Mapleton students learned some pros and cons of what it would be like to be A LOT taller at school today. Author Carol Decker, once a Mapleton teacher, read her children’s book “If I Were 10 FEET TALL” to PreK-2nd grade students at Adventure Elementary, Monterey Community School, Trailside Academy, and York International School. 

The book, published earlier this year, is about a young girl named Gabbey, who imagines what it would be like to be 10 feet tall. On one hand, she could do things like help zookeepers take care of giraffes and pick apples from the branches of tall trees. On the other hand, she would be too big for her playground, and normal-size cupcakes at birthday parties would be too small! In the end, she realizes it’s better to be happy with herself just the way she is.  

Decker taught fourth grade at Bertha Heid Elementary School, now known as Achieve Academy, in the 1990s. The idea for the book came to her when she was daydreaming at college years ago, and she thought it had a great message. 

“I hope it inspires kids to learn to read and be illustrators and believe in themselves,” she said. “Everyone should be proud of themselves and include others.” 

Today, her audience, made up of kids slightly smaller than 10 feet tall, loved the presentation and read along out loud when they were cued.  

“The book taught me you can be different sizes or yourself and it’s OK,” said Adventure second-grader Aaron L. 

Decker’s daughter, Meghan, a mechanical engineer, illustrated the book. After Carolyn finished reading, Meghan taught the kids a little about drawing using the point perspective technique, which shows how things are smaller if they are farther away. 

“That’s what inspired me to draw and it’s a great thing for kids to learn because it combines math and art and makes it easier for people to draw anything,” she said.  

Carol and Meghan have a couple of ideas for new books they may collaborate on. We hope they come back to read them when they are finished.