The Reflection in Me
Go Left
How might seeing ourselves with kindness help us recognize who we are and who we can become?
Explore The Reflection in Me through story, curiosity, creativity, and connection. Learners consider what a reflection can reveal and how words, actions, interests, and relationships help us understand ourselves.
Through our Read, Notice, Wonder, Create, and Connect journey, learners look closely at words and illustrations, explore questions, and create a portrait or poem connected to their own qualities and possibilities.
The experience also invites us to consider how we see one another. What do we notice beyond appearances? How can we recognize qualities we sometimes overlook? What might we discover when we make room for both self-acceptance and growth?
What Will We Discover?
Our guiding question:
How might seeing ourselves with kindness help us recognize who we are and who we can become?
Through this experience, learners will:
• Ask questions about the story and the ideas it presents.
• Use details from the words and illustrations to explain their thinking.
• Explore how the story communicates kindness and self-acceptance.
• Connect the story to qualities, interests, and experiences in their own lives.
• Create a visual or written response celebrating themselves and an area for growth.
• Consider how listening to others can expand what they notice and appreciate.
Curiosity invites learners to look more closely. Creativity gives them a way to express who they are and who they are becoming.
At a Glance
Grade Levels:
Pre-K–Grade 6, with flexible adaptations for Pre-K–Kindergarten, Grades 1–4, and Grades 4–6 learners. Fourth-grade learners may follow either approach, depending on their needs and readiness.
Time:
Approximately 30–45 minutes. Allow extra time for conversation or divide the experience into two shorter sessions.
Suggested pacing:
Follow your learners’ lead, making room for questions, close looking, conversation, and creative work.
Materials:
• A copy of The Reflection in Me
• One sheet of plain paper per learner
• Pencils
• Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
Optional:
• Chart paper to collect questions and shared ideas
• A space to display learners’ creations
Before you begin:
Invite learners to explore qualities and experiences they feel comfortable sharing. Personal details can stay private. Drawing, writing, dictation, home-language responses, and preferred communication methods are all welcome. Learners may explore the character or an imagined person if they prefer.
Let’s begin by reading The Reflection in Me, written by Marc Colagiovanni and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, or watching the animated film.
Suggested invitation for Pre-K–Kindergarten learners:
“Today, we’re stepping into a story about a character and a reflection. Let’s look at the pictures, listen to the words, and see what we discover together.”
Suggested invitation for Grades 1–4 learners:
“As we read, notice what the reflection sees and appreciates. You might discover something that helps you think about how you see yourself.”
Suggested invitation for Grades 4–6 learners:
“As we read, explore how the author and illustrator communicate self-worth. Notice what the reflection recognizes and how those observations shape the story.”
There’s so much to enjoy here: expressive illustrations, encouraging language, and a relationship that invites us to consider how we speak to ourselves. Let the story unfold, pausing where a question or observation offers something worth exploring.
Possible curiosity sparks for Pre-K–Kindergarten learners:
• “What catches your eye?”
• “What do you notice about the mirror?”
• “What do you think might happen?”
Possible curiosity sparks for Grades 1–4 learners:
• “Did a word or picture stay with you?”
• “What feels familiar?”
• “What are you wondering right now?”
Possible curiosity sparks for Grades 4–6 learners:
• “How does the title connect to what we are discovering?”
• “Which words or illustrations feel especially powerful?”
• “What does this story make you think about in your own life?”
Make it your own:
Choose the invitations that fit your group. An observation can lead us somewhere unexpected, and a question can travel across age groups.
Let’s revisit a few pages or moments that stayed with your learners. Looking again can reveal a detail we missed or change how we understand a moment.
Suggested invitation:
“What’s a moment you’d like to look at again? Let’s see what else we discover.”
For Pre-K–Kindergarten learners:
• “What do you see?”
• “How does the character look here?”
• “What do you notice about the character and the reflection?”
Learners might point, describe an expression, or use a gesture to show what they notice.
Suggested prompt:
“I see _____.”
For Grades 1–4 learners:
• “What does the reflection notice about the character?”
• “Which qualities can we see in a picture? What do the words help us understand?”
• “How do the pictures help us understand the relationship?”
• “What do you notice about how the character responds?”
Suggested prompts:
“I noticed _____. This helped me understand _____.”
“The reflection sees _____. I noticed this when _____.”
For Grades 4–6 learners:
• “How do expression, color, and placement communicate the relationship between the character and the reflection?”
