Happy Valentine’s Day!
Eileen Spinelli shares a Valentine wish that can be given throughout the year in her book, Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch. The reader can identify with Mr. Hatch; we’ve experienced times in our lives when we have felt unappreciated. Through a unexpected kind deed, Mr. Hatch changes from an inward, depressed-like person to an interactive, intentionally helpful person. Our students can learn from this book.
Carol McCloud, otherwise known as the “Bucket Lady”, shares the concept of being a bucket filler. The philosophy is that we have a choice – to fill a person’s bucket or dip in it. By filling a bucket, you bucket is filled. The reciprocal does not happen; if you dip in a bucket, yours does not get filled. I have had the privilege of hearing Carol speak and the stories she shared touched and changed my life. Each day I seek to fill a bucket(s). It makes our world a better place.
While reading this book to a class, I realized that a theme from Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch is bucket filling. Because “someone” sent Mr. Hatch a chocolate-filled heart, he began to fill other people’s buckets – shares with his coworkers, watches the news stand for Mr. Smith, searches for Mr. Todd’s daughter. The entire story is one bucket filling act after another. In the end, the community people realize how much Mr. Hatch has been filling their buckets and making their lives better. They express their appreciation for him. Won’t you fill a bucket today? Read Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch.
View the video clip of Hector Elizondo reading the book on Daily Motion. The narration is about 11 minutes long, but well worth it. You get to see and “read” the entire book.
Savorings for reading and in writing for Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch:
- Interweaving of detail
- Character change
- Problem/solution
- Community building
- Showing apprehension with puctuation – “I made a mistake some time ago. My supervisor is very angry with me. Do you…do you…” “Yes, Mr. Goober? What is it?”
Book Savors 
[…] Valentine’s Day One of my favorite books is Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli I love the fact that someone was inspired by a kind word and act. That belief […]