Stellaluna
Stellaluna is a baby bat that is separated from her mother when
they are attacked by an owl. She finds herself in a bird’s nest, and her
adventure of believing she is a bird, learning she is a bat and being reunited
with her mother follows. Stellaluna attempts to unite her adopted bird family
with her rediscovered bat community. The differences between them prove too
difficult to surpass, yet She and her bird ‘siblings’ vow to stay
friends.
This book includes themes of differences, friendship, fear,
& perseverance making it appropriate for character education lessons and
discussions about social skills. There are also two pages of notes on bats at
the back of the book, lending this text to a science lesson or a unit on animals.
I had only ever read the first few
pages prior to reading this the other day and I thought this book would be sad. It isn't, it is
freaking hilarious!!! The pictures add a lot to the humor the idea of a baby fruit bat being adopted by birds is hilarious. Anyway, there is a lot to work with in this book for different character
voices, and the pictures are also wonderful. The text is not overly-difficult.
Sample Questions:
- Who saves Stellaluna?
- Who knocks Stellaluna out of the sky?
- How does Stellaluna sleep at night?
Activities and Discussions:
- Discuss the differences between bats and birds
- Use construction paper to make Stellaluna
- Develop a chart of the different types of birds and bats found within the book and list their differences
About the Author
Other Books Written by
Author Jannell Cannon
Reference
Cannon, J. (1993). Stellaluna. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Hi Russell. I really enjoyed this post. I thought the story was very unique and a clever way of addressing bonds, friendship, and family. The activities that I'd suggest for children who've read this book are:
ReplyDelete1. Rewrite an alternate ending to the story. Imagine what would have happened if the bird and bat family could have been united.
2. Have children write a short essay on what things the birds and bats have in common. Have them include any ideas that the birds and bats could exchange that would help them get along better.
I believe an important part of this story is accepting each other's differences. I also believe it's important to come together and share each other's differences. Especially for children, discussing each other's diversity is a great way to make new friends and make everyone feel appreciated.
Wonderful post! :)