Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan

Title: Beautiful Blackbird

Genre: Fiction

Author/Illustrator: Ashley Bryan

Major awards: Coretta Scott King Award

Age group: PreK-3rd

Summary: 

This tale is all about embracing what's within and embracing color. The beautiful black bird in this story has a significant role in the bird community. It is declared the most beautiful of all the colorful birds. The other birds are not black. They long to look like the black bird. However, the black bird assures them that no matter how much black he paints on them, beauty is inside. The black bird in this book pops against the pages of color. The cut-paper illustrations are vibrant, and the storyline is poetic with rhyme. 

Why would I use this book in the classroom: 

As a future educator, I'd use this book in my classroom to teach students that all colors are beautiful, and what's inside is what matters most. We are each unique in our own way. I'd also use this book to teach students rhyme. 

Appropriate grade level:

I think an appropriate grade level for this book is PreK-3rd. The book has plenty of figurative language that children will enjoy, while also including rhyme. Students will be able to see the beauty of the blackbird amongst the colors used in this book. They will be fascinated by the illustration.

Ideas for unit of study to include the book in and how you might use the book in the classroom:

• Language Arts/Art: I would use this book to have students complete an activity where they create a bird puppet, and create a short poem on the beauty of all colors.