This week begins Children’s Book Week. While that’s a fantastic thing, it begs the question:
Why doesn’t EVERY DAY celebrate books and children?
Stories are what carry us through our lives. The stories we are told, the stories we tell. Stories passed on through families, generation after generation. Stories we hear and see and read that resonate with what it is to be human. What it is to be a part of a greater whole. What helps us cope and thrive and give back to others.
For those who know me, either in person, online, or via my blog, know that I’m a strong advocate for children, for children’s books, and for reading aloud to children. No matter how busy life becomes, parents must NEVER forget the crucial role books and reading aloud play in laying a firm foundation for young children.
And since no two people are identical, no two people have the same preferences for books. The same is true of children. Try out as many books as possible with young children to see what they love and want to re-read over and over. Seeing more diversity in today’s children’s books also helps to engage more and more readers. Plus don’t forget the classics, they are classics for a reason.
Read wide and deep with young children of ALL AGES. Read myths, fables, and fairy tales. Read stories that rhyme, stories that don’t, stories without words, and long stories that takes days and days to finish. Watch films that visually tell stories.
But more than anything, spend time with your children…EVERY DAY. Tell your children your own stories. Then embrace the HEART of why you tell stories when your growing children tell you theirs.
Common Sense Media [great place to find book and film recommendations]
NYPL 100 Children’s Books/ 100 Years
Marianne Kuzujanakis 