Literacy Lessons for Little Learners: Understanding Others with Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña

At the Early Excellence Project, we believe books can help young learners develop empathy, imagination, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña, with stunning illustrations by Christian Robinson, is a powerful story that encourages children to think beyond first impressions and recognize the complexities in every person’s story.

This book follows Milo, a young boy traveling on the subway, who observes the people around him and imagines what their lives might be like. As he sketches his ideas, he begins to realize that people are more than what they appear to be on the outside. This beautifully written story offers a meaningful lesson about curiosity, compassion, and challenging assumptions.

In this post, we’ll explore literacy lessons to help your little learner engage with the book’s themes while building essential reading and comprehension skills.

Seeing Beyond First Impressions

Milo watches the people on his subway ride and creates stories about their lives, based on what he sees. But as he reflects on his own situation, he realizes that his drawings might not tell the full story—just like the way people see him doesn’t tell everything about who he is.

This book encourages children to think about the power of imagination while also exploring how we see and understand others.

Start with These Questions:

• Have you ever wondered what someone else’s life is like?

• How do we form ideas about people we don’t know?

• Why do you think it’s important to learn about someone’s story before making a judgment?

• How does your imagination help you understand the world?

These questions help children think critically about perspective and empathy before reading the book.

Building Vocabulary Through Observation and Imagination

Milo Imagines the World introduces rich vocabulary related to creativity, emotions, and perception.

Try These Vocabulary Activities:

• Descriptive Words – As you read, point out words like "observe," "imagine," "assumption," and "perspective." Discuss what they mean and how they relate to the story.

• Guess the Story – Before turning the page, ask your child to predict what Milo might imagine next based on the illustrations.

• Imagination Challenge – Pick an everyday object or person and encourage your child to describe or draw what they think their story might be.

These activities help young learners expand their vocabulary while practicing creative thinking.

Exploring Story Themes: Looking Deeper

A key theme in Milo Imagines the World is that people are more than what they seem at first glance. This is an important lesson for developing kindness and understanding.

Discussion Questions:

• Why does Milo draw pictures of the people he sees?

• How do his ideas about the people change by the end of the story?

• Have you ever made an assumption about someone and then learned something different about them?

• How can we get to know people’s real stories?

Helping children reflect on these questions encourages them to think beyond appearances and recognize the depth of every individual’s experience.

Creativity Through Art: Drawing Stories

Just like Milo, children can use drawing and storytelling to explore their thoughts and ideas about the world.

Activity: "Imagine a Story" Drawing

• Provide crayons, markers, and paper.

• Have your child draw a picture of someone they see regularly but don’t know well (a neighbor, a bus driver, a cashier).

• Ask them to imagine and describe what this person’s life might be like.

• Afterward, discuss how their ideas might be similar to or different from reality.

This activity helps children develop storytelling skills while reinforcing the book’s message about looking beyond first impressions.

Reflection: How Can We Learn About Others?

Milo Imagines the World teaches an important lesson about understanding others by listening to their stories instead of making assumptions.

Reflection Questions:

• What is something about you that people might not know just by looking at you?

• How do we learn about people’s real stories?

• Why is it important to be kind and curious instead of making quick judgments?

Encouraging children to think about these questions helps them develop empathy and social awareness.

Encouraging Imagination and Understanding

Milo Imagines the World is more than just a story about a boy on a subway—it’s a lesson in seeing people fully, thinking deeply, and imagining beyond what we see at first glance. Through creative storytelling and thoughtful discussions, young learners can build literacy skills while learning to approach the world with kindness and curiosity.

We hope these literacy lessons spark meaningful conversations and encourage your little learner to use their imagination in new ways. Stay tuned for next month’s book feature in our Literacy Lessons for Little Learners series, and as always, happy reading!