by Kerascoet
I love wordless books because you can decide what each illustration is saying. Many times I used wordless picture books in my PreK (5-year-old) room when I was a teacher. They would write what they thought the story was about and it was already illustrated. They always had so much fun we would change the book up bi-weekly. I wish I Walk with Vanessa was around when I did this. This story is so sweet and touching. Vanessa is having a hard time making she is being bullied and is sad and mad and frustrated all at once. She doesn’t know how to make the situation better she is little and she shouldn’t have to experience this. Just when she thinks there is no hope of things getting better a simple act of kindness happens. A classmate ask Vanessa to walk to school with her. Throughout the book you see how this 1 simple act blossomed into more acts of kindness. This book is about acceptance, kindness and standing up for those who are being bullied! This is a MUST have picture book for homes and classrooms. Gift a teacher with a copy as an end of year gift or new school year gift. Grab a copy for your own bookworms at your local library or bookstore and open up the discussion of being kind and accepting.
This sweet picture book was inspired by a true story: Inspired by a Baylor University student who was escorted to class by 300 of her classmates after she was bullied the day before, this timeless, profound, feel-good story addresses themes of kindness and acceptance, acting as a call to action to even the youngest of children to stand up for what they know is right.
About the Book: This simple yet powerful picture book tells the story of an elementary school girl named Vanessa who is bullied and a fellow student who witnesses the act and is at first unsure of how to help. I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.
Thank you Schwartz and Wade and Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of I Walk with Vanessa. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced by the free book.