Starring Shapes!
on Goodreads (63)
What’s inside...
The story is about a group of playful shapes that take on adventurous roles in a child's imaginary world where they demonstrate how they are used in everyday life. Shapes play supporting roles in the world around us, but which one will be the star of Shapeston Elementary School’s play? Triangle has experience as a traffic sign, and Square moonlights as a postage stamp, Circle as a lemon slice, Rectangle as the cover of a magazine and Diamond as a kite, while Oval has played a surfboard. A fun and fresh look at basic shapes that will have you seeing them in surprising places.
Age
3-7
Length
24 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
Which shape in the story was your favorite, and why?
How did the shapes work together to solve problems in the story?
Can you think of a time when you teamed up with friends to do something fun?
What new shapes would you add to the story, and what role would they play?
How do you feel when you help others, similar to how the shapes helped each other in the book?
Tip: Role play these questions
While discussing the book, point to the illustrations of different shapes and discuss their characteristics and functions.
Encourage your child to draw their favorite scene from the book and describe what's happening.
Use household objects to recreate scenes from the book, reinforcing shape recognition and teamwork.
After reading, collaboratively build a story map with your child, using drawings or cutouts of shapes to represent different parts of the story.
Praise your child’s responses to foster confidence and deeper engagement.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Understanding Shapes
Explanation: Starring Shapes! introduces various shapes through its engaging narrative, helping children recognize and name common shapes like circles, squares, and triangles.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this knowledge by identifying shapes in everyday objects, enhancing their observational skills and cognitive development.
Example Lesson: Teamwork and Collaboration
Explanation: The story shows different shapes working together to solve problems, demonstrating the importance of teamwork.
Real-World Application: This lesson can be applied in a child's life during group activities in school or play, teaching them the value of cooperation and collective problem-solving.
Example Lesson: Creativity and Imagination
Explanation: The book encourages children to think about how different shapes can be used creatively to form various objects and figures.
Real-World Application: Children can use this lesson in arts and crafts projects, using their imagination to create new things using basic geometric shapes.
Example Lesson: Problem-solving Skills
Explanation: As the shapes in the book encounter challenges, they come up with creative solutions, fostering problem-solving abilities in young readers.
Real-World Application: Children learn to approach challenges in their lives with a problem-solving mindset, looking for innovative solutions rather than feeling overwhelmed.