Hold the door open for others. Remember to always say "Please" and "Thank You." Many of us can recall these very same words being told to us as we grew up, as our parents were teaching us the importance of good manners. Today, many of us, my husband and I included, try to teach the same thing to our children (as well as to my students), as at the heart of good manners is a respect for yourself and for others.
The author and illustrator of more than 80 books, P.K. Hallinan has strived to create tales that teach children valuable life lessons that will last them for generations to come. With my recent search for stories to use in an upcoming lesson for my PreK classes about the importance of having good manners, I was delighted to recently receive a copy of Hallinan's charmingly delightful 2008 story, Let's Be Polite, from Ideals Publications, a Guideposts Company.
Hallinan's illustrations are bright and cheerful, and the text is written in a catchy rhyme form that young children enjoy. What I appreciated is the fact that Hallinan avoids the trap of being preachy given the subject matter by writing in the first person, from the child's point of view. For example, a young boy misses a throw in the baseball field, and despite the disappointment, his friend, and Hallinan's readers can relate, with the following verse:
"And I try not to laugh
At a playmate's mistake,
When numbers of blunders
Are what we all make!"
The sentences in Let's Be Polite are short, which are perfect for young children, like my Pre-K students, and messages throughout this lovely book are simple and truly precious.
Let's Be Polite
Written & Illustrated by P.K. Hallinan
Publisher: Ideals Children's Books, an imprint of Ideals Publications (a Guideposts Company)
Website: www.idealsbooks.com
ISBN: 978-0-8249-5579-3
Retails for $8.99
For ages 2 and up
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