Looking for a last-minute gift for that special teacher? A gift that she/he probably doesn’t already have?
I recommend the beautiful picture book , Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes by Susan V. Bosak. Published in 2004, this gem has received numerous awards. The book poetically explores hopes and dreamsthroughout the arc of one’s lifetime.
The story is multi-layered and can be appreciated by young children and older teens as well. Aspiring artists will appreciate the full-color illustrations by 15 top world illustrators. Each page has an inspirational quote and a hidden star for the reader to find.
The narrator not only encourages young people to dream but to to action: “You need the Believe of childhood, the Do of youth, and the Think of experience.”
As a teacher, this is just the kind of gift book I’d love to receive. It works for multi-age groups and can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. Dream was published as a part of the Legacy Project’s LifeDreams program. The website offers terrific ideas for literacy and cross-curricular activities.
I discovered Dream a few years ago when I began searching for projects to inspire kids to set goals and imagine their future. Now I use the book as part of my writing workshops and presentations. At my latest educational workshop: Raising Girls to Dream Big, a young couple showed up with their newborn daughter. I was thrilled to have these first-time parents in attendance. I congratulated them for getting an early start on raising a child with hopes and dreams.
So now I’ve adding Dreams to my list of meaningful baby gifts, as well as teacher gifts.
Happy Holidays!
EVELYN KRIEGER 