When I saw the little black starling on the dust jacket of the picture book Calvin Can't Fly, I had to have it. Standing up on my tippy toes, I stretched up high to pull it off the top shelf and hugged the book as it fell into my arms. I am a bird lover, you see. Yes, that's right. I love birds. I watch them. I collect figurines, pictures, books and other odds "n" ends about birds. So, you see, I connected with this book before I had even opened it. Oh, but, when I did open it, something in me shouted, "Yes! Yes! This is what I want all my students to know!"
Written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Keith Bendis, Calvin Can't Fly is a story about a bird, named Calvin, who literally falls into a book the moment he jumps out of the nest. While his brothers and sisters are learning to fly, Calvin is learning about the world through books. Teased for reading, Calvin continues to find happiness in books until it's time to fly south for the winter. Though an avid reader, Calvin hasn't learned to fly yet. When it's time to migrate, the embarrassed Calvin must be towed as his peers fly in a beautiful formation toward a dangerous storm. Will Calvin and his family survive the storm? Check out to find out what Calvin does!
I love the message this story conveys about reading and late bloomers. It tells young readers that everyone will blossom in their own time and way. It also teaches young readers to value books and their reading skills. One day they might need to call on something they've read to help someone! This is the message we need to send to the next generation of readers. We want them to enjoy reading, but we also want them to understand the importance of read
Calvin Can't Fly is a great way to introduce the value of reading to young children. Berne's light-hearted writing style and Bendis' telling illustrations seamlessly blend together to evoke a mood of humor from one book-end to the other. Young readers will laugh at lines like "Geeky Beaky" and giggle at the sight of big-eyed bugs munching on leaves. While laughing, they might relate to the emotions depicted in the words and illustrations. Perhaps they will recall the pain of being clumsy, picked on or left alone as they take in Calvin's facial expressions. (I didn't know birds had facial expressions). Hopefully, they will sense the love of reading and the value of individuality so well depicted in this story. As a bonus, maybe Calvin Can't Fly will nurture interest in future generations of potential bird lovers.
I think this would be a great book to read and discuss how everyone has different strengths and things they are good at. Even though birds are supposed to be good at flying, that wasn't Calvin's thing, and that's ok. Children need to understand that they can be good at anything and not feel pressured to pursue what other people expect them to be good at.
ReplyDeleteYou're very right - this is the message we should be sending to students. I love that the bird could learn without doing. This really shows the power of what you can do when you can read
ReplyDeleteBooks that teach children to love books are excellent books in my, umm, book. I want to use this book in my class. I want my students to love reading (and learning) and I think this book will help me achieve that goal. Thank you for introducing it to me.
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