Celebrate the Magic of Leo Lionni!

Welcome to the Preschool Book Nook, an informative place invoking those book-filled, cozy corners in classrooms and libraries. 

Share the treasures of Leo Lionni with your class. Lionni's classic stories and fables offer timeless lessons of peace, self-discovery, acceptance, and other universal values. With more than forty titles available, here's a small sampling of titles and classroom ideas.

Everyone needs friends. And the importance of friendship is honored in many of Leo Lionni's books including Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse and An Extraordinary Egg. After reading a book or two or three, lead a class discussion on what is friendship. Include in your discussion how being a friend also means acknowledging and celebrating differences. Have each student think about one of their classroom friends. Without specifying names, have each child say aloud one attribute they like or admire about this friend, or have them draw an activity they like to share with this friend. At the end of the activity, the class will realize that there are many facets to friendship.

In Pezzettino, it takes many questions and an adventure for Pezzettino, the main character, to realize that just being himself is what makes him special. Have each student bring in a photograph of themself; attach the photo to a piece of paper and have each student write short statements of what makes them special. Feel free to provide starter lines such as: I am . . .; I can . . .; I have . . .; I love . . .

A community—whether it's a classroom or a neighborhood—is made up of individuals. In Frederick, Frederick the mouse makes a unique contribution to his community as it prepares for winter. Discuss how everyone can contribute to their classroom and neighborhood in different ways. Start with a discussion of what each student can add to their classroom environment (perhaps students can pair up to help build reading skills, while other students volunteer for read-alouds). The activity could then be expanded to what the students can do to contribute to their school or neighborhood. Perhaps they could undertake a class mural; some students would contribute their artistic talents while others would sing or read-aloud to entertain those working on the mural.

Leo Lionni loved to use collage in his books. After reading and showing the art of Let's Make Rabbits, have the class create their own collage masterpieces.  Ask the students to bring in scraps of color or wrapping paper, cloth, and magazines for a wide assortment of material.

Be certain to share all the Leo Lionni books with your class!

Learn more about the author/artist!