SAY Something! written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds is an energetic picture book that urges children to speak out confidently by using their voice, their written words, their knack for drawing or their ability to write a poem or sing a song.
Opportunities for saying something come in all sorts of situations such as when one sees a child bullying another child, or when someone needs a kind word to lighten their sadness or when something happens that is not fair and needs to be corrected. The front set of end papers are covered with words that can be used for speaking out courteously such as “THANK YOU-----Together is BETTER… Be Brave… PEACE… THINK GREEN… Take a stand… Turn energy into action… Your voice matters.”
The illustrations are clever, bright and full of action. One of the most endearing is the lavender double -spread picture of a girl studiously looking into a telescope on one side of the illustration and jumping up in elation about her discovery on the other as she proudly proclaims EUREKA!
Reynolds’ twelve children are a diverse group of friends. They actively say something on the eye-catching cover and throughout the book by holding up signs, speaking into a microphone, reading a speech, playing the guitar and wearing tee shirts decorated with symbols and words.
SAY Something! written, illustrated and hand-lettered by Peter H. Reynolds, is an engaging picture book that joyfully puts forth the thought that every voice is important. It’s designed for children 5-8 years of age (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, 2019).
Questions and activities for SAY Something!
Look again at the words and phrases on the end paper at the beginning of this book. Have you ever said any of these words to anyone? How did speaking out make you feel? Has anyone said any of these words or phrases to you? How did hearing these words make you feel? From this group select either “Let’s make our world a more colorful place” or “We all have something to share” and draw a picture to go along with either. Think about it and then have fun!
At the back of the book there are blank spaces for you to say something. What would you like to say? Fill in as many of the eight spaces as you can with your own words. Moms, Dads, teachers and grandparents can help.
Younger children: Play an I Spy game and find the following: a bird singing, a guitar, a peace sign, a dove, a microphone, a telescope and a bully. Older readers: Give your own title to the picture of the twelve children on the cover of this book.