Read Grow Inspire Book Week Slogan 2023 (Part 6) IMAGERY and SYMBOLISM

“You cannot transmit wisdom and insight to another person. The seed is already there. A good teacher touches the seed, allowing it to wake up, to sprout, and to grow.” ~ Nhat Hanh

Connotation, imagery and symbol enrich a text by making words and images mean more than one thing. They invite students to consider the habitual in terms of the new and so are important to creative and critical thought. Figurative language has social consequences as it influences the ways we conceptualise people, information and ideas. Critical analysis brings to light these associations and strands of meaning. (K -12 English)

READ GROW INSPIRE allows for figurative language and the exploration of connotation, imagery and symbol. Think of the growing process with plants: from seed to seedling, to sprouting to a sapling and then to a tree. It starts with a seed! Brainstorm how many well known sayings, adages, aphorisms, proverbs etc that you can think of that have the word 'seed' in them. When you have a list hand them out to groups of students and see if they can say what they mean.

So many well known authors even have quotes that refer to seeds attributed to them.

• “Before the seed there comes the thought of bloom.” ~ E. B. White

• “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

• “I know it may seem small and insignificant, but it’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become. That’s not a seed, any more than you’re just a boy.” ~ Dr. Seuss

• “Nature varies the seed according to the variety of the things she desires to produce in the world.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

• “Each day of my life I am sowing seeds that one day I will harvest.” ~ Gautama Buddha

• “Knowledge cultivates your seeds and does not sow in your seeds.” ~ Khalil Gibran

• “Your thoughts are seeds, and the harvest you reap will depend on the seeds you plant.” ~ Rhonda Byrne

• “Flowers and fruit are only the beginning. In the seed lies the life and the future.” ~ Marion Zimmer Bradley

Traditional symbolic meanings for 'seeds' include: Potential, Trust, Hope, Nourishment, Sacred, Earthiness, Initiation, Reproduction, Cycles, Time, Provision. Did you find these symbols in what you brainstormed?

Probably the most obvious seed as imagery or symbol story is the Parable of the Seeds from the bible. If you read the bible story or a picture book version of it such as The Tiny Seed by Katie Warner to your class you can explain that a parable is a type of narrative with an emotive or moral significance which initiates comparison.  If you then go on to read The Tiny Seed  by Eric Carle your astute students will recognise very quickly that this story is just like the parable. Seeds fall where it is difficult for them to grow.

One seed flies too close to the sun.

One lands in ice that never melts. 

Another seed falls into the ocean. 

A hot dry desert is too much for one seed. Meanwhile, the tiny seed is pushed on with the others. 

When the seeds fall to the ground, one is eaten, but not the tiny seed. It is so small. It isn't seen. If you stop here while reading, the students will be able to tell you what happens next.

Yes this story elucidates the plant cycle from seed to flower, but when compared to another book such as  A Seed Grows suchby Antionette Portis, it is easy to show your students how the imagery works. You could also compare it to It Starts with a Seed by Laura Knowles. 

If you read The Seedling that Didn't Want to Grow  by Britta Teckentrup you will see that it is early spring and below the earth's surface seeds are just starting to sprout. All except for one seedling, who isn't quite ready. As most of the seeds transform into strong flowers, they block out the sun from the one left behind. But the little seedling persists, twisting and turning until, with the help of bird and insect friends, it finds its own place to grow and blossom. This story about the resilience and the will to grow that exists in the natural world can be seen as a metaphor for late bloomers who blossom and thrive with the support and love of others.

If You Hold a Seed  by Elly MacKay

As a young boy holds the seed, followed by sowing it in the ground, readers will not only journey through the rainy seasons of spring, the bright sunny days of summer, the windy days of fall, and the cold wait of winter, they will also visualise the growth from sprout to flourishing tree, and from little boy to young man. Two things compared once again and a good way to discuss comparison with students. 'Something magical can happen.' the text says. What is magic in this context? Did magic happen?

Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler                                   What happens to seeds that don't sprout? Fortunately, they have Miss Maple to look after them. Every year, she rescues orphan seeds, taking them to her cozy maple tree house. All winter long, she nurtures them and teaches them the ways of seeds and the paths by which they might find their new homes. And come spring, she sends them off to take root out in the wide world and to sprout into the wonderful plants she knows they'll become. Full of whimsical imagery and a positive message. There's activity sheets on Eliza Wheeler's website.

Read Grow Inspire Book Week Slogan 2023 (Part 5) INSPIRE

 INSPIRE     WHO?

