Brick by Brick
by Heidi Woodward Sheffield
Brick by Brick tells the story of Luis and his father, Papi, a hardworking bricklayer. As Papi helps build the city brick by brick, Luis works hard at school book by book. Together, they dream about the future and learn that reaching goals takes patience, effort, and perseverance.
Reading Tips for Story Explorers
Find a comfortable space to read together
Slow down and enjoy the illustrations
Ask and answer questions together
Make reading part of your routine - bedtime is a great time for reading
Use these prompts to encourage deeper thinking with your children:
"Tell me more, why do you think that?"
"How do you know that?"
"Interesting, did you notice anything else?"
Vocabulary
bricklayer: A person whose job is building walls and buildings with bricks
mortar: a sticky mixture that holds bricks together
scaffold: a temporary platform workers stand on when building something tall
dream: a hope or goal you want to achieve in the future
perseverance : continuing to work hard even when something is difficult
construct: to build or make something
Questions to Discuss
What kinds of work do Papi and Luis each do every day?
How are Luis and Papi alike, even though they do different jobs?
What does the phrase "brick by brick, book by book" mean?
Why is it important to keep working toward a goal, even when it takes a long time?
What special surprise did Papi build for his family? How do you think Luis felt?
What is a goal you have that you can achieve little by little, just like Luis and Papi?
Let's Play
Give your child several sticky notes, index cards, or paper "bricks." Ask them to write or draw one small step toward a goal on each brick (examples: read for 20 minutes, practice soccer, help with chores, learn a new word). Stack or tape the bricks together to create a wall. Discuss how big goals are reached one small step at a time—just like Luis and Papi build their future brick by brick. Ask family members to add their own bricks and share a goal they are working toward.
