The One Thing You'd Save
A book written in sijo, a 14th-century Korean poetic form, explores the things that matter to students in a (presumably) elementary classroom as they respond to a prompt offered by their teacher, Ms. Chang: Imagine your home is on fire and you’re allowed to save one thing (other than animals or humans, who have already been evacuated in this hypothetical situation). What would you save? Each poem, whether a monologue or dialogue, offers an answer. Responses vary widely, from the practical (glasses, wallet, Mom’s insulin) to sentimental (a sweater knitted by Grandma, a second-place science fair plaque, a program from a special baseball game). Ms. Chang weighs in with her own thoughtful answer. Unattributed dialogue provides a sense of conversation taking place in real time. Accompanying grayscale illustrations depict many of the treasured objects that students would save. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 7-11
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Poetry
Subjects:
Perspective/Point of View
Writers and Writing
Diversity subjects:
Asian
Multicultural General
Publishers:
Clarion, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 65
ISBN: 9781328515131
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 811 Park