Just Plain Fancy: An Amish Tale
Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco is a story about a young Amish girl as she learns a new part about her religion/ culture. It is Naomi's job to care for the family's chickens and one day she comes across a rather fancy egg in the yard. Hoping it will hatch, Naomi places the egg under Henny. Once the egg hatches, Naomi and Ruth find a fancy baby bird which they name Fancy. Later that night, the two sisters here a story about a woman in their community who was too Fancy so she was shunned from the church and kicked out of the Amish community; Ruth and Naomi begin to fear that Fancy will be shunned so they lock him in the chicken coop so the elders do not see him. However, Fancy escapes and before Naomi can catch him, her secret is out. While she pleads that the animal not be shunned for being too fancy, an elder explains to her that Fancy is a peacock, one of God's most beautiful creation and that he would not be shunned.
This children's book opens the mind of students to different cultures that thrive right here in America. Cultures that are much different than ours but still function harmoniously with our culture. The language in this book is very simplistic which allows young readers to read it easily while still effectively communicates a key belief of this Amish culture. Also, Polacco makes a great use of primary colors and outline style to add just enough emphasis to the illustrations that they support the story rather than distract from it.
I really enjoyed this book because it shows the coming of age in a new culture as well as the different aspects of a different culture that co-exists with ours. This story also does a great job of portraying childhood innocence in a sense when Naomi tries to defend the peacock and take the blame for a natural occurrence.
Motivational Activities:
- Using the book and your chrome book, make a Venn Diagram of the similarities and differences between the American culture and the Amish culture.
- Younger grades: Venn Diagram of similarities and differences between chickens and peacocks.
- Kindergarten:Using tissue paper, decorate a card stock peacock and write one sentence about the peacock.
- How are the Amish similar or different from the Americans?
- After doing research for the project, do you think that you could live in an Amish community? Why or why not?
Polacco, P. (2015). Just plain fancy. Little Rooster Books.
I've never read this book before but I loved the review on this book you did a really good job.
ReplyDeleteThe motivational activity that I would suggest is Books of the round table where the teacher picks a group of students five to be exact to the book of the teacher's choose and after reading the assigned chapter's they get to have lunch with the teacher and discuss their likes and dislikes about the book. I think that this activity builds a beginning bond and allows them to express different point of views.