It's about time, teachers, for more Hanging Out with Stellaluna. This is the second in a 3 part blog post. The first post focused on things to do BEFORE reading Stellaluna. Today I'll address actually reading the book.
The illustrations Janell Cannon made are exceptional. Her full color panels are captivating and do a wonderful job of making bats cute and lovable. Be sure to give your students plenty of time to enjoy those works of art.
Have you ever noticed the small, pen & ink drawings at the top of each text page? They will not be very apparent to your students unless you enlarge them, at least not while you are reading the book aloud. Those drawings tell a story, too. Challenge your class to explain how the story the pen & ink drawings tell is different from the full color pictures' story.
This would be a great time to launch a lesson on point of view. The pen & ink drawings tell the story from the mother bat's point of view.
As you read the story to your children, invite them to make predictions about the story before you turn the page. For example, ask them what they think will happen when Stellaluna can't hang on to the branch any longer. Or, what do they predict the mother bird will do when she finds Stellalluna in her nest with her hatchlings? What will happen when Pip, Flap, & Flitter try to fly at night? You get the idea.
And now it's bedtime, so until next time...
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