The Possibilities of What Can Happen in Delightful Picture Book With Celebrity Author Matthew McConaughey

New York Times Bestselling celebrity author Matthew McConaughey's delightful picture book Just Because has life lessons for young readers. There are always possibilities for one thing happening or not happening and another thing taking its place. Feelings have possibilities. There can always be more than one answer to someone's question. Young readers can learn that they can always believe that everything has possibilities in life.

One possibility might be that just because someone has good skills in an activity, they might not really succeed without a bit of luck. Just because your block tower falls doesn't mean that you are a clumsy builder. Just because someone does something to hurt your feelings doesn't mean that they might not regret what they did. Just because you might get away with a deed doesn't mean that you should do it . Young readers might learn that just because they tell a small lie doesn't mean that they are always liars. The life lesson for young readers is that each day is a gift and each day is full of surprises. You just have to believe in the goodness of each special day.

Renee Kurilla contributed her talents as an illustrator for Just Because. Illustrations are engaging with both color and black and white drawings. McConaughey writes in rhymes for engaging text.

Just Because is recommended for ages 5-9. It was published by Viking, a division of Penguin/Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-593-62203-2.

Teachers who teach in early elementary classrooms will want to add celebrity author Matthew McConaughey's charming picture book Just Because to their classroom library. Young readers will have the opportunity to engage in discussions about life happenings and the possibilities that come with every day in their life. Learning about the possibilities in life is a positive life lesson for children.

*Read Just Because in a story time session. Call attention to the title. How many children can relate to the phrase "just because" that they may have heard from their parents or teachers?

*Read each page as a situation that might occur in life. Call attention to the illustration of the block tower crashing to the floor. Does that mean that the builder was a clumsy builder? Call attention to the illustration of the little girl at the top of the monkey bars. Does that mean that she will not fall just because she is at the top? How many children believe that they will not fall just because they get to the top of the monkey bars on the playground?

*Call attention to the illustration of the little boy being scolded because he did something wrong. Just because one does something wrong doesn't mean that someone does not regret what they did. Engage children in a discussion of a time that they did something wrong and did regret doing it.

*Provide drawing paper, crayons, and markers for children to draw a situation with the possibility of something happening.

*Call attention to the end illustration and text that every day is a gift with surprises that might come. Engage children in a discussion of what they might like for a day to bring to their life.