Book Description
Resource Type
- Pre-Reading Activities
- During Reading Activities
- Post-Reading Activities
Skills and Subjects
- Key Ideas & Details
- Oral Language
- Integrated Learning
- Vocabulary Acquisition
- Comprehension Strategies
- Make Predictions
- Social & Emotional Learning
- Text Forms & Genres
- Literary Devices
- Making Connections
- Visual Elements
- Developing & Creating Texts
- Critical Thinking in Literacy
- Just for Fun!
- Further Research
Fly Away Home
- Picture Books
Book Genre:
- ages 3 to 6 / grades P to 1
Audience:
Written by
- Betty Quan
Illustrated by
- Akin Duzakin
Book Description
Fly Away Home is a poetic picture book that follows Little Bird and her family as they are forced to leave their nest and migrate in search of safety and belonging. Along the journey, Little Bird encounters migrating animals whose paths parallel the experiences of human refugees. Through rhythmic language and evocative illustrations, the story introduces young learners to displacement, resilience, and hope.
- Pre-Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details, Oral Language
What Is Home?Students sit in a circle and discuss what the word ‘home’ means. Teacher charts responses using words or drawings. Explain that the story is about characters who must leave their home and search for a new one. Emphasize that home can be a feeling of safety and belonging, not just a place.
- Pre-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning, Vocabulary Acquisition
Animal Migration ExplorationShow images of birds, butterflies, sea turtles, and caribou. Discuss why animals migrate for food, weather, or safety. Introduce the word ‘migrate’ and have students move around the room pretending to migrate like different animals.
- Pre-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies, Make Predictions, Oral Language
Predicting the JourneyDisplay the book cover. Ask students what they think might happen to Little Bird. Use sentence frames such as ‘I think Little Bird will…’. Record predictions and revisit after reading.
- Pre-Reading Activities/ Oral Language, Social & Emotional Learning, Vocabulary Acquisition
Feelings MatchIntroduce emotion words such as worried, brave, tired, and hopeful. Students match facial expressions or body movements to each emotion and discuss how Little Bird might feel during the story.
- Pre-Reading Activities/ Oral Language, Text Forms & Genres
Listening for RhythmTeacher claps simple rhythms and explains that the story has a song-like, repeated pattern. Students listen for repeated words and phrases during the read-aloud.
- During Reading Activities/ Literary Devices, Oral Language
Repeating the RefrainInvite students to echo the repeated phrase ‘Little bird, little bird…’ as it appears. Discuss how repetition helps listeners remember and predict what comes next.
- During Reading Activities/ Making Connections, Visual Elements
Picture CluesPause on selected illustrations and ask students what they notice about movement, color, and facial expressions. Students infer how Little Bird might be feeling based on the illustrations.
- During Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning, Key Ideas & Details
Journey MappingAs each new animal appears, briefly pause and track Little Bird’s journey on a simple chart or map using pictures or icons.
- During Reading Activities/ Vocabulary Acquisition
Vocabulary in ContextIntroduce and explain collective nouns such as ‘a mob of crows’ or ‘a mischief of magpies’ using visuals and movement.
- During Reading Activities/ Oral Language, Social & Emotional Learning
Stop and FeelPause at key moments and ask students to name emotions Little Bird might be feeling and explain why.
- Post-Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details
Beginning-Middle-End JourneyStudents retell the story by drawing or arranging pictures that show the beginning, middle, and end of Little Bird’s journey.
- Post-Reading Activities/ Developing & Creating Texts, Visual Elements
Safe Place DrawingStudents draw a place where they feel safe and explain why that place feels like home.
- Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy, Integrated Learning
Comparing JourneysTeacher guides a discussion comparing animal migration in the story with people moving to new places in real life.
- Post-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies, Social & Emotional Learning, Visual Elements
Emotional TimelineStudents track Little Bird’s emotions throughout the story using pictures or symbols.
- Post-Reading Activities/ Oral Language
New Next ReflectionStudents discuss how it feels to finally belong somewhere and share personal connections.
- Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
Build a Bird NestStudents use classroom or recycled materials to design a bird nest. Students explain how their nest keeps birds safe and warm. - Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
Migration Movement GameThe classroom becomes a migration path. Students move between stations representing animals from the story, responding to cues such as weather or night travel. - Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
Rhythm and ChantStudents clap or tap the repeated refrain from the story and create their own short rhythmic lines. - Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
Coloring and RetellingStudents color an animal from the story and retell that part of the journey using their picture. - Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
Home CollageStudents create a collage showing what makes them feel safe and at home, followed by a sharing circle. - Post-Reading Activities/ Further Research
Why Do Animals Migrate?Using teacher-selected books or videos, students learn why animals migrate. Each student draws one animal and shares one fact learned. - Post-Reading Activities/ Further Research
My Mini Research ProjectStudents choose an animal or idea from the book and present learning through a drawing and oral explanation.