I look up at the 30 kids sitting on my rug and think…this is it, the moment I’ve been waiting for. It’s time to read “Come With Me.”
There are books that are fun to read; books that make you laugh; books that make you sad; books that make you feel big things; books that make you think. Then there are books like “Come With Me” by Holly A. McGhee. This is a book that stops you in your tracks, and changes you the very moment you finish it. Whether you are 5 or 105, you can’t read this book and not feel the urgency to find your way to make the world a better place.
The moment I pulled this book out was a moment when I had two classes in front of me because of an unplanned situation. It was a time of uncertainty, we just didn’t know what the rest of our day was going to be like. What better time than to pull out a good book, and dig in? Dig in we did.
The 30 kindergarten and first graders, representing over 7 native languages, sat pondering this book as we paused and talked, and in some moments, just paused and thought. After finishing the book, the conversation naturally lead to how the children could follow the little girl’s advice, go with her, and make the world a better place. The children immediately had ideas and so we decided to make our own book. A book they chose to title “Follow Us to be Brave, Gentle, Strong, and Kind”
In a world that can sometimes consume us with fear, this book reminds us that we, no matter who we are, can have a part in making the world a better place.
