We love the picture book Zoom. And when we say picture book, we mean picture book. This one has no words at all; the pictures tell the story. It starts out with a red shape, and as you turn the page, you learn that it’s the top of a rooster. As you zoom out more and more, the picture changes. You think you’re on a farm, and then later you learn it’s just a picture of a farm. The book goes on and on and on, with the reader’s perspective shifting and changing with each page turn.

This book is great as a read-aloud with kids. Talk about each page. Ask questions like, “What do you notice? What do you think this is a picture of? Are you sure? What makes you sure about it?

As the story changes, take time to reflect on perspective taking – or seeing things from a new and different perspective. You can say things like, “Wow! I really thought we were on a farm! I guess we didn’t have the full picture. Without all of the information, sometimes what we think is true is not actually right.”

Then really connect the story to their lives. You can ask questions like, “Have you ever thought you knew something, but then later learned that there was more to the story? Can you tell us about that?”

We want to make sure that kids (and adults!) refrain from jumping to the wrong conclusions. This can be particularly hard on kids who see the world with a negative lens. Some kids hear one negative thing and think their whole world is going to fall apart. This lesson can teach them to pause and reflect on whether they really have the whole picture.