Picture Book Month

November is officially Picture Book Month -  a great opportunity to celebrate the power of the Picture Book with loved ones of ALL ages.  Picture books are NOT just for little kids.  Here's the letter I like to send home to parents to emphasize just how important it is not to shun those picture books too early in their children's lives.

 Dear Parents,

When I visit schools, I like to tell children that I fell in love with stories as a little girl in Scotland, before I could read or write, by listening to them on the radio during the BBC Children’s Story hour.  Nowadays, I notice that there seems to be less emphasis on the importance of reading aloud to children of ALL ages.  Have you ever felt pressured to stop reading picture books to your child in an effort to expose him or her to the more “advanced” literature of chapter books?  I urge you to continue to share picture books with your child, regardless of age, because:

Good Picture Books have many layers of meaning that the reader or listener can enjoy on many different levels.

Good Picture Books are meant to be READ ALOUD to a loved one, be she five or fifty.

Good Picture Books offer rich, lyrical language that nurtures a life-long passion for stories.

For the past sixteen years, I have been reading Picture Books (mainly fairy tales and folk tales) at an inner city elementary school here in Denver.   The single best way to foster a love of literature is to READ ALOUD to your children (regardless of age) every single day.  Read them stories that are AGE-APPROPRIATE, and stories that you love.  

Picture Books “not only ignite a child’s imagination and curiosity, but inspire them to read more.” Mary Brigid Barrett, President of the NCBLA (National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance).

For a list of recommended Picture Books to read aloud see: here (my recommended list) and also - here (Bank Street List)

Here's to picture books that help us all - "burn bright in the forests of the night."

 A big thanks to Tattered Cover for mentioning RAJ on NPR recently as a great choice for a Christmas gift! 

School Visits

 A veritable flurry of school visits and book fairs these past few weeks.  

What fun to talk to kids about stories and writing and life!

Star of the show - Carving of The Giant King

A fan of The Giant King carving

One of the teachers at a recent school visit, mentioned that her children were unfamiliar with the whole notion of what a carving was, and so she was pleased I had brought along my beloved carving of The Giant King to show them.  When The Giant King was first published, a friend of mine, had a friend who was a wood carver, and so he asked him to make a carving of the Giant for me.  Children love this carving, and I like to tell them to take a good look at the giant's expression - pleased and proud in a good way - why?  Because someone believes in HIS GOODness.  He is holding the carving that Rabbie made of him - not as he is, but as he could be - a king sitting on his throne with a crown and a cape.  We all need cheerleaders in life, someone who believes in our goodness!  

"As is a tale, so is life.  Not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters most."  Seneca