That neighbor kid, By Daniel Miyares

Miyares, D. That Neighbor Kid. New York; Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers, 2017.

Lexile Level: AD500L

Individual nomination for Caldecott Honor Award 2017

The Caldecott Honor Award is bestowed every year upon an illustrator whose contribution to a picture book surpasses expectations. David Miyares has produced a masterpiece work that tells a timeless story of friendship between a little boy and girl, without relying on text! When a little boy moves into the neighborhood, the little girl next door can’t help but be curious. As the story unfolds, through two page spreads of black and white pen and watercolor, we see the little girl muster the courage to offer the little boy help in building his  treehouse.

The truly magical part of the story happens when the boy accepts her help. As he passes her a bucket of nails, color appears on the page. Miyares has somehow embodied the purest childhood friendship in two and a half orange and yellow leaves. As you continue reading, the vibrancy of the colored leaves heightens the experience.

NOTES:

1. The timelessness of the illustrations makes this book accessible to everyone.
2. The sentimentality the reader experiences is achieved entirely through illustrations.
3. The pacing is appropriate for young readers, with action building steadily throughout, to the point where that neighbor kid and the little girl are best friends
4. The story is deep and lasting. A childhood friendship is truly special, and Miyares captures that here.
5. There is symbolism in the coloring of the story; as color enters, the bonds of friendship are formed and there is a vibrancy on the pages. The children are engaged in building together, and more than a treehouse, they are building their friendship and trust. The treehouse on the final page is a symbol of their friendship, as well as an escape from reality. The world they share in their treehouse is full of joy, laughter, fun, and love.

Learning Activity:

Children will work collaboratively to build a tree house using the app: Build a Tree House & Fix It. Download can be found here: Build a Treehouse and Fix it

They can also build a tree house using blocks.

Learning Standard:

Use a variety of age‐appropriate technologies (e.g. drawing program, presentation software) to communicate and exchange ideas 

https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/accommodationsmanual_ccss_k12_techscope

Learning Goal:

Students will build a virtual tree house using an age approproate design app.

Learning Outcome:

Students will work collaboratively to build a tree house using the app.

Learning Objective:

Students will work collaboratively to design and build a virtual treehouse using Build a Treehouse and Fix it, age-appropriate design software.