Beneath

"Beneath appearances are experiences. Beneath actions are explanations. Beneath what's different is what's the same. And sometimes....Beneath someone who looks like they won't understand...is someone who knows exactly how you feel."

Finn is a lump under a blanket who doesn't want to talk about how they feel, but grudgingly agrees to go on a walk, during which Grandpa narrates his observations about how in the natural world, there is always more beneath the surface.

Gentle, meditative, slow, beautiful. Illustrations show cross-sections and underground (e.g. tree roots, chipmunks in a tunnel, raccoons in a hollow tree, skeletons inside animals, and a baby in a uterus).

A child and their grandfather take a walk in the woods and discover more about themselves: Finn is in a horrible mood and doesn't want to talk about it. After some persuading, though, they agree to go for a hike with Grandpa. Throughout their forest walk, they see many different things. It's when the pair pass fellow hikers that Finn realizes that people, just like the elements of nature, are more than they appear. Grandpa explains that sometimes beneath a person who seems like they won't understand what you're feeling, is someone feeling the exact same way. This book celebrates our similarities, differences, and that there's always more under the surface of what we can see.

This story is wonderfully illustrated and uses a minimum of words to describe how there's so much more to see when you truly look. Most picture books trying to get this message across end up being kind-of preachy and boring. This one is just telling it like it is, and when it comes to the part where the grandfather focuses the conversation on people in general and then to himself and his grandson, it's touching and beautiful.

This book is for grades 1-2.

This book is about a boy named Finn who is very sad one day, and how his grandpa takes him outside in nature to explore in order to cheer him up. On their adventure, the grandpa expresses that there is always something greater happening beneath you, such as in the ocean or inside of a tree. When Finn asks about what is going on beneath people, his grandpa states that everyone is more than what you see. In the end, Finn realizes that his grandpa truly does understand him and his feelings.

This book is fantastic for when teaching students about the importance of understanding that though people and their experiences may look different from other's, everyone experiences different things in their lives that hold show more us together. After reading this book to students, teachers could have students compare and contrast what makes them who they are as a person, such as interests, favorite foods, hobbies, etc. Then, as the students learn new things about their peers, they will comprehend that everyone is more than what they see. show less

A little boy likes to hide under his cover. Everywhere he goes, he has the blanket over his head.

His astute grandfather does not tell him to get rid of the blanket, rather, he talks of nature and all that is "beneath.' In the forest, there are huge trees, and beneath them and large, thick roots that hold them to the earth. A boat out on the body of water sits on the top, but beneath are all kinds of fish, large ones, small ones and a diversity of color as well. High up in the tree is a mother bird sitting on her nest, beneath her are four eggs. A fox is digging the earth because underneath down in the dirt and small animals.

As his grandfather teaches him about beneath, he slowly takes the blanket that covered his body, and now his face, show more hands and legs are visable. And, the grandfather tells him that beneath something solid there also can be something hollow such as a raccoon family who nest at the bottom of the nook of the tree. Beneath, baby hatchlings are forming from seeds.

Finn sees a pregnant woman and asks if something can be beneath a person. Grandfather tells him that everyone is more than what you see.

And, his intelligent grandfather tells Finn that "beneath someone who looks like they won't understand (referencing himself in relation to Fiin,) is someone who knows exactly how you feel." The grandfather is letting Finn know that he does understand him and his need to hide. But now, Finn takes his blanket and gently puts it over his very special grandpa.

Finn is excited by his newfound discoveries. As they both climb and watch the stars, Finn broadly smiles and lets his grandfather know he understands they are both beneath the stars, and beneath the stars are two people who care about each other a lot. show less

Such a beautiful sweet story and the graphics were wonderful. Its about a boy and his grandpa taking a walk taking about things in nature hidden and underneath things. Big feelings for this book.

Absolutely love this. Made my heart so full. The slow removal of the blanket and then transference to his granddad is priceless.