• “What do the illustrations help us understand beyond the words?”
• “Which observations describe appearance, and which describe qualities or ways of being?”
• “What does the story suggest about how we recognize our own worth?”
Invite learners to explain:
“What in the story led you to that idea?”
Suggested prompts:
“The detail _____ suggests _____.”
“The words and illustrations work together to show _____.”
“At first I thought _____. After looking again, I think _____.”
Make it your own:
Choose a few questions and allow learners to respond in their preferred way.
The shared goal is to connect what we notice with what we understand.
This is where a detail becomes a question, and a question opens a new possibility.
The relationship between the character and the reflection gives us room to wonder about how we see ourselves, what we value, and how kindness can shape our thinking.
Suggested language:
“We’ve noticed so much together. Now, let’s see what those discoveries make us wonder.”
Our guiding question:
“How might seeing ourselves with kindness help us recognize who we are and who we can become?”
Offer a quiet moment to think, followed by partner conversation or a few shared responses.
For Pre-K–Kindergarten learners:
Use a familiar example, such as learning to draw, joining a game, or helping someone.
• “What is something you like about being you?”
• “What is something kind you could tell yourself?”
• “What is something you are learning?”
Suggested prompts:
“I like that I _____.”
“I am learning to _____.”
For Grades 1–4 learners:
• “What makes you who you are beyond how you look?”
• “Why might someone notice a good quality in us that we haven’t noticed?”
• “Can we appreciate ourselves while learning something new?”
• “What would you want your reflection to remind you?”
Suggested prompts:
“I wonder whether _____.”
“One quality I am discovering is _____.”
“Something I would like to grow in is _____.”
For Grades 4–6 learners:
• “What can influence how we see ourselves?”
• “How might our view of ourselves differ from what others notice?”
• “Can we recognize an area for growth without overlooking our worth?”
• “What is the difference between appreciating ourselves and comparing ourselves with others?”
• “Whose perspective might help us recognize something we have overlooked?”
Suggested prompts:
“This makes me wonder _____ because _____.”
“One quality someone might notice in me is _____.”
“To understand this better, I’d like to explore _____.”
Let one question grow:
Choose a question that sparks interest and explore it briefly.
“What have we already noticed that connects to this question?”
“What could help us understand more?”
Invite learners to carry a question into their creative response. Some questions may grow through another conversation or experience.
Make it your own:
Follow the questions that emerge. Leave room for different experiences and more than one interpretation.
Perfectly Me, Still Growing
Let’s give our thinking a place to take shape. With plain paper and drawing or writing supplies, learners create a portrait that shows who they are and what they would like to grow in.
Suggested language:
“Create a portrait that helps us discover more about you. Show qualities you appreciate, things that matter to you, and something you are learning or would like to grow in.”
Draw your portrait.
Begin with a picture of yourself. Learners may use a realistic portrait, symbols, or an imaginative representation.
Inside and around your portrait: Show who you are.
What do you enjoy? What matters to you? What qualities do you appreciate about yourself? Use pictures, words, colors, or shapes to share your thinking.
Beside your portrait: Show a growing possibility.
What would you like to learn, practice, or grow in? Add a small picture, symbol, or sentence.
Around the border: Add a reminder.
“I am perfectly me and still learning and growing.”
For Pre-K–Kindergarten learners:
Invite learners to draw themselves and something they enjoy, care about, or feel proud of.
They can add something they are learning. An adult can record their words.
Suggested prompts:
“I am _____.”
“I like _____.”
“I am learning to _____.”
For Grades 1–4 learners:
Invite learners to surround their portrait with qualities, interests, and things that matter to them.
Use pictures, labels, or sentences to show what they appreciate about themselves and something they would like to grow in.
Suggested prompts:
“Something I appreciate about myself is _____.”
“I show kindness when _____.”
“Something I would like to grow in is _____.”
For Grades 4–6 learners:
Invite learners to create a present-and-future self-portrait. They may divide the page or use connected images to explore who they are now and who they hope to become.
Encourage them to consider qualities they want to carry forward, an area for growth, and experiences or support that could help.
Suggested prompts:
“A quality I value in myself is _____.”
“Something I am discovering about myself is _____.”
“I would like to grow in _____.”
“One way I could begin is _____.”
“Something I want to carry forward is _____.”
Another way to create: A Perfectly Me Poem
I am _____.
I care about _____.
Something I appreciate about myself is _____.
I am learning _____.
I would like to grow in _____.
