers
  • A table, shelf, or other area for display

Directions

  1. To get started have children gather a number of items from around the house to be the subjects of their exhibit. An exhibit can have a theme, such as Grandma’s China or Travel Souvenirs, or it can contain random items of your child’s choice, such as toys, plants, tools, even the furniture they see and use every day.
  2. Using the paper or cards and markers, children can create labels for their exhibit items. Older children will be able to write the labels themselves; younger children may need adult help.
  3. Spend a little time relating the story behind each object: where it came from, how long you’ve had it, when and how it was used in the past, and include any funny or touching memories attached to the item. Or let your child’s imagination run free, and let them create histories for the objects.
  4. When the labels are finished, arrange the items on a table, shelf, or in a room, and let your child lead family members or classmates on a tour. You can even share the exhibit with family and friends on social media.
  5. If extended family members live in your area, this is a wonderful way for your child to interact with them and learn about their heritage.

February 15 – Susan B. Anthony Day

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About the Holiday

On February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts a girl was born who would grow up to set the world afire with her belief in women’s rights. Her name was Susan Brownell Anthony. An early feminist, her father believed it was as important for his five daughters to receive an education as for his two sons. After graduating from school, Susan Anthony became a teacher—at the age of 14—making $2.50 a week compared to the $10.00-per-week salary of the male teachers. Anthony later became active in the abolition and temperance movements. She recognized that the inability to vote limited women’s influence in these causes and began promoting women’s rights. She worked tirelessly to change the voting laws until her death on March 13, 1906 without seeing her greatest wish fulfilled. It was not until 1920, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment, that women were allowed to vote.

Susan B. Anthony has been honored for her dedication with commemorative stamps, and her portrait appears on the dollar coin. We also remember her work on behalf of all women on her birthday with memorial services at her gravesite in Rochester, NY and in Washington DC. Susan B. Anthony Day is a legal holiday in Florida, West Virginia, Wisconsin, New York and California.

Heart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President

Written by Ann Malaspina | Illustrated by Steve James

 

It’s November 1, 1872 and only four days until the presidential election. Everywhere people are being urged to register to vote. Knowing how important voting is, Susan B. Anthony races to the registration office with her sister and a friend in tow. The men in the office stare at her in confusion.

They know that women can’t vote—only men! What is Susan B. Anthony trying to do? But Anthony argues that the new 14thAmendment, which says “all persons born in the United States have the same rights as citizens,” gives women the right to vote. Some inspectors think she is right, some disagree. Finally they allow Anthony to sign the registration card.

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Image copyright Steve James, courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company

On November 5, Voting Day, Anthony and 15 other women cast their ballots. Thirteen days later, however, a deputy federal marshal shows up at Anthony’s door with a warrant for her arrest. The charges? Voting illegally! The other women and the men who had allowed them to register and vote are also arrested.

In January word comes that unless Anthony pays a $1,000 fine, she will have to spend the time until her trial in prison. Anthony is adamant about not paying, but her lawyer sends the money. People in the country are split over whether she is right or not, but Anthony knows she’s right. Without being able to vote, women will have no voice in government.

She gives speeches, trying to rally people to her cause, and when her trial begins on June 17, 1873 the courtroom is packed. After Anthony’s lawyer and the prosecutor speak, the judge decides that Anthony has broken the law. He proclaims her guilty. When the judge asks if she has anything to say, Anthony answers, “You have trampled under foot every vital principle of our government. My natural rights, civil rights, political rights….” The judge stops her and does not allow her to continue speaking. He fines her $100, plus court costs. Susan B. Anthony refuses to pay, and she never did.

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Image copyright Steve James, courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company

Through action, dialogue, and the metaphorical theme of fire, Ann Malaspina has written an exciting biography of Susan B. Anthony. Readers will understand and, more importantly, feel the opinions and determination that fueled Anthony’s crusade for women’s rights. The final pages follow the history of the women’s suffrage movement until the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 and provide photographs from the time. The text of the 14th and 19th Amendments is also included.

Opening the pages of Heart on Fire is like walking into a city of the 1800s. The lush colors and intricate details of Steve James’ illustrations immediately immerse readers in the time and place of Susan B. Anthony’s world, depicting the reality of her struggles. This is a perfect book to share with children, especially in this election year when they can see how far women have come—from being denied the vote to running for president.

Ages 5 – 9

Albert Whitman & Company, Chicago, 2012 | ISBN 978-0807531884

Learn more about Ann Malaspina and her books on her website!

View a gallery of illustration by Steve James on his website!

Susan B. Anthony Day Activity

CPB - Vote For Me round (2)

Vote For Me! Campaign Poster and Frame

 

If you were running for President, what would be important to you? Here’s a Vote For Me! Poster and Picture Frame to get your campaign started!

Supplies

Directions

  1. Print Vote For Me! Poster and Picture Frame templates
  2. Take a selfie or use your school picture
  3. Cut out the Picture Frame and the circle or rectangle in the middle
  4. Tape or glue your picture in the circle or rectangle
  5. If you are using a clear magnetic frame, slip the template inside and hang on your refrigerator or any metal object.
  6. If you are using a magnetic sheet, peel the paper off the adhesive side. Stick the Vote For Me! Picture Frame template with your picture attached to the adhesive. Cut around the edges. Hang!
  7. On the Vote For Me! Poster, list the things you would do if you were President. Talk to your family and see if you might be able to do some of them now! Hang your poster in your room or in the house where others can see it.

February 6 – Lace Day

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-fionas-lace-cover

About the Holiday

Lace, that delicate material that trims clothing, covers tables, ties up hair, and makes anything seem more dainty and lovely, has been used since the 1500s. When you look at the intricate patterns and fine threads of lace, it’s hard to believe that people once made it all by hand. Lace makers were paid well for their art by the fashion industry, which used it to attract distinguished customers. While lace is mostly made by machines now, the handcraft is making a comeback. Today’s reviewed picture book is about a girl whose lace work was invaluable.

Fiona’s Lace

By Patricia Polacco

 

In Fiona’s Lace author-illustrator Patricia Polacco weaves a tale of family love and America’s early immigrant heritage that is as intricate and lovely as the material we celebrate today. The story begins in Ireland, where Fiona and her sister Ailish live with their muther and da. They live happily in Glen Kerry, where their father works in the textile mill and their mother teaches Fiona her art of lace making.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-fiona's-lace-ma-teaches-lacemaking

Copyright Patricia Polacco, courtesy of simonandschuster.com

In the evenings the girls are entertained by family stories, especially their favorite about how, when their parents first met, their mother left a trail of lace from the factory to her house for her young suitor to follow.

When the textile mill closes, Fiona’s family signs a contract indenturing themselves to a family in Chicago. The voyage to America is long and arduous, but when they arrive in Chicago they marvel at the grand houses and elegant clothes, imagining that this awaits them too in their new home. The reality, however, is much different. Their 2-room apartment is ramshackle, and only by working two jobs can their parents make enough money to live on.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-fiona's-lace-fiona-gets-job

Copyright Patricia Polacco, courtesy of simonandschuster.com

Fiona wants to help and soon finds that dressmakers will pay handsomely for the lace she makes. The family’s money tin begins to fill up and they are prospering. One night while Muther and Da are away working, a fire rages through Chicago. Fiona and Ailish escape with only the money tin and Fiona’s lace. They run far from home, but worry—how will their parents find them?

Remembering their favorite story, Fiona cuts her lace into strips and ties bits of it along their route to their hiding place. The girls cower in fear until they hear the familiar voices of their parents. Happily reunited, the family lets go of what they have lost, but Ailish cries over the now sooty, torn lace. Ma reassures her and brings comfort, revealing that far from being ruined, this scorched lace is the most valuable and cherished of all because it saved the family.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-fiona's-lace-trail-of-lace-story

Copyright Patricia Polacco, courtesy of simonandschuster.com

Patricia Polacco’s heartwarming and harrowing story of an Irish immigrant family is a beautiful reminder of the unique talents and strong bonds that built America. Readers will be enthralled by Polacco’s realistic dialogue and detailed storytelling in this compelling and suspenseful tale and will cheer as Ailish cleverly uses her ma and pa’s trick and her own skills to save her family.

Polacco’s gorgeous illustrations bring the time period alive for young readers, portraying the intricate art of lacemaking and the clothing styles that made use of this delicate trimming. Her depictions of tenement living are realistic, yet reveal the love and close family ties within through a warm color palette and the inclusion of cozy comforts brought from Ireland.

Fiona’s Lace is a wonderful book for classroom and home story times.

