Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

“The greatnesss of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King

We are all members of a community. Our families, our schools, our churches, and our neighborhoods are all communities.

This week’s picture book is a celebration of the wonderful ways individuals contribute to their community, making it a warm, vibrant place to live.

About the Book:

Thank You, Omu! is about a woman named Omu who makes a thick red stew for dinner. As she sits down to read a book before eating, the scent of her stew floats out the window and down the street. A knock at the door turns out to be a little boy attracted to the smell of the stew. Omu offers him a bowl. Then there is another knock, and another, until there is no stew left. Omu has shared her her stew with her entire community. What her community does in return is a beautiful expression of love.

Writing Exercise:

Thank You, Omu! is written with a refrain. Every guest repeats the refrain, “Thank you, Omu!” Your child’s writing challenge for the week is to write a story using a refrain, meaning a repeating phrase that can define the message of the story.

Happy Writing!

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