When our bodies shed....

Parts

Written and illustrated by: Tedd Arnold

Published by: Puffin Books, 2000

32 Pages

Poetry

This little guy just doesn't understand what is going on! 

There's fuzz in his belly button, and he thinks his skin is coming off of the bone.

Although the five-year-old doesn't feel any pain,

he's afraid that the piece that fell from his nose could be a part of his brain! 

When he finds a loose tooth, it's very plain for him to see. 

He says, "The glue that holds our parts together isn't holding me!" 

Parts takes us through the journey of a boy that thinks he's is falling apart. 

If you want to find out what happens next, page one is where you'll start.

Arnold is a creative author-illustrator of more than 50 children's books.

The colorful drawings give the pages very detailed looks.

He portrays the character's imagination as wild.

Students can relate to this silly young child.

Children can laugh while they read and rhyme.

This book makes for a fun and engaging time.

   In a 3rd grade classroom, I would do an activity where the students look at idioms and write what they mean. For example, if you say "My heart is broken", it doesn't literally mean it's broken. It just means you are sad. This teaches students how to use creative language in their writing.

   For gifted students, I would let them think of idioms they have heard, and write what they really mean as well. Gifted students could also create a poem using idioms that we have used in the activity or the ones they came up with.