It's Okay to Be Different - Todd Parr

Illustrated by the author
Megan Tingley Books, Little Brown & Co., 2001
HC $9.99
32 pgs
For:  kids
Rating:  4
Endpapers:  Solid purple

I think I'm going to use this book to introduce "Owning Up" this year.  Each of the pages highlights a way that people can be different and opens up all sort of conversation about differences which could lead easily into teasing and bullying.  I have lesson plans bouncing around my brain right now....

It's okay to be missing a tooth (or two or three)
It's okay to need some help (blind girl with seeing-eye dog)
It's okay to have a different nose (pink elephant with a long trunk)
It's okay to be a different color (normal zebra & colorfully striped zebra)

.....and many more......

Questions to ask PRE and/or POST reading (I think I'm going to do both.)::

How are you different?
Have you ever been teased or bullied about something?  What?
Be honest - have YOU ever teased or bullied someone about anything?  Explain.

R/A the book page by page, not quickly from beginning to end.  Perhaps have students respond in someway after each page, thinking about things they relate to, or what is he REALLY talking about....

After the reading and responses, I'd have kids brainstorm and pair up to come up with their OWN "It's okay to..." ideas.  

Create a class book adding pages for Parr's words that they illustrate differently and/or adding their own "it's okay" statements and illustrations.  OH!  And then I could coordinate with the kid's Hebrew class and write each line in Hebrew.  Brilliant!