In library class, we have been reading books on the topic of gratitude. One of the students’ favorite books was Nikki Grimes’  Thanks a Million, a collection of sixteen poems, that range in form from a haiku to a rebus to a riddle. These poems remind us how meaningful a simple “thank you” can be.

As a follow-up activity, students drew their own portrait. The drawings included 2-3 words expressing what they are most grateful for. Here are just a few portraits. The rest of the students’ portraits can be viewed outside the library, on the hallway bulletin board.