A Circle of Friends

We are so lucky that Miss Nancy at The Storybook Shoppe recommended some fabulous new books for our family to enjoy.  My daughter Molly and I came home with a large stack and we sat down last night to dive in.  A Circle of Friends, by Giora Carmi, was among our stack.  Not knowing anything about the book, I opened up the cover and read the dedication. It reads:

"This book is dedicated to all the children in the world, to all the muffins, homeless people, birds, seeds, rain and flowers in the world."

Hmmmm.... I thought.  This is going to be weird.  Molly looked at me and asked -- "what's homeless?" Why muffins? Birds and seeds? 

The beautifully drawn book contains no words.  The viewer has to completely imagine the story based on the pictures.  I let Molly do all the work here.   As she turned the pages, she accurately dictated a story to me about a young child who gives a sleeping [homeless man on a bench] a muffin.  Who feeds the crumbs of the muffin to the birds, who plant a seed in a flower box, which grows into a beautiful flower outside the same boy's apartment.

Here's a story that teaches empathy and illustrates that a simple small act can set off a chain of events. One small act of good will can affect a community and your environment, and that good deed may even come back to you as a reward.

One day I will tackle the subject of homelessness with my children. But for now, I am pleased to see that her imagination and ability to tell stories is very powerful, and happier to see that she understands little acts can have a big impact.

What a tremendous book!  If you like the message and want it for your home, you can buy it right here on our blog.  Just check out using PayPal below and save 10% OFF.  

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