Listening to stories read aloud introduces new worlds to early learners – worlds of unique words, sounds and illustrations. Children will listen to a story, hear the words, see them pictured, and process them.
GCCSA’s Head Start/ Early Head Start educators are bringing our classroom story time to the GCCSA Community. Each month, a different reader will share the beautifully written and illustrated stories from around the world; stories that are reflected in the rich backgrounds of our children.
Please join us by registering below.
November 16, 2021
The Day You Begin
By Jacqueline Woodson; Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Excerpt from Penguin Random House: Featured in its own episode in the Netflix original show Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices! National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpré Illustrator Award winner Rafael López have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone.
December 14, 2021
Under My Hijab
By Hena Khan; Illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel
Excerpt from Lee & Low Books: With cheerful rhyming text by the author of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, and charming illustrations from a talented newcomer, Under My Hijab provides a friendly introduction to hijabs for all readers, and celebrates the many Muslim women and girls who choose to wear them.
January 17, 2022
By Kevin Noble Maillard; Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Excerpt from Macmillan Publishers: Author Kevin Noble Maillard and Caldecott Honor artist Juana Martinez-Neal share the significance of a dish through an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, history, culture, and traditions.
All Are Welcome
By Alexandra Penfold; Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
Excerpt from Alex Penfold Books: A warm, welcoming picture book that celebrates diversity and gives encouragement and support to all kids. Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where kids in patkas, hijabs, and yamulkes play side-by-side with friends in baseball caps.
Not Quite Snow White
By Ashley Franklin; Illustrated by Ebony Glenn
Excerpt from Harper Collins Publishers: A picture book for magical yet imperfect children everywhere, Not Quite Snow White is a delightful and inspiring tale that highlights the importance of self-confidence while taking an earnest look at what happens when that confidence is shaken or lost. Tameika, a girl who belongs on the stage, encourages us all to let our magic shine.
A Big Mooncake for Little Star
By Grace Lin; Illustrated by Grace Lin
Excerpt from Grace Lin Books: A gorgeous picture book that tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon. Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But she’s not supposed to eat any yet! What happens when she can’t resist a nibble?
Mae Among The Stars
By Roda Ahmed; Illustrated by Stasia Burrington
Excerpt from Harper Collins Publishers: A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. An Amazon Best Book of the Month for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts.
Alma and How She Got Her Name
By Juana Martinez-Neal; Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Excerpt from Juana Martinez-Neal: What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.
I Am Perfectly Designed
By Karamo Brown with Jason “Rachel” Brown; Illustrated by Anoosha Syed
Excerpt from Macmillan Publishers: I am Perfectly Designed is an exuberant celebration of loving who you are, exactly as you are, from Karamo Brown, the Culture Expert of Netflix’s hit series Queer Eye. In this empowering ode to modern families, a boy and his father take a joyful walk through the city, discovering all the ways in which they are perfectly designed for each other.
By Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews; Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Excerpt from Abrams Books:
Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, where music always floated in the air, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews didn’t always have the money to buy an instrument, but he did have the dream to play music. This is the story of how he made his dream take flight.