Our Class Is a Family: Big Book Edition

Discover your family outside your home with Our Class Is a Family, a beautifully illustrated Big Book edition, ideal for shared reading and read-alouds, that celebrates the special community in a classroom.

Teachers do so much more than just teach academics. They build a sense of community within their classrooms, creating a home away from home where their students can feel safe, included, and loved. With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, Our Class Is a Family is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it’s safe to be themselves, it’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s important to be a friend to others. When hearing this Big Book edition being read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family. This oversized Big Book edition is perfect for teachers to share with their classrooms.

Shannon Olsen has taught second grade for fifteen years, with a B.A. in English and M.A. in Teaching from the University of California, Irvine. She loves traveling, as well as time at home in Southern California with her husband Jeff, and two daughters, Madeline and Emma. Shannon is an elementary education blogger at Life Between Summers, and enjoys creating resources for teachers to use in their classrooms.

Sandie Sonke is a Southern California native with a degree in studio art from California State University, Fullerton. She is a fan of coffee and cooking, and among the many hats she wears, her favorite roles are being a wife and mom of two. Sandie has illustrated several children’s books, including Let's Make Yoga Magic and The Little i Who Lost His Dot.