The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind
Book Spotlight: The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind
Welcome to the STEMHAX Book Spotlight. Today, we explore an Aesop’s fable The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind retold by Heather Forest. This is a wonderful book for children to explore fables or weather. Although this story has been embedded within cultures for more than 2,500 years, it is still relevant today. The book shares a moral lesson of the power of attitude through the use of natural attributes of weather.
Kids enjoy reading the same book over and over again. A physical copy of the book is highly recommended for the first reading of The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind.
HINT: After you have introduced and explored this book, kids can utilize the YouTube read aloud in a listening center or quiet activity when they have finished their work.
Overview
The sun and the wind have a competition. There is a man walking and the sun and the wind try to get him to remove his coat through their natural forces; wind is strong and brute, vs the sun, calm and bright. This fable teaches a lesson of how being gentle can help you reach a goal.
The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind – Read Aloud
Exploring The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind with Young Learners
First, start with a book cover inspection. Show children the cover of the book, and ask, “what do you think this book is about?” Follow this with some open ended questions to get their minds warmed up.
- What do you know about the wind?
- What do you know about the sun?
- How are they different?
- What is bragging?
- What is a contest?
After reading the book for the first time, ask more open-ended questions. Remember there are no wrong answers. Some questions might include:
- How would you describe the wind?
- How would you describe the sun?
- Why did the sun win the contest?
- Why did the man start singing?
- What is the moral of this story?
Vocabulary
- Fable – a short story conveying a moral.
- Clutched – to grasp tightly.
- Blustered – of a storm to blow fiercely and noisily.
- Bragged – to speak highly about oneself (me).
- Harshly – rough or unpleasing to the senses.
We have a book companion packet that works perfectly with this the theme of wind. CLICK ===>HERE to explore a preview in my TPT Store.
Fun Fact
Aesop was a slave who live about 2,500 years ago. According to UMASS.EDU, he was granted his freedom because of his “…wit and intelligence.” He traveled the world sharing his fables and stories. There is a cool connection between the author, Heather Forest, and Aesop, as they both share with others the gift of storytelling.
About the Author
An author is more than a name. Heather Forest is an amazing and talented artist. She holds a Master Degree in Storytelling and a PhD. in Leadership and Change. She has authored several books based on her singing minstrel folk style passion. She is the ultimate storyteller. To learn more about Heather Forest CLICK===>HERE.
Extend the Lesson
Technology is here to stay. One of my favorite lessons is a simple compare and contrast lesson between a video representation and a read aloud. Both can be utilized through an online video, however, it is more impactive to have a hard copy of the book (at least for the first reading). Start with the book lesson and extend with the video.
This video is from PinkFong. There are several videos available, this is just an example.
FREE Read Aloud Book Report for Young Learners
Book Companion – Wind Theme
Thank You
We appreciate you taking the time to learn about this fabulous read aloud book The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind. Please consider following our YouTube Channel for more read aloud books relating to academic interest subjects.
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