I am perfectly me and still learning and growing.
Learners can use the poem beside their portrait or as their main creative response.
Beside your creation: Add support.
Who or what helps you recognize your qualities or keep learning? Add a person, experience, resource, or encouraging message.
Connect your creation to the story.
Include a detail from the book through words, pictures, or conversation.
Suggested prompts:
“A moment in the story that connects to my portrait is _____.”
“The reflection notices _____. This helped me think about _____.”
At the bottom: Keep your curiosity growing.
“I still wonder _____.”
“My next question is _____.”
Make it your own:
Learners can draw, write, dictate, use their home language, or communicate through their preferred method. They choose which parts of their work to share.
Keep the pages ready for Connect, when individual discoveries can become Perfectly Me, Growing Together.
Each creation holds a discovery. Bringing those discoveries together lets us recognize different qualities, hear another perspective, and consider how we help one another feel seen.
Suggested language:
“Let’s bring our discoveries together. What might someone else’s creation help us notice or appreciate?”
Begin with a partner exchange or invite learners to share one part of their work. Personal details can stay private.
For Pre-K–Kindergarten learners:
• “What would you like to tell us about your picture?”
• “What is something you like about being you?”
• “What are you learning?”
Suggested prompts:
“I am _____.”
“I am learning _____.”
For Grades 1–4 learners:
• “What does your portrait help us understand about you?”
• “Did someone share a quality or interest you connect with?”
• “How does your creation connect to the story?”
• “How can we help someone notice a quality they may have overlooked?”
Suggested prompts:
“My creation shows _____.”
“Someone else helped me notice _____.”
“We can encourage one another by _____.”
For Grades 4–6 learners:
• “How did another perspective expand your thinking?”
• “What can we appreciate about ourselves while continuing to grow?”
• “How can we recognize someone’s qualities without making comparisons?”
• “What does the story add to your understanding of how you see yourself?”
Suggested prompts:
“At first I thought _____. Now I’m considering _____.”
“A quality I hadn’t considered was _____.”
“One way our community could help learners feel seen is _____.”
From connection to possibility:
Choose one small way your group could make appreciation and encouragement more visible.
“What helps us feel recognized for who we are?”
“How can we make room for different strengths and interests?”
“What is one step we could try together?”
Return to our guiding question:
“How might seeing ourselves with kindness help us recognize who we are and who we can become?”
Invite learners to answer again, drawing on the story, their creations, and one another’s ideas.
Make it your own:
Learners can share aloud, point to part of their work, talk with a partner, or reflect quietly.
Every Reflection Holds a Discovery
A story ends on its final page, but the learning it inspires can keep growing.
Our portraits and poems hold qualities we appreciate, questions we might revisit, and possibilities that can develop through new experiences.
Let wonder travel home:
Invite learners to share a discovery or question with someone at home.
“We’ve been exploring how we see ourselves with kindness. What is a quality you notice in me?”
Possible conversation starters:
• “What is something you appreciate about being you?”
• “What is something we have learned about each other?”
• “Who helps you recognize your strengths?”
• “What would you like to keep learning?”
A drawing, remembered phrase, or idea shared in any language can bring the conversation back into the learning community.
Create a shared wall: Perfectly Me, Growing Together
Invite learners to contribute a portrait, poem, or small card containing a quality, discovery, or growing possibility. They can choose which part of their work to share.
An invitation to contribute:
“Something I appreciate about myself is _____.”
“Something I am discovering is _____.”
“I would like to grow in _____.”
“One way we can encourage each other is _____.”
Revisit the collection together:
“Which ideas connect?”
“What do you notice about our learning community?”
“What are we discovering about one another?”
Let curiosity open a next step:
Learners might revisit their portrait after a new experience, add a quality they have discovered, or reflect on something they have practiced.
“What have I discovered about myself?”
“What helped me keep learning?”
“What would I like to explore next?”
Every reflection can hold a discovery. Every shared discovery can help us see one another more fully.
What happens when a writer invites us to see ourselves with kindness?
Marc Colagiovanni is a children’s book author and practicing attorney whose stories explore self-worth, resilience, and the courage to move forward. Inspired by his wife and three daughters, he writes stories that invite conversations across generations.
Stories to discover and revisit:
The Reflection in Me invites readers to look beyond appearances, appreciate their unique qualities, and recognize their own worth.
When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left explores choices, perseverance, and finding another way forward.
Peter H. Reynolds illustrates both books.
