Tag Archives: children’s books

Children’s Books for Adults

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Jan recently wrote about classic children’s tales and reading to your kids. While I totally agree with her about story time with children should be non-ironic, I personally love children’s picture books that have hidden adult meanings, or children’s-style picture books written for adults. Here are some of my favorites; parental guidance is suggested!

The Amphigorey Series by Edward Gorey. These books are filled with fabulous black and white ink illustrations and dark humor at its finest. This will sound crazy if you don’t know anything about these books, but if you are a fan of morbid humor and the alphabet, you will be trying to buy these with your rent money after reading them.

Go the F* to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. Yes, here it is. The f-bomb in all its glory, I know. However, if you have children, you will most definitely identify with this story. Told from a father’s point of view, this lovely book is a rhyming plea for his child to just go to bed already. Just don’t read this when your kids are taking a nap…your laughter will surely wake them up.

It’s a Book! by Lane Smith. In a world of computers, smart phones, Bluetooth, iPads, and Skype, where do books fit in? I think they fit in quite well, if your brain isn’t too fried to read one. This book is okay for kids, if they are old enough to understand the humor at the end.

All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen. Aw, so sad! All Dinosaur’s friends are dead. All the pirate’s friends have scurvy. This is a book about the downside of being anything, which is funny and sad all wrapped up in a cute 96 page picture book.

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown.  A very cute picture book written for kids, but is such a good one, I couldn’t resist it. Lucy the bear finds a boy in the woods and takes him home. Mama bear warns her that “Children make terrible pets.” The pictures are fabulous and the story hilarious. I honestly wish I could see a bear with a kid as a pet.

Dick and Jane and Vampires by Laura Marchesani. Written and illustrated in the style of Dick and Jane, this book includes (gasp) a Vampire!  Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending. Spoiler alert: you will also see Spot run.

Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd. A clever parody of Goodnight Moon, this book takes a peek at all the electronics in our everyday lives. Brightly illustrated and full of pop-culture references, it’s a fun, two minute read.

These are all humorous books that will lighten up any bookshelf in the house…just make sure that they’re out of the kids’ reach!

~Michelle

Reading Aloud to Kids

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Obviously I love reading. I read on a daily basis and one of my goals is to spread the joy of reading. I decided, even before my oldest son, Tim, was born, that my kids would grow up to be readers. I bought Tim Dr. Seuss books when he was 2 months old. Last year, I think my youngest son, Zeke, was the youngest child enrolled in Summer Reading, as he was born the day after summer reading started! His room is even decorated in Dr. Seuss illustrations.

However, despite all of this, I was unsure of how to read to my kids, so I went on a library adventure to find a book on the subject. What I found was The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. This is just me talking, but I feel as though this is the definitive guide on reading to your kids. Here are some tips that I use everyday that I gleaned from this book:

Start early, but better late than never! Story time is a lot of fun, but you don’t have to be elaborate if you don’t want to be. A short book before bed is a great way to “ease into” the idea of reading together on a regular basis. I read with both my boys before Zeke goes to bed, and then I read with Tim again before his bedtime, as he listens to the story and doesn’t chew on the books like his brother. The only problem I ever have is when Tim throws a fit for me to read him another story. I suppose if I have to pick a problem to have, this would be it.

Read your own material in front of your kids. Don’t allow them to think that adults don’t read! For example, you can read the newspaper at breakfast, and perhaps read aloud part of a story that may be interesting to them. You could read a recipe while cooking. Read a novel that you just picked up from the library on the couch. Kids learn by example, so show them that reading isn’t just for kids in school.

Don’t be afraid to read aloud to kids of any age. It doesn’t matter if your kid is 6 or 16, you can still take 5 or 10 minutes a day to have some quality reading time.

Don’t be afraid to read aloud because you don’t think you’re good at it. Practice makes perfect! Your child will enjoy the time you spend sharing a story even if you’re not an audiobook-quality, read-aloud, voiceover artist. At first, I was afraid that Tim wouldn’t like the crazy voices that I used for the characters in Steven Kellogg’s Jack and the Beanstalk, but now he won’t let me read it to him any other way!

Make reading aloud fun! Little kids like to read the same books over and over again. At least do yourself a favor and spice up the way you read—use silly voices, do sound effects, ask questions about the illustrations. Really get into what you’re doing, and the child will definitely follow your lead.

Take your kids to the library! PPL’s children’s department is awesome. There are zones for each age range to play, toys for little guys, puzzles and games for all ages, and a quiet area for reading. Let your child pick a book for herself. Let her grab a shopping cart and watch the books fly off the shelves! Show older kids how to search Evergreen for subjects that they enjoy.

Turn off the electronics! Television and Internet are great things in moderation. Unplug for awhile and watch your kids become more alert, imaginative, pleasant, and talkative. Maybe they’ll even do their chores without a fuss too. Okay, that’s wishful thinking.

A great adult book about reading aloud is The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma. It chronicles “The Streak” of reading aloud between a father and daughter for several years, and the profound impact it had on both of them. I only hope that the reading aloud that I do for my kids has the same effect!

Happy Reading!

~~Michelle

Nothing is Old to Young Children

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There are a lot of new picture books every year, and competition for sales is intense. Many new picture books are really written to appeal to adults who shop for books, and they are sophisticated, full of references to other things and jokes that kids don’t get. It’s a good marketing strategy and everything. But… first things first.

The simple story of The Three Bears is still a new and exciting story to little kids. I read it to preschoolers because they really like it. Of course I know what will happen, and I’ve read it a thousand times! Most of the kids have never heard it though, and they don’t know.

The Gunniwolf, The Turnip, The Gingerbread Man. These books are not trying to be clever, they are just simple, interesting stories for kids. They have been around for hundreds of years because they are timeless.

Author/illustrator Paul Zelinsky says, “From the point of view of very young children, nothing is old or hackneyed. Isn’t it important for them to be exposed to the most basic forms of things? Variations should come second. And winking third.” (You can read his article here: http://www.hbook.com/2012/05/authors-illustrators/interv%20%20iews/five-questions-for-paul-o-zelinsky/.)

 My suggestion: when you are reading a traditional kind of story, start with a basic version like The Little Red Hen by Galdone. Play around with it. Read it with goofy animal voices if you do that – your child can do those parts if you don’t. Later, pretend you are the hen. “Who will help me put away these groceries?”

Next read different versions and expansions like The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Sturges. and compare the pictures and story. Guess what? Not all versions of The Little Red Hen have the same ending. Sometimes the animals get to share the bread (or cake, or pizza) with the hen and sometimes they don’t.

Then go for take-offs or parodies like The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Sciesza (which rhymes with Fresca.) Your child will have the context to get the joke then.

A young child may latch on to a favorite story and choose it over and over again until you think you can’t stand it one more time. Studies have shown that it’s normal and developmentally appropriate. (Ever watched a TV box set or movie more than once? I thought so. Me too.) Don’t worry, the child will move on eventually!

Gold Star Books

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If you have been in the Children’s Room lately, you probably had to walk around our shiny new display, the Gold Star Books. We put it where most people walk to make it hard to miss…… as if all the gold stars won’t catch your attention!

It is stuffed with staff picks. By looking at the bookmark inside, you can see which staff member recommended it.  A few of the books won awards, some are our top favorites, and the rest are books that make us say, “Oh, I liked that one, I want someone else to find it!”  If you read one, let us know what you think about it!

~Jan