The story Julián Is a Mermaid & Julián at the Wedding, both written & illustrated by Jessica Love, introduces children to a world of freedom of individual expression. In the first story Julián is so enamored by the glimpse of the three women dressed up in the subway, as soon as he gets home he is filled with the wonder of the magic he has seen by dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous way. In the second story Julián goes to a wedding & during the wedding he has a new friend named Marisol. Sure enough they set off for an adventure & make some magic. This story of friendship explores individuality, imagination, identities, love, different family dynamics, & wonder.
Both books are amazing to bring to life through inviting children to recreating the book through playdough loose parts play & story sequencing. To set this invitation in we created a shimmery playdough by mixing in the new Colorations Shiny Tempera Paint into the water while making our homemade playdough. Provided loose parts (sea shells, flat marbles, mermaid + sea life figurines, fern leaves, felt fabric, mosaic tiles) in our Inspire My Play Tray. I also placed the laminated characters that I painted a while back here (mermaid & wedding).
Integrating stories through another medium in order to extend the experience strengthens literacy skills as well as fostering creative thinking. Books related to the concept explorations are motivating, inspiring, and appealing to children. Stories can impart a lot of meaning and new information to help the children learn more about a topic, interact, relate their own experiences, be exposed to new concepts, and guide the children's inquiry and curiosity. By providing materials like playdough and loose parts to extend the literacy experience, you provide the opportunities for creativity, problem solving skills, exposure to new language, fine motor skills, and endless sensory play.
As they play in this open-ended way the child will subliminally practice story sequencing which teaches the children the ability to observe, recall, and sequence events within the story. In sequencing the story as they play, children learn about patterns in relationships and they learn to understand the order of things. By learning to sequence, children develop the ability to understand and arrange purposeful patterns of actions, behaviors, ideas, or thoughts. Ordering stories and directions helps children develop necessary skills such as reasoning and inference. It also helps them become better writers later down the line as they learn there is a logical sequence of events in stories and life.
All that to say, the magic in the story and the power of play provides so many rich opportunities for curiosity, wonder, and imagination just like Julián!