The Paper Sun

With Christmas right around the corner, cute 4-year-old Jenny Dawn is thinking of a way to bring happiness to others. Small in stature but big in heart, she ponders who she can bless with a Christmas gift when she thinks of her older neighbor, Mrs. Lindsey. Living in a small, windowless house, the older woman is very sick and bedridden. Though Jenny Dawn has few resources, she comes up with an idea for a Christmas present that she hopes will bring happiness to Mrs. Lindsey in her sad condition. The story reveals the importance of giving and how anyone can be a thoughtful giver, no matter how young or limited in resources, because the best gifts always come from the heart, and each of us has a limitless supply of love to give if we only know how to tap into it.

The Paper Sun is a heartwarming, easy-to-read, and fun poem primarily written for ages 4-12. Set in modern times yet written in a traditional rhyming format, it can be used for bedtime reading and practice for early readers. It is also helpful as a simple, multi-purpose tool for older children and adults to aid in learning about literature. Skills include memorization, rhyming, vocabulary, and story elements (main idea, setting, plot, and ending). Perhaps the best aspect of the story is that seeds of generosity will be planted in the fertile soil of student's hearts as they learn.