Program Overview

Designed for all learning environments, the Start with a Story program ties the works of New York Times best-selling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds to hands-on SEL, literacy and STEAM activities. Each lesson pack focuses on one book and includes five or more lessons to inspire creative learning and story activation for students in grades k-5. While teachers can begin with any lesson, we encourage instructors to start with a book reading and an SEL activity and/or the team-building activity before moving onto animation, engineering, and/or journaling.

About Start with a Story: Happy Dreamer

Peter H. Reynolds wrote Happy Dreamer about himself. He has always been a dreamer, but not everyone in his life has always understood the value of dreaming. Peter wants his readers to recognize and build their resilience to keep dreaming even when others might not see the world the same way.

This lesson pack gives students the opportunity to see themselves as happy dreamers and identify what it is that drives them. It encourages them to imagine and create new things, dream big, and find ways to bounce back from difficulties and obstacles. We hope you enjoy Start with a Story: Happy Dreamer.

Note: Licenses to Animation-ish and FabMaker Studio are recommended for two of the lessons but not required. If you would like to purchase autographed books by Peter H. Reynolds visit his online bookshop, The Dot Central.

Annual Access to Curriculum = $50