Week One Highlight: "Home" by Carson Ellis

March is National Reading Month and we're celebrating with a special series where we highlight our favorite children's books and fun activities to further interact with these sweet stories. We asked Michelle Hiller, sister to Curate founders, to share how she and her son used their favorite children's books to learn valuable lessons {p.s. these ideas all come from a teacher's perspective!}. First up: Home by Carson Ellis - a story that pays homage to all the different places people call home. Plus, whimsical pictures that will make your child's imagination soar! 

“This is my home and this is me. Where is your home? Where are you?"

Home has become one of my new favorite books because, in a very simple way, this book teaches and celebrates diversity. Comparing and contrasting different homes along with unique people, this book has so many great lessons we can share with our little ones.

Daniel and I set out to relive the book Home this week. We visited our family and friend’s homes, we went to see a nursing home, a friend's apartment building and our homeless shelter in town. Each day after our visits, we came back to our home. Just like the book depicts, our little adventures showed us homes and people that looked different than us. But, at the end of these adventures, I always told Daniel this is your house and this is you! Who can you welcome and who can you be?

My hope is that as Daniel gets older he welcomes all people - from the Atlantains, the French People, the Kenyan Blacksmith, the Japanese businessman, and more (just maybe not the raccoon ☺) - and that he would be confident to be who he wants to be. May our homes be an environment where we foster others and a place where we can be who we want to be. “This is my home and this is me. Where is your home? Where are you?”

Daniel visiting their city's Gospel Mission (left), playing in front of his own house (right)

Fun activities to do with your little one:

• Take them around your own neighborhood and community, look and talk about all the different places people call "home"
• Help them make their own new home by using pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals :)