Book Review: Creativity and Making in Early Childhood: Challenging Practitioner Perspectives

Abstract

Creativity and Making in Early Childhood: Challenging Practitioner Perspectives is written as a both a textbook that can serve university professors in their teacher education courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels as well as current practitioners in the field of early childhood education (ECE). However, the authors do clarify that this book is best used while engaged in work with young students in classrooms, either in paid or unpaid positions as it gives many opportunities to reflect and expand their practice. This book consists of ten chapters that collectively explore what young children's creativity and making can look like both inside and outside the classroom, as well as the roles of the adults often involved in facilitating and observing these activities. Overall, each chapter includes an introduction and chapter summary that help organize the text so that not only would students taking courses be able to solidify their understanding, but so that practitioners can refer back to this book later on, refresh their previous readings, or focus on one topic discussed. Concepts introduced throughout the book are explained alongside anecdotal stories, photos, and observations to illustrate concepts more meaningfully and how they occur in classrooms and at home. Moreover, each chapter includes several "Research spotlight" sections that integrate the current and relevant empirical research that informs practice and approaches in ECE all over the world. These sections explain the methods used by researchers to study these topics in creativity, their findings and implications for practice and understanding creativity in early childhood. Lastly, Sakr et al. encourage active engagement with their material by including question prompts throughout chapters for practitioners to reflect on their own experiences and end each chapter by providing activities and ideas to deepen their thinking and exploration.