Tell the students that the story is about a baby that is born and how the doctors discovered that he has Down Syndrome. Explain that Down syndrome is a genetic condition, but that it doesn’t define a person’s abilities or personality. Emphasize that people...
Looking through a collection of picture books, ask students to find things that are alike and things that are different about the people depicted. Discuss with them how our differences make us stronger as a community. Encourage students to talk about all the ways...
As a class, look through each page in the book. Ask students to predict what they think the book will be about. Ask students to predict who Marcel is. What can they tell about Marcel by looking at the pictures? Record student responses on chart paper and confirm...
Show the students the front cover. Ask students what they notice about the illustration on the front cover. Does the baby look different than other babies they have seen?
This story has many themes, including diversity, friendship, life with a disability. Discuss each theme and its meaning with students and ask them to share any personal connections they have with a theme.