Inspire the World: A Kid's Journey to Making a Difference by Sammie Vance and Talitha Shipman

Obviously not every child is going to be a Sammie Vance. Sammie felt inspired to talk to her school principal about her plan for a friendship bench at her school, but what started as 8-year-old Sammie Vance's mission to get a buddy bench for her school to fight loneliness grew to be so much more. Now Sammie is making a difference beyond her hometown. In her first-ever book, Sammie shares how she's inspiring others through recycling, community, giving, determination, bravery, helping, being herself, and celebrating. She wants to inspire the world one kid at a time. Her website will tell you more. But, the good thing about introducing your students to Sammie Vance is that it shows them that a child can make a difference.

There are plenty of books you could use to inspire children or where they can see what has inspired people to do things. Our school has made a concerted effort to encourage Voice and Agency in our students. This too can be initiated by reading. Schools read about worm farms and get one, read about native bees and get a hive for their playground, read about the perils of plastic and change their lunch eating habits!

Below are some books which I think make good starting points for inspiration:

Grow  by Cynthia Platt and Olivia Holden Looking at a drab abandoned city lot, a girl has an idea. As she begins pulling weeds, neighbours young and old, black, brown, and white come to help. The community joins together, creating a colorful garden for all to enjoy. It is possible for one child to make a difference? Or

The Secret Sky Garden by Linda Sarah and Fiona Lumbers where Funni loves the old, disused car park, and spends a lot of time there flying her kite and playing her recorder, but something is missing. Definitely. So Funni decides to create a garden in the neglected space and after weeks of careful nurture, her garden in the sky takes shape.

The Wild Garden  by Cynthia Cliff

This book takes a look at the community garden as well as the environment beyond the community garden. Its message is about not expanding the planned community garden because it will take away the needed wild plants that the wildlife needs. We need to stop taking away from nature and learn to live with nature.  When the town wants to expand the garden Jilly and her grandfather show the people what the expansion will do and inspire them to wonder more broadly about the nature around them. Imagine if everyone learned to live with the nature as it is and help the wildlife instead of taking their space and needed ecosystems?

You Are a Beautiful Beginning by Nina Laden and Kelsey Garrity-Riley

Three children come together to build a magnificent and cozy treehouse for all their forest friends. Along the way, they discover the truth behind the adage that 'it is not the destination, but the journey.' his meditative and magical picture book encourages readers old and young to discover their own endless potential. This meditative and magical picture book encourages readers to discover their own endless potential. 

Wild Ideas  by Elin Kelsey and Soyeon Kim

Wild Ideas looks deep into the forests, skies and oceans to explore how animals solve problems. Whether it's weaving a safe place to rest and reflect, blowing a fine net of bubbles to trap fish, or leaping boldly into a new situation, the animals featured teach us a lot about creative problem solving tools and strategies. It  invites readers to indulge their sense of wonder and curiosity by observing the natural world, engaging with big ideas and asking questions.

We Move the World  by Kari Lavelle and Nadi H. Ali. Meet some of the world’s most beloved movers, shakers, scientists, activists, dreamers, and doers from the past and present who model what every childhood first can lead to! Neil Armstrong, Misty Copeland, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and more were once kids they grew up to lead us to the moon, dance in the ballet, and break barriers. From first steps to solving puzzles and learning the alphabet, all the small things are only the beginning: they can lead to future activism and innovation that just might change the world!  Or

Children Who Changed the World  by Marcia Williams which tells the incredible true stories of child activists such as Baruani Ndume, the teenager who gave a voice to fellow refugee children in Tanzania.

In Our Hands by Lucy Farfort

When the world is plagued with isolation and cursed to live without colour, it is up to a group of determined children to grow a seed of hope that will inspire everyone to come together and build a better future. 

I Am One: A Book of Action by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds

On the first page, the main character asks a beautiful bird, "How do I make a difference?" They doubt their ability to make a difference because they are "so small." However, when the bird gives them a seed, they realize that "beautiful things start with just One." They can plant a seed and start a garden They can also start a journey, paint a masterpiece, compose a melody, and break down walls. All these actions start with "one" thing: a first step, a first stroke of paint, a first musical note, and a first brick. 

Now, I hear you saying it's for Book Week and none of these books are Australian, so here's a favourite of mine (I have a framed print of the cover illustration courtesy of my friend at Momotimetoread who knows how besotted I am about plants and trees).

Florette by Anna Walker 

Mae’s family moves to a new home in the city.  Mae wishes she could bring the garden with her. She’ll miss the apple trees, the daffodils and the butterflies in the long, wavy grass, but there’s no room for a garden in the middle of the city ...Or is there? What she finds there sparks something special and beautiful that will make her feel much more at home.

If you are lucky enough to have a copy of Bob Graham's new book The Concrete Garden by the time Book Week comes around you could read it as it promises to be a timely, inspiring and uplifting story about hope and the power of creative expression.

