A year after The Hundred Dresses was published, it won the 1945 Newberry Medal. It’s remained popular ever since, and was found to be a popular read-aloud book as recently as 2004. I read it over and over as a kid and loved the prominent role drawings play in the book, not just in beautiful illustrations (by Louis Slobodkin) but also as a vehicle for communication and the beginnings of empathy.
Now, Eleanor Estes’ book has been recognized for its lessons about social-emotional learning, as Nirvi Shah writes in a new post on Rules for Engagement, Education Week‘s blog about school culture and student well-being. Open Circle, an elementary school social-emotional learning program at the Wellesley Centers for Women, compiled a list of 25 titles that help “deepen children’s understanding of themselves and others” by introducing elementary school-age kids to concepts like empathy, problem-solving and inclusion.
Check out Nirvi’s post to read more and see the complete list of recognized books.