Let's Build a Playground

by Michael J. Rosen, Ellen Kelson (Illustrator), Jennifer Cecil (Illustrator)

Could you really build a playground in your neighborhood? KaBOOM! Find out how — and how much fun it can be.

What’s your dream playground? Grab a piece of paper and let your imagination go wild! That was the first step when two hundred kids and grown-ups in an Indianapolis community got together to build the playground in this book — one of over two thousand that KaBOOM! has helped create. A slide isn’t just a slide, it could be a chute to a time machine. A swing might be Pegasus flying across the galaxy. . . . Weeks of planning precede the construction of a playground that a community feels is truly theirs, a vibrant space to foster both creativity and physical activity. Sprinkled with kid-friendly factual notes, Michael J. Rosen’s lively free verse, together with colorful photographs, capture the enthusiastic teamwork leading up to the final build of a playground in one day — a playground that will welcome kids of all ages well into the future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2013

About the author

Rosen's Website should provide all this and more. It's http://www.fidosopher.com.
Nonetheless: Michael J. Rosen is an American author and illustrator with over 120 books of fiction, nonfiction, humor, picture books, poetry, and more. With a strong interest in nature and animals, reflecting his animal behavior degree from Ohio State University, Rosen resides within a peaceful crease of Central Ohio with his pack of animal companions that include 2 small koi ponds he helped build on the 100 acres he shares in the foothills of the Ohio Appalachians. An avid dog lover, he was inspired by Chant, his newest Australian stumpy-tail cattle dog, which led to the creation of his newest book of fiction, The Tale of Rescue, which will be released in October 2015. With an MFA in poetry from Columbia University, Rosen also showcases his skills and talents in other projects such as The Maine Coon’s Haiku: And Other Poems for Cat Lovers (2015).

Reviews

[Connie]

Let’s Build a Playground by Michael J. Rosen is a wonderful non-fiction account of how one neighborhood in Indianapolis came together with the help of the non-profit organization Kaboom to create and build a playground. Kaboom was founded in 1996 and since then has helped low-and moderate income neighborhoods create play spaces that are unique and fit the needs and wants of the communities. The community in Indianapolis came together a designed their play space exactly the way that they wanted it to be and the community built it.

Major themes and ideas of Let’s Build a Playground are community service and helping communities that are low- to moderate income neighborhoods. The book was published in 2013 and has not won any awards that are apparent at this time. It is appropriate for children ages 8 and up.

Discussion ideas for Let’s Build a Playground: Have students read My Dream Playground by Kate Becker, which is the true story of the first-ever playground build by Kaboom! Students could discuss their ideas for their dream playground, fundraising ideas, and ways of making it happen.

Ways to use this book in the classroom and/or library are to explore ways to teach and empower children that they can design, raise funds, and build major projects with a community effort. The Kaboom.org website has an online activity in which kids design their dream playground. There’s also numerous fundraising ideas with “Fundraising 101”. Both are excellent sources for children as well as adults. Show the short YouTube video that the Kaboom.org website has that shows in very fast motion a real playground being built. Students could also consolidate their playground ideas and communicate via letter or email to Kaboom.org to get the project started and to also use their writing skills to create fliers and Internet messages on their communities’ website to promote their playground building endeavor. Students could also create a special website for their playground project. In addition, math skills are important because the students need to determine how much money is needed to buy supplies to build the playground.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a complete guide to how one group used the KaBoom! program to design and install a new neighborhood playground. This was an unusual title for Candlewick, but clearly designed to help teachers or kids' groups take on this challenge for themselves. Darrell Hammond's nonprofit organization is the heart of what this book is about, but the text puts it all from the perspective of the people involved in the project, which would do more to encourage people to do it!

This reminded me a lot of Barbara Lewis' The Kid's Guide to Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems You Choose - and Turn Creative Thinking into Positive Action in that it encourages kids to get involved and do something instead of having education be only talking about doing things. It could be a great title for Mike Opitz' fitlit series.

Photograph illustrations show diverse community members working on the playground at each stage of its development.

[Marilyn Olson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kaboom is a nonprofit organization that believes all children should have a place to play. This is the story of the weeks spent planning and dreaming especially the children involved, fund raising and planning for the one day build at na Indianapolis charter school. The size of the children is also taken under consideration. Before and after pictures are included as well as pictures of the building process. This would mostly be used by people who are planning for similar projects.

[Julie Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book heartwarming. It’s nice to see the community come together and build a playground for kids who want and need one! I am very pleased with “KaBooms!” work and hope that they continue to aid families and kids who need playgrounds.