Gerson, M. (1992). Why The Sky Is Far Away. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co.
Brief Annotation: In the beginning, the sky was so close; people could reach up and take a piece to eat. With little work to do, the villagers’ days were spent creating beautiful pieces of art and music as well as telling tales. Eventually, people became wasteful and greedy, taking more than their share of the sky and throwing away what they could not eat. The sky grew angry and threatening; telling the people it would move far away if their wasteful ways did not change. The people tried to obey the sky, only taking a little when they were very hungry, but in a moment of weakness, one villager hid what she could not finish eating and the sky sailed far away, out of reach. From that moment on, the villagers had to work hard, tending the fields and learning to grow their own food, only viewing the sky from a great distance.
Genre: Folklore – Pourquoi story (simple myth)
Grade Level: K through Grade 3
Readers who will like this: Children who enjoy myths, children who would benefit from a wonderful traditional tale about caring for our planet
Response/Rating (1-4): 4, A pourquoi story first told over 500 years ago by the Bini people of Nigeria, the book presents a timeless message for children of all ages, the importance of respecting and taking care of the earth. With beautiful illustrations and simple text, this book makes a wonderful addition for a classroom read aloud.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: What are some ways that all of us can show respect for our planet and help to make the earth a better place to live?
Reading Strategies Connection: Book Charts (Yopp and Yopp, p. 117-118). In addition to pre-reading classroom discussions about ways to care for the planet, this post reading activity will allow students (in small groups or independently) to connect across similar texts regarding a specific theme, respect for the planet, as well as give students the opportunity to discover the similarities within a specific genre, in this case, folklore tales. Students began by charting the book title, author and illustrator, a brief summary of the tale, and their responses to the literature. Additional columns can also be included, such as specific information regarding the topic; in this instance, children may write how the people showed disrespect to the sky and what the villager should have done to correct her action. By documenting and reading addition folklore books from cultures around the world that examine the themes of earth and nature, children will learn the qualities we all share and become more familiar with the folklore genre, authors and illustrators, as a whole.
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