Little Runner

Original Paintings and Text by Benjamin Faherty

It is dawn at Plimoth Plantation. A colorful sky comes out to see us all. The birds land on the hills to get a treat. By the time they are gone it will be morning. Good morning to you.

At sunrise, the aqua green sky waves to the people and says hello. The sun rises and follows the road to the Indian village. The garden waits for the corn and flowers to grow. It is straight as an arrow. Lime green grass looks up to the bright and shining sun. A rooster calls, “Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

On a hot day, a Wampanoag Indian boy named Little Runner is fishing for his family. The sky shines like a diamond. The orangey sun is hot like a flame. Little Runner calls for his friends to come and play by the water.

As the sun sets behind the Mayflower, the day says, “Good-bye.” That’s when the water starts to shine with the reflection of the sun. The Pilgrims on the Mayflower are getting ready to settle down for the night.

It is twilight. Bright colors in the sky are fading. A dog has been watching the sun go down. He is waiting for Little Runner to come back from the woods. They play outside for a while and watch the day be done.

In the pitch-black darkness of night, the still faded grass looks up to the glowing moon. The Pilgrims relax from their long day. As the river shines by the houses, the Pilgrims get ready for bed. Shhhh. They are trying to sleep.

This is one of the many books which came to life while the

students of Mrs. Mattson’s 3rd grade class explored the rich

relationship between visual imagery and the written word. This

Time of Day book was created as a part of Picturing Writing:

Fostering Literacy Through Art®, an art-and-literature-based

writing program developed by Beth Olshansky at the University

of New Hampshire. The program is designed to support the

acquisition of literacy skills in children with diverse learning

styles. A research-based literacy program, Picturing Writing has

proven its effectiveness in dramatically improving student

writing.

After a visit to Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth,

Massachusetts, our class combined the Time of Day unit with our

study of the Wampanoag Indians and Pilgrims to create our own,

unique visions of A Day in the Life of Plantation.

December, 2009