Spotlight Friday: They All Saw a Cat 7.29.16

Time to get ready for the weekend!

Kick up your feet and find a good place to read.

Sharing #booklove for your classroom or library.

Spotlighting a book or two because these books deserve the spotlight!

They All Saw a Cat

by Brendan Wenzel

published by Chronicle Books

8.30.16

Sometimes you read a new book and you get so excited to share it!  That's how I felt about Brendan Wenzel's new book, They All Saw a Cat.  It's a book that will have a different view depending upon the age of kids you are reading it with.  I hope you have fun with this book this fall!  It's a great book for conversation and a book to appreciate the artwork.  I have a feeling we'll see this book on some Mock Caldecott lists this year!  Here are some ideas to use it in your classroom or library!

Reading

What a wonderful book to use to talk about perspective!

• ask young readers, what did all of the animals see when they looked at the cat?  Why did their perspective change?  What is their point of view when thinking about cats?
• have a discussion on perspective.  How do we see others?  How do they see us?  When our perspective is negative, how can we change it?
• Are you doing a Mock Caldecott this year?  Perfect book for the list!  Compare these illustrations to the technique of Eric Carle.  What similarities do you see?

Science

• do some research on how animals see.  How did Wenzel take that information and add it to his artwork?
• if you were one of the animals included in the book, how would your perspective change as you look at an item?
• how does vision help or hinder an animal?

Chronicle has an activity kit that can be downloaded here.

Be sure to check out the trailer

I can't wait to hear how teachers and librarians are using this book this fall!