Tomatoes for Neela
Written by Palma Lakshmi; Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
We are excited to launch our second edition of One Book, One School! This summer, we invite our entire Leonard community to read and reread the book, Tomatoes for Neela, with your families. Each family was given a copy in June to keep (thank you, PTO!). Throughout the summer, we'll send short communications with ideas for engaging with the story.
It is our intention that this experience:
- Centers reading as an important family activity.
- Provides families with meaningful suggestions to make even more memories together.
- Gives every Leonard student a shared experience that we can use as a foundation for launching the 2022-2023 school year.
To kick off this summer, here's our first activity!
Activity #1: READ THE BOOK
To kick off our Summer Reading Adventure, read the book, Tomatoes for Neela, as a family. Parents can read it to their children, kids can read it to siblings or stuffed animals, or you could even FaceTime grandparents and read the story to them! Enjoy the story together.
Then, talk about the story and your family's connections to it. What do you enjoy cooking and eating together? Where do those recipes/traditions come from? How is your family similar/different to Neela's family?
Repeat as many times as you would like!
We would love to see how your family is enjoying our Summer Reading Adventure! Be sure to click on our Leonard Padlet (below) and add your thoughts! Let's see how many posts we can make!
Optional Extensions
If your family is ready for more, check out some of these possibilities:
Interview a Family Member
In this story, Neela's amma (her mother) and her paati (her grandmother) are very important to her. Through cooking, Neela learns more about her family and their traditions. Choose someone in your family to learn more about. Write down a few questions you would like to ask them. Maybe you're curious about where they grew up? Why do they have the profession they do? Maybe you want to learn more about family traditions? If you'd like to write down their answers, you can; but the conversation is most important. Share what you've learned with someone else in your family.
Write a Grocery List
Weekly shopping trips are a large part of Neela's life - and many families in Troy, too. What does your family typically buy at the grocery store? Take a few minutes and write down your grocery list together. (This is great practice for our younger writers!)
Draw a Portrait of Yourself or a Family Member
The artwork in Tomatoes for Neela was created by Juana Martinez-Neal, a Caldecott Honor Winner. The soft portraits in the text help to tell the details of the relationship between Neela and her amma. Portraits (pictures of people) are a beautiful way to honor people we love. Draw or paint a portrait of yourself or someone you love. If you're able, give your work of art to the person. You're sure to spread a smile!
Create a "How-To" Book
In this book, Neela teaches us how to make her grandma's famous tomato sauce. What is something you could teach others? What can you do? Make your own "How-To" Book. It could be a recipe, like Neela. Or, maybe you know how to ride your bike, or score a goal in soccer, or get ready for the beach. Challenge yourself and see how many how-to books you can make! Then, pass them out to family members or save them to show your class in the fall!