Introducing the *coolest* new read of the year~ all about how to be the coolest bean in the pod, featured in the MaiStoryBook Library Collection:

“The Cool Bean” by Jory John and Pete Oswald

*~Click here to purchase your own copy of *The Cool Bean* to add to your own home/classroom library! (This is an affiliate link~ 5% of your purchase will go to MaiStoryBook to help create Reading Resources for your littles)~*

Book Synopsis and Review

There are the cool beans, and then there are the has-beans… This story is about a has-bean: a bean who doesn’t quite know how to fit in, who tries to dress the part and look the part yet is always is on the sidelines, on the outside looking in. But.. if it’s not looking a certain way or walking with just the right swag that makes a cool bean cool, then what is it? On one particularly bad day for our has-bean, the cool beans, with several acts of kindness, lean in to show him how it’s done. Has-bean’s self-esteem boosts as the cool bean’s support of him proves to him that other’s care for him, and that he too can care for others. And if caring makes you cool, then cool he can definitely be.

Jory John and Pete Oswald return to create another perfect blend, of humor, wit, clever text and illustrations , and meaningful context to weave a story emphasizing kindness as coolness. Themes of self-esteem and friendship are also ingrained in this read aloud as coolness comes from being confident in who you are- confident enough to stand up for other’s and reach out to share a kind word or smile. Coolness is caring for others and putting others’ needs before your own, rather than focusing on how you can help yourself. Little ones will giggle over the sweet, humorous pictures, while also relating to the idea of not always fitting in, and maybe even being left behind by other friends who grow apart. This read aloud offers the perfect light-hearted read to to start conversations about what makes someone a good friend, why friends may part ways, and what friendship and coolness means. Plus, adults will appreciate the bean puns scattered throughout the illustrations and text- making it an enjoyable read for all ages!

Vocabulary

• swagger (p. 3) walk with confidence and pride
• slicked (p. 10) make something smooth
• common (p. 12) usual, ordinary
• loafers (p. 17) leather shoes with flat heels
• gesture (p. 22) an action that shows your feelings

Themes/ Main Ideas

• It’s cool to be kind. Cool people help others, offer gestures of kindness, and put others first. It’s not about how you look, it’s about how you act toward others.
• Self Esteem: Being confident is part of being cool. Be confident enough to reach out to others and share kindness. Be happy and sure of yourself, to help others feel happy about who they are too.

YouTube Video: Guided Shared-Reading Read Aloud Example

Example of a shared-reading, interactive Read Aloud of “The Cool Bean” – how to subtly introduce the vocabulary list words within the text, ask guided questions, and spark conversation!

*~Check it Out~*

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*How to Be a Cool Bean* Craftivity

It’s the end of a year, and the start of a New Decade. As we start a whole new ten years, I’ve been contemplating mai goals for this upcoming new year. I want to put my best foot forward and start the year with clear intentions. I know that I work best and am most successful when I set goals I can strive for. Mai goals this year are a mix of professional and personal~ professional in teaching and MaiStoryBook, and personal both in terms of my personal life, but also in my actions towards others. One goal is to be more generous with my time~ especially when it comes to helping others. I want to be able to take the time to help others with a project, to help others fulfill their dreams and find happiness, and to give what support I can for the sake of supporting others (not for any gain for myself). This may even take the form of starting up my *Self-Published/Independent Features* Blog Posts again to support all the creators out there! Lucky for me, this week’s read aloud, “The Cool Bean,” in essence sets up a framework for fulfilling this goal, a baseline to start~ giving guidance on how to be cool by being kind. Being cool is, in part, putting others before you- noticing their needs and helping them out. It’s about putting concerns about yourself and your image aside to build someone else up (of course self care is important- it takes self confidence and self esteem to lift up others). If you are looking for a craft to help littles begin to explore what it means to be “cool,”, check out MaiStoryBook’s “How to Be a Cool Bean” Craftivity down below!

Materials

• Downloadable *How to Be a Cool Bean* Template
• Glue/ Tape
• Scissors
• Colors/ crayons/ markers/ colored pencils
• pencil/ pen

Directions

• Choose a ”Cool Bean”  bean template. There are colored and black and white versions. Each one has 2 choices: “I’m Cool Because…” “I’m a Cool Bean Because…”
• If you chose the black and white version, color it in.

• Cut the bean in half on the dotted line so that you have two pieces.
• The “Inside Bean” will go in between the two pieces and attach them together. 

• Next, choose an “Inside Bean”. There are colored versions, or black and white versions. One version you can write in your own ideas on the blank spaces, the other versions are blank and you can cut and paste the idea examples included in the resource onto the blank “inside bean.”

• If you choose to use the resource examples, cut out the different idea banners that connect with you, and glue them onto the “inside bean”. 
• Cut out the inside bean. **Keep the top and bottom tabs on! Do not cut them off**

• To connect the outside bean and the inside bean, fold back the two tabs. Tape or glue the front side of the tab on the left to the middle edge of the left side of the bean.
• Then, tape/glue the front side of the right tab to the middle edge of the right side of the bean.

• Next, fold the bean in on itself by folding the sides in to meet at the middle. The bean should fold in on itself as you close the outer bean to make it whole, and then when you open the bean, your “ways to be cool” will be revealed! 

Enjoy Your *How to Be a Cool Bean* Craftivity!

• Use your Cool Bean Craft to remind you how to be cool. Choose a cool action from the craft and follow through.
• Share your craft with family and friends and encourage them to be the coolest beans they can be. Ask them how they are “cool.” What acts of “coolness” would they add to their own Cool Bean.
• Use your craft as a reading buddy, and follow along the story, suggesting in places what cool acts the Bean could do throughout the story.
• Display the Cool Bean Craft to remind you to be confident in who you are so you can help lift others up too.

*~Overall, I hope you have a Happy New Year, and enjoy sharing your *How to Be a Cool Bean* Craftivity to remind yourself and others how to be the coolest bean you can be this new decade!  – tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary, Twitter @MaiStoryBook  – or post on FaceBook to share your photos of your own *Cool Bean* Crafts, and your own reading adventures! I’d love to hear from you!~*

*~Until next time, Happy Reading~*