ALL1448-Z First 6 Weeks Wednesday 1:30-2:50 Start Date 10-Sep
Zoom Limit 15
Picture books are nominally written for young children, but good ones are a treasure for all generations. Many brilliant authors, artists and author/illustrators have chosen this genre as a vehicle to portray the resilience of children (or animals who metaphorically represent children) in the face of poverty, prejudice, homelessness, gender conformity, or even misunderstanding by their own parents or family members. This will be a highly participatory, discussion-oriented course, in which we will take a deep dive into both artwork and narrative. In advance of each class, the coordinator will provide that week’s theme, and you will be invited to bring a book that might be relevant for our discussion. We will read, listen to or watch read-alouds in class. During the first class, we will examine Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss, Swimmy by Leo Lionni and Stevie by John Steptoe. No advance preparation is required. Bring your curiosity, your enthusiasm and your thirst for social justice and resilience in the face of difficult times.
Coordinator: Dale Fink 
Dale retired in 2020 from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, where he taught courses related to early childhood education, special education and children’s literature. Prior to that, he was involved in childcare, after-school care and support for the families of children with disabilities. Among his books are Making a Place for Kids with Disabilities (2000), Control the Climate, Not the Children: Discipline in School Age Care (1995), and a picture book, Mr. Silver and Mrs. Gold (1980). In 2018, he edited a volume of his father’s recollections, called Shopkeeper’s Son.