Submitted by Rachel Brainin
“Just make a mark and see where it takes you,” encourages the teacher in Peter H. Reynolds book, The Dot. This small picture book offers up a big boost of confidence to be courageous, creative and collaborative.
Inspired by The Dot, educators around the world participate in International Dot Day each fall, to show children the power of creativity and how it is transformative in all we do. The book encourages children to take risks and persevere through their frustrations. It also touches on passing on these lessons to help others realize their potential.
In celebration of International Dot Day, we read The Dot to Preschool through 2nd grade classes. After discussing the message as a group, the students enthusiastically designed their own dots on paper. We then brought these designs “to life” using Quiver, an augmented reality app that takes two-dimensional drawings and makes them appear three-dimensional. Through Quiver, we were able to view our designs as bouncing, amorphous spheres, as a marble in a maze, gears on a machine, bubbles and more. Each child who participated in International Dot Day took a photo with their three-dimensional dot. These pictures now hang near the library, and the children get a kick out of finding their picture among the many on display.
The themes of risk-taking, creativity and kindness are ones we visit often in the library, as we support students to make their mark in positive ways.