What is HOME?
- Diane Schnoor
- Mar 13
- 3 min read
I just read the glorious HOME by Matt de la Peña and Loren Long. You NEED this picture book on your shelves. Born during the pandemic, it captures the essence of what home really is and why it's so important. Get your copy -- and listen to my full conversation with Matt on the Adventures in Learning podcast this week. We talk about so many powerful things, including what inspires his writing, the importance of seeing ourselves and others in the books we read and share, the difficult conversations we are afraid to have and need to be having, and, of course, what exactly is home.
So what is home?
That feels like a really important question right now. Is home the house or apartment we live in? Is home a geographic place? Is it bricks and mortar or steel or straw or sticks (definitely going full Three Little Pigs here. Reach out to me if you want some Three Pigs content you can use in your classrooms)? Or is home something deeper? Is it where we feel accepted and appreciated? Is it a feeling rather than a place? Perhaps home is really a sense of coming home to ourselves, of being with those we love (whether people or furry or feathered or scaled).
It seems to me that the more chaotic and uncertain and noisy the world feels, the more we need to embrace a sense of home that is rooted in nature and community, in compassion and empathy. To do that, perhaps we need to join the trees in the slow lane for a while.
Take a moment from the chaos to do some slow breathing (and if you want to spend more time in mindfulness and laughter, check out this conversation with Dr. Erica Buchholz on the healing power of laughter).
Do you have ten minutes to go for a walk? As you walk, put the phone away. Take time to go slowly and to notice things. You might notice the early signs of spring or witness small acts of kindess that make your heart sing. There is beauty everywhere if we learn how to see it. Like CJ's Nana in Matt's Last Stop on Market Street, maybe we'll learn to say, "Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, you're a better witness for what's beautiful."
If you have a little more time, channel your newfound sense of wonder into curiosity. Can you take time to play and explore? Maybe you make fairy houses or start an indoor garden. Maybe you go visit your library to check out books about something that intrigues you. Maybe you make a call or send a text or email to someone you want to get to know a little better. Coffee or walking play dates can be healing for grownups too!
Wonder and curiosity are important and they can lead us to build deeper connections. Let your curiosity call you home to something that matters to you. It could be volunteering or sending postcards. Maybe it's baking cookies for the neighbors. It might be researching the needs of animals and habitats in crisis and figuring out ways to support them. Whatever you decide to do, your actions make a difference on this planet we all call home.
More Books To Share With Your Young Readers:
In addition to Matt's books (click on the links above), I wanted to share some other favorites that get at the idea of HOME for me. I'm including links with each picture so you can investigate further. For me, home is so much more than the physical place we lay our heads (assuming we are lucky enough to have one). Home is the beauty of this planet we all call home. Home is the connections we make with one another. Home is the difference we make when we work together.
Enjoy these books and let me know in the comments which ones are your favorites and how you use them with your young readers. May we all take some time this week in the slow lane.
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