We Are Growing! by Laurie Keller

  10 books from the Geisel Award or Honor winning books

4. 2017 Medal Winner

We Are Growing!

by Laurie Keller

About the Author:

Mo Willems (www.pigeonpresents.com), a New York Times #1 best-selling author and illustrator, has been awarded a Caldecott Honor on three occasions, for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. The celebrated Elephant & Piggie early-reader series has been awarded the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal on two occasions (for There Is a Bird on Your Head! and Are You Ready to Play Outside?) as well as garnering five Geisel Honors (for We Are in a Book!, I Broke My Trunk!, Let's Go for a Drive!, A Big Guy Took My Ball! and Waiting Is Not Easy!).

Book Summary:

"Walt and his friends are growing up fast! Everyone is the something-est. But . . . what about Walt? He is not the tallest, or the curliest, or the silliest. He is not the anything-est! As a BIG surprise inches closer, Walt discovers something special of his own!" -Amazon.com

We Are Growing by Laurie Keller Read Aloud by Read Me A Book

Reviews:

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—An exciting thing is happening. The grass is growing! One blade grows tall, another grows curly, and two grow pointy. As these changes occur, the blades of grass declare what it is that makes them unique—all but one, that is. The last blade of grass has no distinguishing feature of note, and no matter how much the group wrack their brains, they can't figure it out. Then, the great equalizer, the lawn mower, comes along. It takes this event for the blade to discover his special quality. As for the rest, even though they are literally cut down, they are reassured that they will grow again. The empowering narrative can be applied to lessons regarding things like confidence, identity, and growing up. No matter the takeaway, the message is easily consumable, thanks to exaggerated characteristics, cartoonish actions, and a good sense of comedic timing. In this new series, Willems's popular characters share their favorite books, acting as the introductory and closing framework to the story. In this case, they have made an excellent choice. VERDICT Fans of Elephant and Piggie will devour this kooky easy reader, with its similar presentation and storytelling style.—Rachel Forbes, formerly at Oakville Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpD0K_sKD08

https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Piggie-Like-Reading-Growing/dp/1484726359/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=We+Are+Growing%21+by+Laurie+Keller&qid=1606088383&sr=8-1