I Love You Just Enough

I Love You Just Enough

By: Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen

Illustrated by: Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen

Published by: Sleeping Bear Press, 2014

Grade level: 3 and up

Fountas and Pinnell: M

Lexile: 740L

Accelerated Reader: 3.7

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

Author and Illustrator: Robbyn Smith and Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen

Summary:

This is a marvelously heartwarming story of Heather and Mr. Peet young children will love.  The tale flowed beautifully as we follow Heather and Mr. Peet through the summer when she fosters him.  It's a joyous adventure for Heather as she learns about the special responsibility of caring for another creature.  She also learns that there is indeed a time of letting go.  The full-page, full-color artwork is beautifully expressive and captures the love Heather has for her charge.  It's a summer with a little wood duck that will stick in the minds of all who hear this tale.

Key Words/Phrases to Describe the Book:

1. Heartwarming

2. Caring

3. Letting go

4. Little wood duck

5. Vibrant illustrations

Key Vocabulary:

Wood Duck: a North American duck that nests in trees.

Meadow: a tract of grassland used for pasture or serving as a hayfield.

Responsibility: the state or fact of being answerable, or accountable forsomething within one's power, control, or management

Hunt: to chase or search for (game or other wild animals) for the purpose of catching or killing.

Prairie: a tract of grassland; meadow

Nature: the elements of the natural world, as mountains, trees, animals, or rivers

Resources:

An I Love You Just Enough illustration preview can be found on this YouTube website.  Before reading, students can take a sneak peak of all the full-page, vibrant pictures they will encounter while reading this book.

Learn about the author and illustrator on this website.  On this website, you can also view more breath-taking illustrations by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen.

Teaching Suggestions:

• Ask students what they think the book will be about based on the cover illustration and the title

• Have students write about a time when either they had to give up something for the better of someone else, or someone who loves them did that for them.  (can be as simple as sacrificing time to bring to a sporting event.)

• Have students come up 3 different themes present in the book and give examples of each how each theme is presented.

Comprehension Strategies:

Before: Ask students what they think the book will be about based on the cover illustration and the title

During: Have students come up with a theme that they see developing throughout the story. And have them give examples of why they believe that is a theme in the story.

After: Have students write about a time when either they had to give up something for the better of someone else, or someone who loves them did that for them.  (can be as simple as sacrificing time to bring to a sporting event.)

Writing Activity:

After discussing as a class about the various themes presented in this book--the animal life cycle, relationships among species, taking responsibility, and letting go--have students pick one of those themes that is most interesting to them and have them write a few paragraphs discussing what the theme they chose means to them and why it is so significant in the book and in the real world.

Bibliography:

Frankenhuyzen, R. S., & Frankenhuyzen, G. V. (2014). I love you just enough. Sleeping Bear Press.