Ages: 4 – 8

Simon & Schuster, New York 2014 | ISBN 978-1442487246

Discover more about Patricia Polacco and her many, many books on her website!

Lace Day Activity

Hide-and-Seek Game

While Fiona and her sister used a lace trail to lead their parents to their hiding place, you can have fun making a hide-and-seek game for your friends. This game can be played inside or outside

Supplies

  • 1 or 2 yards of lace, cut into sections about 6-inches each. You can use lace to celebrate Lace Day or use string, ribbon, or other kinds of material
  • Choose something to hide – this can be a toy, a secret letter, a snack, or anything

Directions

  1. Hide the item you choose in a secret place
  2. Determine the starting place for your hide-and-seek game
  3. Along the route from the starting point to the hidden item, tie the sections of lace onto things like lamps, furniture, stair banisters, door knobs, etc. if  you’re playing inside. If you are playing outside, tie it onto trees, bushes, bird feeders, swing sets, etc.
  4. For very young children the trail of lace can be straightforward; for older children the trail can be longer and more difficult

February 2 – Sled Dog Day

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-akiak-a-take-from-the-iditarod-cover

About the Holiday

On this day we honor the sled dogs who have bravely risked their lives to help human beings survive and flourish in some of the harshest landscapes from our earliest history. One of these memorable times occurred in 1925 when a diphtheria epidemic swept through Nome, Alaska. The only anti-toxin that could help was in Anchorage—more than 900 miles away! The weather was horrific and the only way for the serum to reach the ailing population in time was by dog sled. Through incredible bravery, strength, and perseverance, a relay of dog-sled teams completed the run and delivered the serum.

Today’s Iditarod honors this heroic effort. While this picture book review revolves around the Iditarod, if you would like to read about the serum run and a brave sled dog that made the success of the project possible, I highly recommend another picture book by Robert Blake: Togo.

Akiak: A Tale from the Iditarod

Written and Illustrated by  Robert J. Blake

The annual Iditarod is the setting for this dramatic outdoor adventure that pits mushers and their sled dogs against the harshest climate and each other. Akiak is a veteran of this grueling race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. She has led a team of dogs to a fifth, third, and second place, but that winning spot has been so elusive. This year Akiak is 10 years old and it will be her last chance to bring home a first-place finish for the 16-dog team and Mick, her musher.

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Image copyright Robert J. Blake, courtesy of Puffin Books

Akiak possesses the drive and heart to lead the sled up and over dangerously steep hills, through icy water and deep snow, and through howling storms. On Day 3 Akiak, Mick, and the other dogs pass Willy Ketcham, their main rival, and the race is looking good. But on the fourth day of the race, ice jams Akiak’s paw and she can’t continue. Mick leaves her at a checkpoint to be flown home while another of the dog team takes her place.

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Image copyright Robert J. Blake, courtesy of Puffin Books

But Akiak won’t give up easily. Taking advantage of difficult weather, she is able to escape from the handlers putting her on the plane and speeds away, following her knowledge of the trail and the scent of the team to find Mick.

Akiak waits out a blizzard, outsmarts trail volunteers who try to catch her, and endures hunger and thirst to narrow the distance between her and Mick. With the help along the trail, Akiak comes closer to her old team. Finally on day 10, just when the team and Mick need her most, Akiak catches up with them! The Iditarod rules say Akiak can’t be put back on the team, but that doesn’t mean she still can’t help.

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Image copyright Robert J. Blake, courtesy of Puffin Books

Akiak knows something Mick doesn’t. While the team is floundering among crisscrossing trail marks, Akiak nudges them onto the right track. Akiak jumps in the sled with Mick, and they glide into Nome ahead of Ketcham – triumphant!

Author-illustrator Robert Blake has created a fast-paced adventure full of as many twists and turns as the Iditarod trail itself. Children of all ages will cheer Akiak along on his journey. Blake’s oil painting illustrations bring to life the whipping snow, howling winds, and deep drifts of this forbidding landscape. The movement and determination of Akiak and the other sled dogs are rendered beautifully as they strive to win. Alaska’s vast beauty becomes a character itself in the icy blue and white tones of Blake’s work.

Ages 4 – 8

Puffin Books, New York, 2004 | ISBN 978-0142401859

Discover more about Robert Blake and his many books, plus sketchbooks and a video on his website!

