Bookmarked: Dawn Gerundo

Community development & engagement director for education at Valley of the Sun United Way

Recommends: “The Grouchy Ladybug” by Eric Carle

Her Take:

“Reading is the foundation of success, yet nearly 60 percent of third graders in the Valley are not meeting their literacy benchmarks. Early childhood is an incredible time in a child’s development, and the perfect time to start fostering a love for reading by building foundational skills.

Recently, I revisited one of my favorite children’s books, ‘The Grouchy Ladybug’ by Eric Carle, and it felt like reading it for the very first time. The colorful illustrations were so vivid and drew my eyes to the page, as they did many times for my students through the years. It’s a great book for children ages 3-5.

As I read, I found myself doing what my students had done: reciting the text before even looking at the pages. Those predictable, repetitive phrases made it fun and engaging, like, ‘Hey you. Want to fight?’ and ‘Oh, you’re not big enough.’”

Closing the book, I thought to myself how much skill-building is seamlessly woven into the story. Things like being kind, sharing and using good manners — all in place of being grouchy! I was reminded of the magic of reading — and its role in learning, development and unlocking endless possibilities for children in our community.”  

Learn more about Valley of the Sun United Way’s MC2026 plan for Mighty Change at vsuw.org/MightyChange.