Let them do handstands!
Reading without rules
Completely out of the blue, my old employer texted me the other day. It was a picture of one of the twins reading a tome of a book, along with some words of gratitude for my role in their early reading development. Victory!
I can’t believe the twins are now 12 years old, but I can believe that they love to read. My old boss loves to give me all the credit, but I know it takes a village and I want to remind her of all the ways she and her partner support their kids’ reading habits, BUT ALSO, you know what? Maybe I should just take the credit! I went to storytimes all over this nation (traveling nanny gig) and read to those boys all the time for the five years I was in their employ.
The text conversation continued and I expressed hope that mine would one day impress their teachers with their reading skills as well. She said that as long as I read to them, and they saw me reading, it was sure to happen.
Thinking of the twins brought up so many fond memories, but particularly I thought of some of our more rambunctious reading times, which reminded me of a useful reading tip.
LIT TIP:
Exposure > “Success.” What do I mean by that? Keep reading aloud, whether or not your child appears to be listening. Sure, if you are exhausted and your kid isn’t interested, you don’t have to read. But, if your kid is just feeling a bit wiggly or distracted, go ahead and finish reading the books. Don’t worry if they are not sitting in your lap, or if they are talking to their friends during library storytime. Don’t make listening to a book a chore.
Sometimes the twins were jumping around their bedroom going absolutely bananas, and I would just plow on. My second child didn’t show much interest in books for the first two years of her life, she was more likely to be dancing. So I read while she danced! Now she will crawl into my lap with a book in tow, demanding I read to her “right now!”
There isn’t a rule about what position you need to be in to read a book, even when you are an adult. My father likes to read standing at a podium. My sister likes to read on her dog walks using audiobooks. I read audiobooks while I do dishes, I used to read on my phone’s Kindle app while breastfeeding in the dark in the middle of the night. Some kids want to cuddle up and read, some want to hear a story while they practice handstands. Both ways of listening are totally valid and wonderful! Creating a fun environment around reading is going to do more good in the long run than trying to contain a kid who does not want to be contained.
And don’t let one failed library storytime scare you away from trying again (and again and again and again). Positive exposure will create a lifelong habit.
My book reviews this week include 4 Do's and 1 Don’t!
DO:
TRIANGLE by Mac Barnett Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Triangle sets out one day with the idea to play a prank on his friend Square, and hilarity ensues. This author-illustrator duo is a winning team always guaranteed to bring a laugh. There is a hint of mischief in Barnett’s books that I both revel in and fear - my children and I find the prank laugh-out-loud funny. But will my kids then think it is funny to prank people and make them mad? And is that funny? Am I overthinking this? Did I let it stop me from reading this book to them one hundred times while we all giggled? It did not. Hopefully, they will be funny little pranksters.
DO:
TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES retold and illustrated by Brigette Barrager
Twelve enchanted princesses are mysteriously tired all the time, their shoes are always worn bare by the morning. Their desperate father searches the kingdom for someone who can tell him why. We are living in an era when a retold fairy tale often has some kind of progressive message: the princess rebukes the prince and becomes CEO of her own company, the wolf doesn’t really want to eat the pigs after all, that kind of thing. I love so many of those retellings, but I also love to see a classic fairy tale hold (basically) true to its roots (though the original is much more gruesome) and this one does a lovely job. Both my kids were in love with the beautiful princesses, the fancy shoes made by the cobbler, and the mystery created by enchantment and adventure. This was probably the most frequently read book of the month!
DO:
SOMEWHERE IN THE BAYOU by Jarrett Pumphrey Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey
Four swamp creatures encounter a mysterious tail in the bayou and each has their own idea of who it belongs to and how to get rid of it. The art and story are both absolutely delightful. My kids love it when the creatures who make assumptions about the tail are thwacked into the bayou with a satisfying “WHACK, SPLASH!” The onomatopoeia, repetitive phrases, and adorable expressions capture the imagination. The overarching message is to avoid making assumptions but instead, ask questions so you can forge unlikely and beneficial friendships.
DO:
ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK by Deborah Hopkinson Illustrated by John Hendrix
When young Abe Lincoln and his first friend Austin Gollaher go down to the creek after a big rain they get themselves into a bit of trouble, and Austin saves the day. Told in the voice of a traditional Tall Tale but with a twist, Hopkinson breaks the “third wall” between narrator and illustrator in such a fun and playful way that is sure to delight. This tactic also reiterates the message that a story can be told in different ways depending on who is doing the telling. A fun glimpse into a lesser-known part of Abraham Lincoln’s history, which encourages everyone to recognize that even our smallest actions can have a giant impact.
DON’T:
DAD AND THE DINOSAUR by Gennifer Choldenko Illustrated by Dan Santat
A kid with big fears uses his dinosaur to feel brave, taking it with him wherever he goes. Although the idea of a lucky talisman gone missing is a cute and often told story, this is my DON’T book, and here is why: SECRETS don’t make friends.
When the kid loses his dinosaur on the soccer pitch and is reluctant to leave, he doesn’t tell his mom what he is looking for. Bummer #1. Later, he confesses to his dad that he uses this dinosaur to feel brave and he wants to go and find it. When the dad and kid go out to the door despite the late hour the mother asks where they are going the dad flippantly says “Guy stuff” and then just walk out the door. WTF? Bummer #2. Is there something inherently “guy” about having a lucky dinosaur? Are we encouraging families to keep secrets from one another? To gender-assign actions like looking for a lost toy?
When the kid and dad find the dinosaur the little boy says “Don’t tell mom, okay?” and the dad is like “Yeah, bitch doesn’t need to know.” (OK, not really, but doesn’t seem like a far cry really). WHY can’t the mom know about her son’s insecurities, his coping mechanisms, his little toy dinosaur? Also, realistically, I’d bet all the dirty laundry in the world the mom already knows about Pocket Dino. Mom always knows. ALSO, don’t keep secrets in your family. Don’t do it. I was going to be chill about this, but apparently, I am not. Sorry, not sorry.
That is all for now! Happy reading!
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I believe in handstands! Maybe I can get my junior English class as actively engaged in their reading!
I loved this edition of your substack library recommendations! Especially the Don’t one. On point!