When the children leave their homes,  Amanda is the last one out of the tower block. She brings some chalk with her. On every inch of the concrete outside, the children draw pictures of everything they could think of, from flowers and snails, to spaceships and queens. Before long, a beautiful and exotic garden is spread out across the concrete. You could compare this to The Chalk Garden by Sally Anne Garland where Emma uses her imagination to draw a beautiful flower garden with sidewalk chalk.  A tiny ecosystem develops outside her door, with real-life flowers that bud and bloom!

And lastly, I have just purchased Mother Earth: Poems to Celebrate the Wonder of Nature by Libby Hathorn and Christina Booth. The poems are good and you will enjoy reading them but the front endpapers are the piece de resistance. Here Christina Booth has painted a sublime illustration of nodes and tendrils pushing up through the dirt towards the sky surrounding a haiku, called Earth. There are teaching notes for this book here.

Read Grow Inspire Book Week Slogan 2023 (Part 4) GROW

GROW    HOW?

Back to the definition of 'grow'... to become larger or greater over a period of time. How does this happen? Lets read to find out...

Grow: Secrets of Our DNA  by Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton

This book begins with the statement, "All living things grow."

The corresponding illustrations show that plants, animals, and humans do just that. 

This understanding is further refined by the next observation: "The way living things grow helps them to survive in different places." Complementary illustrations depict plants and animals that grow quickly or slowly depending on their location.

Beautifully lucid, engaging sentences blend with detailed, informative illustrations that artfully extend big ideas about growth and the role of DNA. 

Something simpler that looks at how young animals — and people — grow into unique individuals is 

Grow by JoAnn Early Macken and Stephanie Fizer Coleman

As We Grow  by Libby Walden and Richard Jones 

No one knows what lies ahead or who they’ll grow to be, It’s all a part of growing up.

In this stunning picture book, Richard Jones’ enchanting illustrations sensitively depict each stage of life and the journey of transformation that we undergo as we grow up. 

The Growing Story by Ruth Krauss and Helen Oxenbury

A little boy, some chicks and a puppy live on a farm. They see the first signs of spring growing in the fields and the little boy asks his mother if he and the puppy will grow too. Of course you will, she assures him, and as spring turns to summer he sees his dog growing taller and the chicks become chickens. But as the seasons change and everything grows around him, the little boy feels like he has stayed the same. Can he really be growing too?

Now to the most obvious way to celebrate growing...look at books about, plants, gardens and growing things for yourself. (Pinterest on Gardening)

Grow! by Rizanino Reyes and Sara Boccaccini Meadows 

Here we meet  fifteen plants and fungi with incredible powers, then learn how to grow them.

Beginning  by   Shelley Moore Thomas and Melissa Castrillon

A father and child see all the wonders and connections in nature and in life as they go about their day.

From a seed to a plant, from an egg to a chick, from a caterpillar to a butterfly, a child and father observe the cycles of nature and come to see that as each journey ends, new adventures begin.

You will not have any trouble finding five books on growing for a book a day!

Read Grow Inspire Book Week Slogan 2023 (Part 3) READ

 READ    WHY?

Were you born to read? I hope so. This is a great book to start any discussion about reading, why we read and the power of reading. Here is the blurb for Born to Read which is out of print but you will find it in a library or on Youtube.

"the narrative chronicles the amazing successes of Sam--thanks to his early love of books. The story ranges from Sam's infancy, when his mother reads him a picture book ("then another, then another, then another . . . such a perfect, patient mother"), to school age, when he cleverly uses some of his favorite books to rid his town of the rampaging baby giant, Grundaloon. 'Here's my secret, ' Sam decreed. 'Readers win and winners read.' Marc Brown's playful pictures joyously complement this fun-to-read, upbeat story."

Sam certainly is an inspiration!

There are activity pages from the publisher here that you could use or adapt for your students.

If your students are older read a poem from Read! Read! Read! by Amy Ludwig Van Derwater and Ryan O'Rourke. Here there are 23 inspirational poems to explore. In Pretending  a small girl remembers how in the beginning she felt reading was hard, but for days, weeks, months she practised, then

"Learning to read 

felt like  

learning to fly.  

And one day  

I took off. 

I was swooping  

alone 

over words 

once confusing 

but now 

all my own.”

The artwork in this book is also inspiring.

Image copyright Ryan O’Rourke, 2017. Courtesy of WordSong Publishing.

Image copyright Ryan O’Rourke, 2017. Courtesy of WordSong Publishing.

Another source you could explore as provocation with older students is the poem English by T.S.Wyatt which explores the pronunciation of so many unusual English words. The students will need to see the poem to appreciate it fully. There are many versions on line that you can download. Students will laugh at this poem, only if they can read it. That is the power of it. You need to be a reader!

