Two pen pals receive the shock of a lifetime in this giggle-inducing ode to friendship, art, and keeping an open mind!
Connie's art class is partnering up with pen pals this year, and she loves exchanging letters with her new friend, Nic, even though the two of them are polar opposites. Connie takes her art seriously and thinks things like kittens are nothing more than a distraction, while Nic has a more whimsical approach to painting and knows the value of a good cupcake. But both are eagerly awaiting the end of year pen pal art festival where their two classes will finally meet.
But they're in for quite the shock...
Connie doesn't know Nic is a unicorn. And Nic has no clue that Connie is a human.
It turns out, though, that even this surprise can't get in the way of true friendship. Through their letters, they see that their differences are their strengths--and that they lave a lot to learn from each other.
With Josh Funk's signature laugh-out-loud humor and Charles Santoso's explosively fun illustrations, Dear Unicorn is a celebration of new friends, art, and stepping outside your comfort zone.---from the publisher
40 pages 978-0593206942 Ages 4-8
Keywords: pen pal, humor, fun, art, letters, being different, accepting others, friendship, Fine Arts Curriculum, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
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It is the beginning of the school year and Connie's art class is partnering up with pen pals. Both Connie and Nic's teachers encourage them to to ask their pen pals questions, to talk about their own lives, to be creative, share their likes and dislikes and to enjoy themselves. Even though Connie is a little reluctant to start with, soon both love exchanging letters despite the two of them seeming so very different. Connie takes her art seriously and thinks things like kittens are nothing more than a distraction, while Nic has a more whimsical approach to painting and knows the value of a good cupcake. Both are eagerly awaiting the end of year pen pal art festival where their two classes will finally meet, but what is the surprise that is in store for both of them?
Building on the original concept of Dear Dragon, the story has some clever wordplay (like Connie's surname summing up her pessimistic outlook) that leads to some misunderstandings that carry both the letter-writing and the story along, and young readers will immerse themselves in the fantasy particularly as, through the illustrations, they can see what Connie and Nic don't. What would it like to have a friend such as Nic? Can we be friends with those who seem to be so different from us (even if that is not as extreme as this relationship?)
As well as being useful for exploring the essential give-and-take nature of relationships, and how we can learn from those around us to seek common bonds despite being unique individuals, the book also opens up the almost-extinct concept of penpals, letter-writing and the anticipation of a letter in the mailbox. Perhaps it will be the spark for building some new connections between classes in this new school year,
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
