"C'est quoi, le courage?"
is here!
Thank you so much to Sinead Joy and Carrie Bourne for all their hard work in making this book come to life. We are so excited to share it with the world and get it into the hands of teachers, parents and children.
~ Kelly
What Does it
Mean to be Brave?
Does it mean climbing the highest mountain or swimming with sharks? Bravery means doing something even though we are scared. Sometimes we need to be brave for big and scary things in far off places and sometimes we need to be brave for things that make us nervous in our daily lives.
“What Does it Mean to be Brave?” uses everyday examples and beautiful West Coast imagery to demonstrate how children use bravery to try new things, to persevere when something is challenging, to make new friends and to make kind choices.
When were you brave today?
About the Author
Kelly Shuto, Author & Educator
Kelly Shuto is a kindergarten and grade one teacher on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. She has two boys who are active in sports and a cat who is active in sleeping. She loves exploring nature, spending time with friends and family, and morning walks with a coffee. Kelly values big smiles and a good belly laugh.
She is passionate about helping children to recognize their self worth, their own bravery and their individual accomplishments by celebrating all successes. One of her favourite ways to share messages with her students is through thought provoking picture books that allow for meaningful connections and introspection. Her goal is to help the children she works with to leave each school day feeling happier and more confident then when they entered the classroom that morning...and, of course,
to make them laugh.
Reviews
Great message for kids and adults, beautiful images of diversity and the West Coast
“This book is a must-have for elementary classrooms but the messages also resonate with people of all ages. My children are on the verge of being high school-aged and they really internalized the message that being brave comes in many forms. The discussion questions at the end sparked so many ideas about bravery for them. I can't wait until the French version comes out for use in the French Immersion classrooms I support! Also, finding the hearts on every beautifully illustrated page was a super fun challenge. Highly recommend this book.”
~ ELL / Resource Teacher
Featured In
Vancouver Mom Feature: Three new books by Vancouver Authors
"When a story makes you feel, it draws you in. Whether the story defines bravery as asking for help or shares the challenges of motherhood, if I feel my nose tingling I know the words have struck an emotion."
Whole Child Counseling: Practical Tips and Books for Helping Children Cope with Anxiety
"Books provide children with emotional distance, which allows them to really look at their own feelings and experiences as they listen and relate to the characters and situations they face in a story."
Podcast: Mentoring Nature Connections with Lauren MacLean
Kelly Shuto is a K/1 teacher in the Surrey district as well as a k-2 math mentor. She has contributed to our BC curriculum resource site by sharing her in-depth documentation and examples of how the core competencies live in our classrooms. She is also a children’s book author! Her first book, one of my toddler’s favourites, is titled What Does it Mean to be Brave. You will often find her presenting workshops on how to use the core competencies to create a deeper sense of self in the primary grades.