There is a collection of picture books about reading here, so if you cannot access those above you may choose something from here. They all have the power of reading as their theme. If I was a classroom teacher who read a book day I would choose five books to read. 

1. Born to Read by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown

2. A Story for Bear  by Dennis Haseley and Jim LaMarche (click on title for activities. The last one is very special *)

3. No Buddy Like a Book  by Allan Wolf and Brian Farley

4. Rectangle Time by Pamela Paul and Becky Cameron

5. When You Open a Book  by Caroline Derlatka and Sara Ugolotti 

Or read a biography or a book about learning to read such as

1. The Oldest Student  by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and Oge Mora

2. Mr George Baker  by Amy Hest and Jon J. Muth

3. Thank You, Mr Falkner by Patricia Pollacco

4. The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can by Tererai Trent 

5. More than Anything Else by Marie Bradby and Chris K. Soenpiet

 * leave your students a collection of books like woman left bear. Put down  a cloth blanket and on it put some pinecones, leaves and a stack of books from your classroom library. To make it extra special, get a realistic looking grizzly bear plushy and leave a handwritten note from bear, maybe something along the lines of “To _____’s class – Bear would love it if you continued to read to me this year.

Read Grow Inspire The Slogan for Book Week 2023 (Part 2)

If you watch this video on Youtube you will see and hear Matt Ottley talking about his inspiration for the Book Week Slogan. He talks about why he chose to feature a seahorse on his poster. He states that it represents growth, strength, beauty and spirituality. You can read about the symbolism of seahorses here. Hopefully it inspires you to explore seahorses more. If you want to learn more about seahorses quickly, then watch this slide share.

Torres Strait Islanders revere seahorses and seahorses feature in Indigenous Art. These works of art could be used as a provocation or thinking routine,  as a comparison to the poster or a photograph of seahorses...

• https://www.baduartcentre.com.au/artists/weldon-matasia/seahorse-meaning-symbolism

•https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/collections/seahorse

• https://umi-arts.myshopify.com/products/postcard-seahorses

• https://www.aboriginalartstore.com.au/artists/alan-ah-kit/seahorse/

Now at my school, it is time to get all the seahorse books off the shelves and make a display, so that students can read all about seahorses and be inspired to act in their defence as there is an endangered  seahorse right on their doorstep in Sydney Harbour. See this article and filmclip. My students will recognise the locations!

Now for some books. This is what the library has... some factual, some stories on both seahorses and sea dragons. What is the difference? Have the students find out by reading. It is a shame so many are out of print, but I am pleased we bought so many before American books became too expensive for Australian school libraries.

• The Sea Hides a Seahorse by Sara T. Behrman and Melanie Mikecz

• Seahorse: the Shyest Fish in the Sea  by Chris Butterworth and John Lawrence

• Seahorses by Jennifer Keats Curtis and Chad Wallace

• Seahorses by Valerie Bodden

• Fry to Seahorse by Camilla De la Bedoyere

• Seahorses and Seadragons by Debbie and Brendan Gallagher

• Sea Horses and Pipefish  by Stanley Swartz

• Seahorse by Greg Myers

• The Way of the Weedy Seadragon  by Anne Morgan and Lois Bury

• Seahorse's Wild Ride by Steve Parish

• Leo the Littlest Seahorse by Margaret Wild and Terry Denton

• Seadragon Sea  by Margaret Spurling

• I am a Sea Horse: The True Story of a Dwarf Sea Horse by Trisha Speed Shaskan and Todd Ouren   

• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

• One Lonely Sea Horse by Paxton Freymann and Joost Elffers

• Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone and Clare Beaton

• Ocean Lullaby  by Sally Odgers and Lisa Stewart 

• The Seacret of Driftus and Sprout  by Maree Coote

• Peanut Butter and Jellyfish  by Jarrett J. Krosoczka 

• Sully the Seahorse by Natalie Pritchard and Natalie Merheb

• Seahorses are Sold Out by Constanze Spengler and Katie Gehrmann  

For beginning readers looking for longer texts these short novels are popular

• Sylvie's Seahorse  by Mara Bergman

• The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse: Simon Says Book 1 by Cora Reef and Liam Darcy There are nine titles so far.

• Seahorse Stars  by Zuzu Singer and Helen Turner. There are six titles.

Why do some titles have seahorse as two words? Another mystery to solve.

Seahorses, something so small and hard to find truly are inspiring! We can learn so much from them!

In the video Matt Ottley set students a task to find something for each letter of the alphabet, so make an alphabet poster where the students can record their answers. I need to find out more about the other creatures in the poster...an octopus, a starfish, a flying fish, a Bird of Paradise...