After creating Julián Is a Mermaid with loose parts a while back, I knew it was time to do an invitation for Julián at the Wedding by Jessica Love.
In this radiant story Julián goes to a wedding and during the wedding he has a new friend named Marisol. Sure enough they set off for an adventure and make some magic. This story of friendship explores individuality, imagination, identities, love, different family dynamics, and wonder.
Helping children understand at a young age to treat others with respect and kindness can only be done so by exposure and providing opportunities to see differences. Guiding them with the concepts and vocabulary that enriches their understanding of a boy wanting to dress up as a girl, two women getting married, and so on. By answering their questions or asking them questions, building their vocabulary, and establishing acceptance, these will lay a foundation early on about all these different possibilities, to always keep an open mind and have a stronger social emotional connection for others.
To set up this invitation you can draw/paint/print out the characters, laminate them, and the provide loose parts of leaves/moss and sticks. Read the story to your child and then invite your child to recreate the pages from the book. Integrating the story through another medium (art, loose parts, STEM, STEAM, etc.) to extend the experience strengthens literacy skills as well as fostering creative thinking. Books related to the concept explorations are motivating and appealing to children. Information can be gained from these books in context of a story. The pictures can impart a lot of meaning and information to help the children learn more about at topic, interact, relate their own experiences, and guide the children's inquiry.
