You know those dreams you have about yourself...the ones you just can't tell to anyone because they might be too big, too good, too much to ask for? Nigel has those dreams. He dreams he can be an astronaut and a dancer and even a superhero. He imagines himself being this amazing human being filled with talent and excellence and possibilities. But Nigel doesn't tell anyone about his dreams.... well...not exactly true because Nigel does tell them to.... the moon.
Filled with this sense of himself and his true identity, Nigel goes to school and keeps his wonderful secrets all to himself. Until.... yes, there is always an until.... until Career Week shows up and everyone talks about careers and jobs and what they might become. They talk about who their parents are and what their parents do for a living.
Nigel listens and to him it sounds like everyone's parents are so important and so special and so successful. Nigel's feelings about his own parents aren't that important or special or successful.
What do you do when you feel you shouldn't dare to dream such special dreams especially about yourself? What do you do? What do you do when you don't dare to dream that your own parents, your own family, might be so important and so special and so successful? What do you do? What do you do when you feel you and your parents don't fit in?
Sit with that feeling for a minute. Maybe you already know that feeling... or maybe it's just important to feel the empathy for that feeling for a minute so you can respect and understand other people.
But Nigel is there and he has those feelings. What can possibly happen to change how Nigel feels? Can it really... really.... be okay to dream such amazing dreams?
40 pages 978-0063056282 Ages 4-8
Keywords: school story, dreams, self image, self confidence, believing in yourself, acceptance, accepting others, belonging, fitting in, Social Emotional Learning SEL, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
Read alike: Walk down DREAM STREET with Ekua Holmes for a few blocks ....
************** From debut author Antwan Eady and artist Gracey Zhang comes a glowing tale about the young dreaming big. A perfect story to demonstrate how pride in where we come from can bring a shining confidence.
When Nigel looks up at the moon, his future is bright. He imagines himself as…an astronaut, a dancer, a superhero, too!
Among the stars, he twirls. With pride, his chest swells. And his eyes, they glow. Nigel is the most brilliant body in the sky.
But it’s Career Week at school, and Nigel can’t find the courage to share his dreams. It’s easy to whisper them to the moon, but not to his classmates—especially when he already feels out of place. ---from the publisher
40 pages 978-0063056282 Ages 4-8
Keywords: school story, dreams, self image, self confidence, believing in yourself, acceptance, accepting others, belonging, fitting in, Social Emotional Learning SEL, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