Sled Dog Day Activity

CPB - Iditarod game map

Race the Iditarod Trail! Board Game

 

Play Race the Iditarod Trail—a game as wild as the run itself! The game board, playing cards, and instructions can all be found here (save images to print a full page):

Even Years Route

Odd Years Route

 Picture Book Review

February 1 – National Freedom Day

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About the Holiday

National Freedom Day was created by a former slave named Major Richard Robert Wright Sr. and was established as a national holiday on June 30, 1948 by President Harry S Truman. The observance commemorates the day in 1865 when Abraham Lincoln signed a resolution that would become the thirteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment was ratified almost one year later by each state and outlawed slavery.

Today, people often celebrate National Freedom Day by laying a wreath at the Liberty Bell, which is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

 Written by Ellen Levine | Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

 

Henry Brown was born a slave. He didn’t know his birthday and he never knew security. “Like autumn leaves are torn from the trees,” his mother tells him, “slave children can be torn from their families.” When Henry’s master calls him to his sickbed, Henry hopes to be freed, but instead, his mother’s fear comes true. Henry is taken away and grows up far from his family, learning to be careful not to make mistakes that will bring severe punishment.

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Image copyright Kadir Nelson, text copyright Ellen Levine. Courtesy of Scholastic Press

One day Henry, now a young man, falls in love with Nancy, a slave on another plantation. Henry and Nancy marry and are allowed to live together despite being owned by separate masters. Henry and Nancy have three children and are living happily.

But one day Nancy tells Henry that her master’s plantation is in financial trouble. She is afraid her master will sell their children to make money. The idea strikes fear into Henry’s heart. The next day Henry learns that indeed Nancy and his children have been sold. He knows he can show no emotion, but “his heart twisted in his chest.”

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Image copyright Kadir Nelson, courtesy of Scholastic Press

Henry runs to the town square and sees his children and Nancy being driven away. Henry is devastated. Time passes and Henry thinks about freedom. Lifting a crate used for shipping tobacco gives him an ingenious idea. He will mail himself to the North, where he can be free.

Henry’s friends agree to help him, and although they’re afraid he will be discovered, they seal him into a wooden box, address it to people in Philadelphia, and send him off. The crate is handled roughly throughout the journey north, and Henry must endure pain for many hours. Henry finally arrives safely in Philadelphia on March 30, 1849. Known from then on as Henry “Box” Brown, he became one of the most famous runaway slaves in America.

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Image copyright Kadir Nelson, text copyright Ellen Levine. Courtesy of Scholastic Press

Based on an actual story of The Underground Railway, Henry’s Freedom Box is written and illustrated to stunning effect. Ellen Levine’s lyrical and metaphorical language combines with the excellent pacing of the pages to enhance the emotional impact of this powerful and original true story. Children will be inspired by this man who suffered devastating loss, but persevered and through cunning, bravery, and the help of friends, obtained freedom.

Kadir Nelson took inspiration for his illustrations from an antique lithograph of Henry Brown, created by Samuel Rowse in 1850. Through a combination of watercolor and oils crosshatched with pencil lines, Nelson’s richly hued paintings capture the poignancy of Henry’s struggles and ultimate freedom. His characters’ facial expressions are particularly moving.

Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad is a riveting story of slavery and one man’s fight for freedom that would make an excellent addition to children’s libraries.

To view a gallery of books and other illustration work by Kadir Nelson, visit his website!

Ages 4 – 8

Scholastic Press, 2007 | ISBN 978-043977733

National Freedom Day Activity

CPB - Freedom Stamp template (2)

Create Your Own Freedom Stamp

 

If you were going to create a postage stamp representing freedom, what would it look like? Think about what freedom means to you, then grab some colored pencils and design your own stamp!

Supplies

Directions

  1. Print the Freedom Stamp template
  2. Draw your own design about what freedom means to you
  3. Cut out the stamp and display it in your room or in a common area of your home

OR:

  1. Inside the stamp template write a letter to:
  • Someone in the Military: Thank them for their service to the United States to help keep our country free. You can learn how to send letters to members of the military here.
  • Your Teacher: Thank your teacher for all of her or his hard work. Only through education can we really be free.
  • Someone else who inspires you: Tell this person why they inspire you and thank them for their work.
  1. Give your Freedom Stamp letter to the person it is written to

Picture Book Review