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Are you planning on taking any vacations this summer? Many of us are trying to save money these days, and there is something to be said for a quiet "staycation!" Why not take a trip around the world with some great picture books? Sound silly to you? Just wait until you see what I have for you today....
I'm so excited about today's book selections for dads! Yesterday, the books I recommended got you thinking about nature, but if the dad you're trying to inspire to read doesn't particularly enjoy camping or creepy critters, perhaps he would like to read about something that's manmade instead....
I recently mentioned how one specific book could motivate your child to write, but picture books can also inspire all ages of people to take an active interest in learning about history. The best way to bring history to life is to visit the places children are learning about. But if you can't take a trip, or even visit a museum, there's always the local library calling out to you! Books can take you to places you could never visit in real life.
Such is the case with the thought-provoking picture book, Ben's Dream, by the extraordinary Chris Van Allsburg. It's the third book of his that I'm recommending because his picture books are done in such a way that they will make all ages of readers really stop and think. If fathers want to have great conversation with their children, they should turn to Chris Van Allsburg.
Ben's Dream is what I would consider to be a "semi-wordless" book. There are only words at the beginning and the end. I'm not going to give away too much here. Fathers and children can make some great predictions based upon the cover! Let's just say that geography comes to life through intricate black and white illustrations. Readers will embark on a journey like no other, and one that will spark their curiosity about the history of some of the world's most famous monuments.
What I love about Ben's Dream is that it will not only get your child's creative juices flowing, but it also opens the door to the nonfiction world of history. For example, one of the monuments that is pictured is the Statue of Liberty, and a great picture book about it is Liberty, by Lynn Curlee.
All ages of readers will be fascinated by the intricate details surrounding this mysterious monument. Fathers will enjoy spending a couple of evenings reading this complete history of the statue that inspires so many people, especially with children between the ages of 8 and 12.
You may also be interested in Parthenon and Brooklyn Bridge, two other related children's books by Lynn Curlee. He also has another great picture book about the creation of the monuments in the National Mall in Washington D.C., which I mentioned in a previous post.
So, whether you're planning on traveling this summer or not, why not take a family trip to the public library? The only other thing you might need is a world map or globe! If you have one of them handy, it's easy for dads to refer to it while reading a book about a faraway place...
Oh, and dads with younger children might enjoy a great photographic book I recommended in a previous post, as well as some other books from my diversity/tolerance/global awareness category.
Would you like to recommend any other books that will take dads and children to other real or imaginary worlds? Feel free to share!
By the way, did you take a look at Literacy Lava yet? Do you think we should continue to publish it? I'd really appreciate it if you could leave some feedback at this post. Thanks!
