Could You? Would You? inspires children and adults to look more closely at the world around them.
Children are always asking questions. They want to know why people do the things they do, how someone is feeling, and what would you do if something out of the ordinary happened. In Could You? Would You? A Book to Tickle Your Imagination by Trudy White (Kane / Miller Book Publishers, ISBN 978-1-933605-45-6) children are asked a large assortment of questions that will make them stop, look, and think.
Feelings and Self Esteem
Could You? Would You? asks children interesting things about themselves, ranging from what they like about themselves to listing things they know how to do. Pages 52 to 53 are especially great for getting children to open up and talk about what makes them happy, grumpy, miserable, angry, and feel loved. There are also interesting answers given for many of the questions that help nudge children who might normally be shy into finding their own answers.
Surroundings
Look around you. What do you see? Discover new ways to ask your children, as well as yourself, about their surroundings. Open their eyes by asking where they like to walk to from their house and what they notice on the way. They can also draw a map of their house that can include anything, from spider webs to naming the smelliest room.
Art
Amidst all the questions in Could You? Would You?, there are a great number of opportunities to turn a question into an art lesson. Kids are encouraged to draw a self portrait that may show how many teeth they have or show the shape of their ears. When asked about where people will live in the future, have children draw houses and apartments that people might one day live in.
For Teachers
Could You? Would You? gives teachers the opportunity to encourage their students to think outside the box. The questions are simple and fun to explore. As many of the questions can be tied into elementary civics lessons, they would make a great end of day activity to explore with students as well as a Friday assignment to be completed and turned in on the following Monday.
For Parents
There are numerous ways that parents and their children can benefit from Could You? Would You? They can explore one question each weekend, making the occasion a family event where each person gets his or her chance to speak. Parents can also select certain questions to sit down and discuss with their children.
For Everyone
While published as a children’s book, Could You? Would You? is for everyone. It inspires writers to think, artists to look more closely at their surroundings, and everyone who has ever dreamed to discover what makes them unique.
