Moms Inspire Learning

The Life and Death of Picture Books

If my children had not been surrounded by picture books when they were very young, there is no way they would have become the advanced readers and learners they are today.

Picture books provide the window to our inner and outer worlds, and people of all ages can learn something from them. Yet, they have become such an underutilized resource within many of our homes and schools. Why? Hmmm....testing, our busy lives, our obsession with moving on to the next best thing, our desire for quick fixes, to name a few.

Come Meet Laura Numeroff in NY, Boston, or DC This Week!

I really miss writing about picture books! So, when I was asked to tell you about Laura Numeroff's story hour tour this week, I jumped at the chance.

I tend to write about lesser known picture books, but both of my children really enjoyed popular ones like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (If You Give...) and If You Give a Pig a Pancake (If You Give...) when they were toddlers and preschoolers. StrawberryGirl even created an If You Give a Pig a Pancake game when she was in Kindergarten! Players had to go around the board earning pancakes. Oh, what fond memories...

Picture Books for Peace and Friendship

What's the difference between:

• a lecture and a debate?
• a frozen pizza and one freshly made, and hot out of the oven?
• watching a movie based on a book and reading the actual book?
• a trip to the zoo and an African safari?

Some Picture Books Stay With You For a Lifetime

Is there a certain picture book that left such an impression upon you that you still find yourself thinking about it as an adult? Or perhaps, there's one that you've read recently with your child that brought back special memories from when you were a child yourself?

Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books), by Crockett Johnson, is a classic, for sure. It's one of those unforgettable picture books that many children carry with them throughout their lives.

Don't take my word for it, though! Read Amy Wallace's recent article in More magazine (one of my favorites), called Finding My Way to Trust. It's amazing how some picture books can really stay with you for a lifetime...

One Powerful Picture Book

Writing poetry.

Taking photographs.

Serving your community.

Listening to, and collaborating with, others.

Speaking out, and even singing, for a cause.

Traveling to a faraway place to share your message.

Some very special 8th graders did all of these things. And it all started with...

Thanksgiving Picture Books and Such

 

©iStockphoto/Brandy Taylor

Since I haven't had a chance to write a detailed post with Thanksgiving picture book recommendations, I thought I'd share a couple of links with you. Here they are:

• PBS Booklights' Thursday Three: Thanksgiving 

• The Mailbox blog's Thanksgiving Books 

You might also be interested in Finding Dulcinea's Thanksgiving For Kids: Crafts, Recipes and Learning Tools, which was brought to my attention by Susan Stephenson of The Book Chook blog.

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Moon, a Meteor Shower, and... a Giraffe?

Summer is a time for star gazing, and for taking time out to notice the little things. Children love to look out for fireflies, and to look up at the moon...

The natural world around us is such a mystery; and in a world where we all seem to be zooming full speed ahead, it's a place that can pull us back to the present. It's a place where we can take a moment to think about who we are, and how we fit into the world. Hmmm...You could say the same thing about picture books, couldn't you?

Picture Books Can Inspire a Love of Reading

Are you having trouble motivating your child to read this summer? Well, I decided to add an extra post this week with some favorite picture books which encourage reading and library visits! They're mainly for children between the ages of 4 and 8, give or take a year or two.

Book to Garden Connections

© iStockphoto/Karen Squires realitybytes

If you're lucky, you have a garden that your children help you out with. We just have a small "potted" garden, but my son has had the privilege of maintaining a classroom garden at school this year. His amazing teacher gave each group of 3 children its own gardening "box" in the ground to maintain. His group planted strawberries, tomatoes, and blackberries. He's really enjoying it. It's a fun, educational way for children to not only learn about science, but cooperation and teamwork as well. It's also a fantastic way to literally "breathe life" into the curriculum.

Father's Day Read Alouds: All About Pizza

©iStockphoto.com/Nancy Louie (nano)

If you were stranded on a tropical island and had to pick two foods to eat for the rest of your life, what would they be? Mine would probably be veggie pizza and chocolate. Hopefully, there would be some fruit around, as well. Hey, in Italy I once had a dessert pizza with chocolate covered fruit!

There aren't too many people who don't like pizza or chocolate. Just think about how many different versions of each there are, and how many creative ways they can be served. So, whether the special dad in your life likes meatballs or pineapple on his pizza, I hope today's post will inspire him to read and play with your child...