A fun picture book that teaches language and self esteem skills!
Happy Little Garbage Truck book cover
The Happy Little Garbage Truck is a picture book-based literacy and social skills program where children follow the scrappy little truck in his journey to better self-esteem!
* Tiered program for primary grades that teaches whole word meanings of key vocabulary using realia and multi-modality methods to enhance student engagement, learning and expression.
* Self-esteem skills are improved through a series of fun social skill games that span from learning about feelings to team-building and group activities.
* Created by an educator with 27+ years in the classroom as well as teaching and mentoring teachers, this program assists:
* Children in Pre-school and Transitional Kindergarten;
* Children with special needs; and
* All children in primary grades
The educational program contains three components:
* The Happy Little Garbage Truck (picture book)
* The Teacher’s Guide – which provides a week of direct instruction and games
* Student Activity Workbook – with an array of activities and coloring pages for students of various skill levels
The Happy Little Garbage Truck’s unique focus is on improving language and social skills – in a fun way!
More Than Just a Great Story
The Happy Little Garbage Truck was written as tool to promote the foundation of crucial developmental milestones
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Self Esteem
Helps a child in the areas of “maturation and socialization which develop during all stages of childhood” (English and English, 1958). Feeling good about oneself enables a child to take risks and gain more positive experiences that carry over from the classroom to the play yard.
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Problem Solving
Through play, a child has to follow a set of rules that have meaning and give purpose to the game. A child has to navigate through these situations by negotiating with their peers and this, in turn, develops abstract thought. Together, both abstract thought and understanding the meaning of words (while following a game’s set of rules) allow the child to develop critical thinking skills. These skills stimulate the brain in such a way that the “skills associated with play ultimately lead to better grades.” (Sergio Pellis, researcher at University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.)
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Independence
Increases a child’s ability to “take chances” as they have fun and successes while engaged in an activity. “Play affords… opportunities to learn and practice new skills…” (Anthony Pelligrini of the University of Minnesota) Taking risks and having successes in these experiences in the safe environment of a classroom with supportive peers, has a positive affect on a child’s growth and maturity in school settings
Meet The Happy Little Garbage Truck Engineers!
Author
Josan Wright Callender
I’ve often looked at life as a tapestry of possibilities. I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in Detroit. My friends and I played make-believe games that took us from space travel to the wild West. At the time, I didn’t believe that there were limits to what I could achieve. I still live that...
Illustrator
Steve Ferchaud
Steve Ferchaud has been creating illustrations for several different projects, Including magazine and newspaper illustrations, book and magazine covers, and artwork for various labels and t-shirts. He has been drawing for as long as he can remember, and his parents say that he never went through a “scribbling” stage. Known for his whimsical art, Ferchaud...
Marketing Director
Lydia Mattison
Marketing Director Lydia is a change agent that has leveraged her experience in retail to launch a sales and marketing consultancy who mentors executives. LivingChic, LLC, creates specialized campaigns based on the needs of each client. Creatively working with the client’s vision for their ultimate success.
Graphic & Web Designer
Emily Ransom Miller
Mrs. Ransom Miller is a freelance Graphic and Web designer specializing in the development of WordPress websites and branding.
The Story Behind the Story
Early in my career, I had a teaching dilemma.
It was my first year teaching a primary class of students with special needs. I had one child on the Autism Spectrum who had difficulty following directions – but was fascinated by garbage trucks!
He would stop whatever he was doing to watch these trucks – especially when they happened to stop near the cafeteria area. My student would watch the truck, transfixed, until it moved out of sight.
“If only I had a book about garbage trucks that taught social skills.”
This thought stayed with me throughout the day – I knew that the book would have to capture his attention and imagination while it taught him these key skills. I searched the internet, but couldn’t find the right one anywhere!
I shared my dilemma with my mother, how I couldn’t find a book about garbage trucks that taught social skills. Mattie Wright grew up during the Great Depression and had to learn to “make do” with challenging situations on a daily basis. Her solution – “Why don’t you write it yourself?”
My mother was a storyteller, from a family of storytellers. She suggested the idea of the garbage truck having the spirit of a happy child. He would be filled with wonderment and dedication about carrying out his very important job.
We had a lot of fun developing this story and were unanimous when we decided on the title. He would be more than a little garbage truck – he would be, “The Happy Little Garbage Truck.”