Triptych - Developing in One's Own Time

For my triptych I chose Ruby in Her Own Time by Jonathan Emmett - Illustrations by Rebecca Harry, The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger, and Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus - Illustrations by Jose Aruego. I chose these three books for my triptych because they all have the common theme of the main character developing at their own pace. Many children are excited to complete a task or achieve a goal, but they think it will happen in a few days. Yet really, children develop at different times. All three of these books introduce a character who develops later than everyone else, but sends the important message that everyone develops or achieves these goals in their own time and when their body is ready. All three of these books are picture books intended for ages 3-8.

The first book, Ruby in Her Own Time by Jonathan Emmett is about a mother and father duck showing concern for their fifth baby duck Ruby's development. The story starts out with mother duck sitting on her five eggs. When the eggs start to wiggle, only four of them hatch. The father duck asks the mother duck if the fifth egg will hatch, and mother duck says "In its own time". And, in its own time, the fifth duck does hatch and they name her Ruby because she is small and precious. As the baby ducks grow up and learn how to eat, swim, and fly, the four baby ducks do it before Ruby. Father duck continues to ask if Ruby will ever eat, swim, or fly, and mother duck answers him, "In her own time". And at each point of development, Ruby does develop in her own time. I think this book is great for young children because they are all anxious to meet their goals, but this book shows that they will achieve them in their own time. Some many achieve the goals before them, but they will reach them when their body is ready.

The second story, The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger is about a little yellow leaf clinging to a branch of a big oak tree. The book starts out in the season autumn where all the leaves are falling off the tree, but the little yellow leaf does not want to fall off and states "I'm not ready yet". The book continues throughout the seasons and the little yellow leaf continues to state it is not ready while pumpkins grow, the sun goes down, the moon comes up, and snow falls. The little yellow leaf continues to not feel ready and alone, until he sees, high up in the branches on the other side of the big oak tree, a scarlet red leaf also holding on. The two little leaves talk, and together decide to let go and soar in the wind away from the tree. This story shows children that not everyone is ready to do something when everyone else is, and waiting is sometimes the answer.

The third story, Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus is about a little tiger who could not do anything right. All the other animals in the jungle could read, write, draw, eat, and talk, but Leo could not do any of it. The father tiger asks what is wrong with Leo and the mother tiger says he is just a late bloomer. So the father tiger watches Leo everyday for blooming but nothing happens. The mother tiger says to be patient for a watched bloomer doesn't bloom. With no one watching, Leo still doesn't bloom. Until one day, Leo does bloom! Now Leo can read, write, draw, eat, and speak. Leo shows his excitement by stating, "I made it!" I think this is a great book for children because it shows them that each child blooms at their own time and even if their friends are doing it, it doesn't mean they won't. They just need to be patient and it will come.

All three of these books are about a character that does something later than everyone else. I think that with working with young children, I will run into this. I feel it will be important to show children that all children do not reach their goals or develop at the same time and that it is ok. For if they are patient, they will do it in their own time just like Ruby did with swimming and flying, like the little yellow leaf did with leaving the tree, and Leo did with reading, writing, drawing, eating, and speaking. These three books will be great tools to read and discuss with young children.