Over the Ocean, I think I will find...

Yesterday, the kindergarten students and I read Over the Ocean by Tarō Gomi. 

First published in Japan 1979 and newly released by Chronicle Books, "in this beautiful testament to wondering, a young girl gazes out to where the water meets the sky and wonders what lies beyond the waves. Boats filled with toys? Skyscrapers filled with people? Houses filled with families? Or, maybe, over the ocean stands someone not so different from the girl herself, returning her gaze. In this celebration of imagination's power, young readers will find joy in the mystery of the faraway, the unknown, and the just-beyond." You can learn more about the book in this review in Publishers Weekly. While reading the book, we stopped to admire and appreciate the art of Taro Gomi.

The kindergarten students were encouraged to envision themselves standing at the water's edge and to wonder what might be on the other side of the ocean. What would they want to find there? What would they expect to find there? With Taro Gomi's art style in their minds, they let their imaginations wonder.