Milo Imagines the World is a beautiful story that opens up a conversation about bias and empathy. Illustrator Christian Robinson based Milo’s story on his own life. When Robinson felt overwhelmed as a child, drawing gave him a sense of control. His imagination opened up a world of possibilities while living in a small space without his mom.

Milo Imagines the World The Horn Book | Milo Imagines the World

Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol. AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Explore/Think V.A.2: Learners develop and satisfy personal curiosity by r eflecting and questioning assumptions and possible misconceptions. The text is gorgeous, of course. De la Peña was first published as a YA novelist, but I think he really shines as a picture book author. His text poetically evokes emotions and scenes, as well as the beauty of everyday life. Robinson’s art brings out these qualities, using mixed media collage to convey the richness of daily experiences. In this rich, multilayered journey, the award-winning creators of Last Stop on Market Street celebrate a city’s kaleidoscope of scenes, offer a glimpse at a child’s experience with parental incarceration, and convey that child’s keen observations about his circumstances and surroundings. “— Publishers Weekly, starred review What do you think people see when they look at you? Do you think people are surprised by you sometimes?

A text that flows like poetry . . . Glorious.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap... A subway ride marked by anxious people-watching builds up to Milo’s most important moment of the month. When looking at the cover of Milo Imagines the World, what do you suppose the story is about? I thought we would learn about a boy who aspires to be an engineer. I made this assumption because of the cityscape drawings and the pencil behind Milo’s ear. Reading Milo’s story made me realize how wrong I was with my first impression. Matt de la Peña is the New York Times bestselling, Newbery Medal winning author of seven young adult novels (including Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here and Superman: Dawnbreaker) and five picture books (including Last Stop on Market Street and Love). Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific, where he attended school on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. In 2019 Matt was given an honorary doctorate from UOP. de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with his family. He teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country. Read More…

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In this book, we follow a young boy named Milo as he and his older sister take their monthly Sunday subway ride to visit their mother. Families can talk about how Milo and his sister felt on the train every week in Milo Imagines the World. Why do you think he spent his time drawing? What kinds of things do you do when you're feeling the same way? Milo Imagines the World is a warm and richly satisfying story from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling picture book duo, about a little boy with a big imagination who learns that you can't know anyone just by looking at them. Set in a bustling city, and full of a family love that binds even in difficult circumstances. This picture book was excellent! It turned out to be a much deeper book than I had expected. It also has amazing illustrations courtesy of Christian Robinson (who illustrated another favorite picture book of mine, Carmela Full of Wishes). But this book's environment felt authentic and almost like you were with Milo and his big sister the entire time. It also had a thought-provoking ending (which can be a hit or miss with picture books meant for children) that left me thinking afterwards. Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson once again deliver a hugely powerful and enjoyable picture book, full of rich details both to look at and to talk about. Anyone who has ever travelled on public transport will relate to Milo's journey.

Sweet yet poignant . . . Manages to be sophisticated while also bringing in the joy and wonder associated with picture books.” — The San Diego Union-Tribune From the Publisher Milo questions what people might think of him. Can they see that he is a poet and his aunt takes good care of him? Do they know that his mother loves him very much and is incarcerated? Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson are my favorite storytelling team. Absolutely stellar on their own, when they choose to create a story together it is beyond magic. They simply GET people and, most importantly, that kids are people, too. Balancing hard emotions with the whimsy of childhood opens up a soft space for adults and children to share moments about what it means to SEE other people for who they are, the perceptions we carry and implicit bias that tags along, while weaving in a rich story of love and compassion familiar to so many families in the US. Wow. I could tell from the beginning that I was going to love this, but that ending was really powerful. Sometimes picture books with a deep/heavy message come across too didactic and don't actually make and enjoyable story for the kids who are supposed to be the audience. But this was SOO well-done. Milo anxiously rides the subway and imagines the lives of the people around him. He likes to draw the stories he comes up with his head, and to do so he tends to make assumptions about people, as we all tend to do. When he arrives at his destination and sees that one of the other little boys from the train is there too (spoiler alert: they both have incarcerated parents), he recognizes that the stories of people around us may not always be what they seems. LOVE THIS BOOK and expect it to be very popular. (Also love the art style) Milo gazes at his chocolate-brown reflection in the train window and wonders: what assumptions do strangers make about him? Do they see the complexity of his family situation and relationships, or do their narratives reduce him to nothing more than a kid of color living in the big city? As Milo and his sister exit the underground, he notes that at least one of the stories he created about his fellow passengers was dead wrong, and he ponders that as they pass through the metal detector for their scheduled visit. What direction will Milo's life take in the days and years ahead? Stories are complicated things, and Milo is beginning to absorb that truth on a deep level.

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña: 9780399549083

When people look down their noses at academics who study children’s literature because it isn’t literary or highbrow enough, books like MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD are the perfect example that children’s literature is literary, layered, complex, and worthy of study — while also being really beautiful and necessary storytelling for children to experience. We all distract ourselves from life's anxieties by telling ourselves stories about the people we interact with, whether we know them well or are virtual strangers. We project our own motivations and values on them so their actions make sense to us, assigning them roles as heroes or villains, enablers or obstacles. Of course, the narratives we assign are swayed by our personal biases. Maybe the grumpy-looking man isn't alone in the world; he might have a family who loves him dearly, and he's just having a sour day. Perhaps the break dancers don't face discrimination because of their skin color and clothes. Maybe the boy who seems wealthy and without a care in the world is actually in the same situation you are, a shook-up soda nervous about what the coming hours will bring. This is Milo's epiphany moment in the book: "And a thought occurs to him: Maybe you can't really know anyone just by looking at their face." We tell ourselves stories about the people around us, there's no changing that. But instead of forcing the stories to confirm larger narratives we already believe, it's healthy to let some threads run counter to expectation; that's how we remain open to changing our minds. Grappling with story is challenging when it detours from our comfort zone, but it's the only way we learn from our mistakes and improve going forward. Begin the lesson by showing learners the cover of the book. Ask learners to share what the illustrator wants us to know about Milo. Record responses on chart paper. A text that flows like poetry . . . Glorious.”— The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review In When Milo gets anxious, he imagines stories about the people around him. He studies their faces and conjures up images of what their lives must be like. Milo captures his imagination by drawing his visions in his sketchpad.The one I think we, the grownups, are meant to take a way goes a little deeper. We could use some reminding that the circumstances we find ourselves in and the choices, good or bad, that led us there are not the only thing that defines us. Milo and his sister are going to see a woman who clearly adores them. We don't know what happened to put her in prison. What we do learn is that she reads to her son every night. We learn that all those pictures he was drawing were for her, and the very last words in the book are about Milo waiting in hope that she will smile when she sees them. I would like everyone I know, whether you've got little ones or not, to read this book. Matt de la Pena's writing is simply beautiful, Milo's voice is worldly wise and innocent, a smart boy who's grown up more than he should have to who sees such beauty in the world even while riding the dirty old subway. de la Pena's descriptions of that subway and its passengers so vividly conjure up images of NYC I was reminded almost too strongly of my long ago morning commute. Christian Robinson's illustrations are the perfect pairing to those words. He draws the subway and streets of New York teaming with life and color and soul. The distinction between the "real" world and Milo's drawings is also cleverly handled. He really grasps the child like sort of scrawl that you'd expect from a young child. Tell readers that while you read, their job is to notice new information about Milo. Learners can infer how he feels and discover his living situation. Record new information on the chart paper. Step Two