Books by the Fan brothers have long entertained elementary classrooms, inspiring wonder and curiosity. Their latest collaboration, It Fell From the Sky, was one of my first read alouds of the 2021-2022 school year. It immediately sparked authentic thinking and talking about reading as students discussed the text and the illustrations. (In fact, they were talking about the book for days!)
The opening spread of It Fell From the Sky includes just eight words: “It fell from the sky on a Thursday.” Readers’ eyes are drawn to a small object that is the only thing in color on the page. (Kids said… “Oh, I saw a thing like that before!” “Where did it come from?” “Did it really fall from the sky?” “I think that’s a….”)
As the magical thing captures the interest of the insects, the book captures the interest of readers. When Spider turns the magical thing into a paid attraction, the wonder of the object is only available to those who can pay. (Kids said… “That’s not fair!” “It’s part of nature, it should be free!” “He’s acting so greedy.”)
After we finished reading, the book launched great discussions of fairness, wonder, curiosity, perspective, and more in my third-grade classroom. If you are looking for a classic-feeling fantasy read to spark wonder and curiosity in young readers, It Fell From the Sky might be just the book you need.