An invitation to wonder:
“What might you discover about yourself when you look with kindness?”
A Dream, a Different Path
Marc’s path to becoming an author offers a real-life connection to the ideas we’ve been exploring.
Writing had long been part of his life, but his dream of becoming an author took a back seat as he began his legal career. After his first daughter was born, he returned to that dream and spent years learning, drafting, and revising.
When submissions of The Reflection in Me brought rejection or silence, Marc explored another possibility: turning the story into an animated film. Collaboration with Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision Studios helped it reach an audience before it became a published picture book.
His journey invites us to consider how persistence, learning, collaboration, and a change in approach can work together. A dream can continue growing even when the path changes.
An invitation to wonder:
“What could change about your path while the goal still matters to you?”
Create Curiously Author Experiences with Marc Colagiovanni
What might your learners discover when they meet the person behind the story?
An author experience with Marc invites learners to explore where ideas begin, how stories develop, and what happens between an early draft and a finished book.
Through Create Curiously, we can shape an experience around the stories and questions that resonate with your learning community. Conversations about writing, revision, creative choices, and everyday experiences create space for learners to develop their own ideas.
Marc’s journey also offers a meaningful starting point for exploring persistence and possibility: how we keep learning, seek support, and consider another approach when something matters to us.
The connection can begin before the visit and continue afterward through questions, discoveries, and creative responses.
Let’s imagine an experience for your community.
Explore possibilities for your school, library, or community organization.
What can happen when we make a mark, try an idea, or see the world a little differently?
Peter H. Reynolds invites readers to explore these possibilities through stories and illustrations that celebrate creativity, courage, and connection.
Stories to Discover and Revisit:
Peter’s books include The Dot, Ish, Sky Color, The North Star, The Word Collector, Say Something!, Be You!, Happy Dreamer, So Few of Me, Rose’s Garden, Playing from the Heart, The Smallest Gift of Christmas, and Our Table.
From finding our own direction in The North Star to exploring creative expression in Playing from the Heart, his stories invite us to notice our strengths, follow our ideas, and discover what we can bring to the world.
Stories Created Together:
Peter’s collaborations include the I Am books with Susan Verde; The Water Princess and The Water Princess Builds a Well, co-authored by Susan Verde and Georgie Badiel; Going Places, co-authored with Paul A. Reynolds; and When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left and The Reflection in Me, written by Marc Colagiovanni.
An invitation to wonder:
“What can an illustration help us feel or understand without saying a word?”
What if curiosity shaped how we experience learning?
Create Curiously is building an educational movement that brings curiosity, creativity, connection, and collaboration into the heart of learning. We’re opening conversations about what learning can feel like and developing experiences that invite learners to question, imagine, create, and contribute.
Reimagining the Learning Experience:
Through story-inspired programs, author collaborations, creative learning labs, and educator professional learning, we connect meaningful ideas with opportunities to explore them. Our work makes room for learner voice, flexible thinking, shared discovery, and the relationships that help learning grow.
We bring schools, libraries, families, and community partners into that conversation. Together, we can design experiences where a question opens an investigation, a story inspires a creation, and individual ideas become something a community builds together.
A Learning Movement Shaped Through Participation:
Every learner brings experiences worth recognizing. Every educator brings knowledge worth building on. Every community holds possibilities we can discover together.
We’re developing programs, resources, and partnerships that turn those beliefs into everyday learning experiences, with simple materials, thoughtful invitations, and space for wonder.
For Allie-Alejandra Joyner, Founder and CEO of Create Curiously, a story is often the beginning of a much larger conversation.
A bilingual educator with more than 20 years of experience, Allie has worked across classroom teaching, intervention, instructional technology, curriculum development, and professional learning. As former Director of Innovative Solutions at FableVision Learning, A Peter H. Reynolds Company, she also developed author programs, led national and international professional learning, and built educational partnerships.
Across those experiences, one question continues to guide her work:
“How can we create learning experiences that invite people to discover what they’re capable of?”
Through Create Curiously, Allie brings that question into collaborations with educators, authors, illustrators, families, and communities. She develops pathways that carry inspiration into participation, giving learners opportunities to explore their questions, express their ideas, and create something meaningful.
This experience grew from that same spirit: a story opens a conversation, a water drop holds a learner’s thinking, and a shared wall becomes a place where community understanding can grow.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Growing.
Connect with Allie to exchange ideas, explore a collaboration, or imagine what learning beyond the pages could look like in your community.
