We received this book from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (www.imaginationlibrary.com) and immediately fell in love with it. It is about a young kangaroo named Joey (of course) and his struggle to be brave as he separates from Mama. Each time he leaves the pouch, he hops a little farther away. As soon as he encounters a new animal, he asks who it is and proceeds to hop back to Mama while yelling “POUCH!” Finally he meets another kangaroo who turns out to be equally scared of Joey. They realize they’ve found a friend in each other and no longer need the comfort of the pouch…at least not as often. The illustrations are broad and ‘blurry’, giving a soft effect. There are no hard lines except for the words, and even those are in a softer font. There is nothing harsh about this book except the topic.
This book has been great for my little boy as he is 2 years old and developing his sense of self and the courage to leave me. It helps bring a light tone to troubling situations while at the same time helping him process the big feeling of fear. It also helps ME remember not to helicopter. It is a gift to stand back and let him explore the world from where he stands and in his own time. Hovering too closely and pointing out everything I think he should see only puts blinders on him and keeps the apron strings tied too tightly. He needs to know I’m close by and available, without stifling his adventurous curiosity.
This story would also be incredibly fitting for an elementary classroom. How many times have you had a student cry or shut down out of fear when a parent left them at the door? If I were still a classroom teacher, this would be a staple book for at least the first month of school. We would read it and talk through the feelings of separation and emphasize the new friends made and new things discovered when we venture out of our comfort zones.
Little kids have big feelings and often don’t know what to do with them. This book helps them process some of those feelings and grow in their ability to feel without breaking down.
*A correlating lesson plan for this book can be viewed here.
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