You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be--
I had a Mother who read to me.
- excerpt from "The Reading Mother" by Stricklan Gillilan
I love to read, but as a mom, I typically lack the time to sit down and read a book of my own as much as I would like to. However, what time I don’t have to read my own book, is certainly used reading books with my kids. Unfortunately, I’ve learned (as most of you have, I’m sure) that all children’s books are not created equal. What do you look for in a book you’d like to read for yourself? Good characters, originality, imagination, humor, suspense, and insight are just a few of what I would consider the contents of a good book. Unfortunately, it seems that many children’s books lack most (if not all) traits of a good book. Literally anyone with the right resources can write a children’s book, which is why you can sometimes find only one “good” book out of an armful at the library.
The proportion of good books to poor is why I'm sharing the good books I've found. I believe a good children's book should be entertaining for the child and the parent. With little reading time of my own, it's my time to be entertained, too. A good book is a win-win, and you will be more likely to read the book the requested 20 times if you like it as much as they do.
Just keep in mind, it really doesn’t matter what you read, as long as you’re reading with your children....but a good book certainly does further enrich the experience. :)
Bark, George
Feiffer, Jules
George is a dog, but he certainly doesn’t sound like one. His mother takes him to the vet to recover his bark. Great surprise ending that encourages discussion. Simple pictures, but I love the pictures of the mother in her moments of frustration and delight.
Enrichment Idea: George’s mother encourages him not to make the sounds of other animals, but to bark like a dog. She says, “Cats go meow. Dogs go arf. Now, bark, George.” Have your child identify the animal sound George makes (helping you “read” the book). Example: “Cats go (child fills in here). Dogs go (child fills in here)…” Repetitive, so it's easy for children to participate.-Sherie
You can enter the Goosie Card Give-Away until Midnight on April 20th.
1 comment:
i just have to say that i love your blog. we just moved from nyc, and you blog is like a little piece of home. thank you and keep the sweet things coming.!!!
Post a Comment