Social Skills

Weller, Duncan. (2006). The Boy From the Sun. Italy: SimplyReadBooks

ISBN - 10: 1-8-94965-33-7

Fantastic short and artful story about 3 sad children.  One day a boy with a sun for a head comes down from the sky and tries to cheer them up.  He shows them wonderful things like nature, culture, differences, etc.  and the children become happy.  The book also starts with little colour, and at the end, the pages are full of colour.

This is a great story to show differences, world culture, inclusion - the list goes on. 

Presentations:

1.) Ask one  child to be the sun boy and have him stand with you at the front.  As you pause through the story, ask him to go around the circle and touch his friends on the shoulder.  When he touches them, that means they have been cheered up by the sun boy!

2.) A puppet show with facial expressions for each child can be integrated.

3.) Fingerplay can be a fun way to present this story as well as easy. You could have the sun boy on one hand and the three other children on the other hand.  The great thing about this book is that you can extend the story by making lots of puppets or pictures that the sun boy makes appear.
Provocations:

1.) Have a yellow ball with a smily face hanging from the ceiling in your circle area.

2.) Have a discussion on how everyone is feeling that day - be sure to ask everyone how they are feeling right away that day.  Then you can ask again at the end of the day

3.) A feltboard with a blank face is great.  This allows you to add and change different facial expressions.


Extentions:

1.) Art project - have ping pong balls to colour and make feelings and expressions on

2.) Toss the yellow happy ball around in a circle and explain how youère feeling

3.) Sing songs about feelings - example If you are happy and you know it