Flora and the Flamingo
Written and Illustrated by Molly Idle

Publisher’s Summary:
In this innovative wordless picture book with interactive flaps, Flora and her graceful flamingo friend explore the trials and joys of friendship through an elaborate synchronized dance. With a twist, a turn, and even a flop, these unlikely friends learn at last how to dance together in perfect harmony. Full of humor and heart, this stunning performance (and splashy ending!) will have readers clapping for more!

Primary Source Pairing:
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And that is just what happens in the beautiful book Flora and the Flamingo. As this wordless picture book progresses, the dance ensues between our two characters. For this primary source pairing, invite students to study photographs of a ballet dancer and a flamingo. Notice the similarities and differences between how Flora and the flamingo from the book compare to the real photographs.

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• Find something small but interesting.
• What’s happening in the image?
• What people and objects are shown?
• How are they arranged?
• What is the physical setting?
• What other details can you see?
• What do you notice that you didn’t expect?
• What do you notice that you can’t explain?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Ballet dancer: Pixabay
Flamingo: Pixabay

Resources on Wordless Picture Books:
Creative Writing Through Wordless Picture Books: ReadWriteThink.org
Jim Trelease: Wordless Picture Books: Pre-KPages.com
Sharing Wordless Picture Books: ReadingRockets.org
Why Wordless Picture Books Work: Scholastic.com