Mentor Text Author Study: Susan Verde

By Keila V. Dawson

Before Susan Verde became a New York Times award-winning author, she was an elementary school teacher and yoga instructor. Her books show how kids navigate the world and how to write from a child’s point of view.

POINT OF VIEW

     

Verde’s first picture book The Museum, Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator), is written in a series of rhyming couplets from the point of view of a girl visiting a museum. Verde’s text shows how the girl reacts to each piece of art. Reynolds’ choice of masterpieces is a tribute to some of the greatest artists of our time. The ending is a tribute to creativity and artistic self-expression.

“When I see a work of art,

something happens in my heart.

I cannot stifle my reaction.

My body just goes into action.

This one makes me

want to pose

and stand up on

                                           my tippy-toes.”                                            

             

In Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community, John Parra (Illustrator), a boy speaks to and about a wall as though it is a living part of his community. Elders recall when it was beautiful and had stories to tell. But over time the wall became “lonely concrete” and one day the boy decides it doesn’t have to be this way. “You are stone but you don’t have to be hard.” Verde’s character takes action and through street art the wall once again reflects the wonderful things happening in the neighborhood. This is an inspiring story of community activism.

“Maybe once you were full of style,

but no one has taken care of you.

You are nothing to look at.

You are cold,

old,

empty.

WRITING ABOUT ABSTRACT CONCEPTS

Aware of the need for children to slow down and reset, she helps children examine their own bodies, reflect, and manage the noise they hear from the outside world.

How would a child fully grasp concepts like empathy, compassion, and mindfulness? Susan Verde and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, explores these concepts in her series on wellness.

 

       

The opening from I AM YOGA, the first book in the series sets the tone:

“When I feel

small

in a world

so big,

When I wonder how I fit in,

When the world is spinning so fast…

I tell my wiggling body:

be still.

I tell my thinking mind:

be quiet.

I tell my racing breath:

be slow.”

INTRODUCING CHILDREN TO A TOUGH TOPIC

In The Water Princess, Peter H. Reynolds, (Illustrator), Verde collaborated with Burkina Faso supermodel Georgie Badiel to tell the story of a young girl faced who doesn’t have easy access to water. Using a first-person point of view and lyrical prose Verde gives and emotional account of a day in the life of the girl who has to walk miles for water.

“The thirst comes quick – dry lips, dry throat.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

I see it.

Clear.

I dip my toes in it.

Cool.

I scoop it up and bring it to my lips.

Slowly, I open my eyes.

Nothing.”

Susan Verde’s stories are wonderful examples of how books can be quiet or active as long as the focus is on the child and their experiences.

Don’t miss other books by Susan Verde: