{"product_id":"soar","title":"Soar","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSOAR follows four children — Belle, Tel, Bem, and Ray — and their dog, Simba, on a joyful day at Forest Park. They roll down hills, cross a curvy bridge without fear, and fall and rise again, laughing. At the end of the path, they fly kites they built with their own hands.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWritten in bouncing, chant-like language made for reading aloud, SOAR is a picture book about the pure joy of outdoor play, the courage to keep going, and the pride of making something yourself and watching it soar.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge \u0026amp; Grade Range\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAges 3–8 · Preschool through Grade 2 — a read-aloud picture book for storytime, bedtime, and early-elementary classrooms. The rhythmic, repetitive language also makes it a strong pick for emerging readers building fluency and confidence with read-along or shared reading.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMain Themes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJoy in Motion: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe pure, physical joy of outdoor play — running, roaring, jumping, and soaring without restraint.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eResilience: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eBelle, Tel, Bem, and Ray fall, crash, and rise again laughing — a gentle, embodied lesson in bouncing back.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily Ritual \u0026amp; Togetherness: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA recurring family ritual, rain or shine, with Mom and Simba along for every trip down the hill.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNature \u0026amp; Wonder:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDucks, birds, turtles, and egrets along the river invite young readers to notice and love the natural world.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaking \u0026amp; Creativity: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe children build their own kites — hands-on creativity that turns imagination into something that flies.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCourage: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo one fears the curvy bridge — a quiet model of courage for readers facing their own \"bridges.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSense of Place: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eForest Park is rendered with real, specific love, inviting children to see their own \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eneighbourhoods\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e as worthy of story.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor Parents and Educators\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSOAR earns a place on the shelf — and in the lesson plan — for reasons that go well beyond a pretty cover:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuilt for Read-Aloud Literacy:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlliteration, onomatopoeia (\"crashhhhhhh!\"), \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e chant-\u003cwbr\u003elike repetition \u003c\/wbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebuilds\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e phonemic awareness and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emakes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e SOAR a natural fit for read-aloud fluency practice and early literacy circles.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChampions Active, Outdoor Play:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA joyful, screen-free model of outdoor play that parents can point to — and that classrooms can pair with recess, nature walks, or a real kite-flying day.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSupports Social-Emotional Learning: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe children's fall-and-rise moment offers a low-stakes, high-warmth entry point for conversations about resilience, courage, and trying again.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpens a STEM \u0026amp; Maker Connection:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKite-building turns the book into a ready-made STEM\/maker extension — wind, flight, and design — that pairs naturally with a classroom kite-building activity.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e•\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWarm, Everyday Representation: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA loving single-mom household, a dog who's part of the family, and four children of color at the center of the adventure — everyday representation without a lesson attached to it.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Real Place Children Can Visit: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRooted in a real, mappable park, SOAR pairs naturally with local field trips, geography units, and \"celebrate your own backyard\" writing prompts — a model any community can adapt to its own local park.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn short: SOAR is a book that gets read twice — once for the joy of the language, and once because a child asks for it again the next night.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJuliet I. Ezepue is a storyteller, a wife, and a mother of four. She is a college professor, and her husband serves as a frontline worker.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith roots in both Nigeria and the United States, Juliet draws on the richness of two cultures to write stories that reach young hearts and gently guide children through life's biggest lessons. She lives in Saint Louis, Missouri, with her family and their dog, Nala.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLearn more at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/julietiwelunmor.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ejulietiwelunmor.org\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTooba Alam is a self-taught illustrator and fine artist who works in both soft, translucent watercolors and digital media — often blending the two in a single piece. Her mother, Shama, is a fine artist too, and nurtured Tooba's love of art from her earliest years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTooba specializes in children's book illustration, creating immersive worlds with subtle touches of fantasy that spark curiosity and wonder in young readers. She has contributed to a range of art projects and is honored to bring her illustrations to SOAR.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe can be reached at \u003ca href=\"mailto:tooba.aalam01@gmail.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003etooba.aalam01@gmail.com\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"yj6qo\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"adL\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"ZHS Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49114372636897,"sku":null,"price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/4719\/5873\/files\/IMG_2659.jpg?v=1789322178","url":"https:\/\/www.zeeomaluxury.com\/products\/soar","provider":"Zeeoma","version":"1.0","type":"link"}