A Day's Work

Title: A Day’s Work

Author:Eve Bunting

Illustrator:Ronald Himler

Guided Reading Level: K

Lexile: 350

Interest Level: Grades K- 3

Genre: Realistic Fiction Picture Book

Identity Group: Mexican- American, Latino, 

Themes: Character, Values, Migrant Workers, Integrity, Honesty, Multigenerational

 Summary 

“Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, helps his grandfather find work as a gardener, even though the old man cannot speak English and knows nothing about gardening. "Bunting perfectly captures the intergenerational love and respect shared by these two characters and the man's strong sense of honesty and integrity. Himler's softly colored illustrations reflect the feelings of the characters and setting." -- School Library Journal

Instructional Suggestions

Character development- tracking Francisco’s changing feelings from the beginning to the end

Personal narrative genre study

Interdisciplinary Connections

Social Studies: The themes of this book could fit in with the social-emotional learning found in some lower elementary social studies curriculum

Science: Plant identification

Family and Home connections can be found with discussing the intergenerational interactions and comparing it to what students have experienced.

Vocabulary

Grumbled

Shuffled

Shivered

Abuelo

Gardener

Salary

Bank

Winding

Sloping

Steep

Fortune

Yanked

Slammed

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