Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Doesn't everyone like unicorns?

Well, I just really wanted to add a picture, give the text a little more interest. Unfortunately, it didn't work. That must be fixed. I am afraid that I am very much like Alice in that I prefer books with illustrations. I enjoy imagining what things look like (though I am not always very good at it), but I truly enjoy looking at the pictures, seeing how other people imagined something. Some children's books have the most amazing illustrations; rich colors and textures that really bring the characters or ideas of a story to life. One that we recently enjoyed is Where Did All the Dragons Go? by Fay Robinson. The story is told with a lyrical narrative and has a curiosity inducing ending, but the pictures of the dragons and their landscapes are mesmerizing! Another way to find really good children's books: watch either Reading Rainbow or Between the Lions on PBS. Those are both excellent shows to watch if you want to inspire your children (or yourself) to read and ejoy it.

Younger children learning to read will appreciate Between the Lions because of the reading skills that it teaches. Curious and inquisitive children will appreciate Reading Rainbow because of the explorative nature of the show. There is a different theme to each show and the books that they read and talk about are related to that theme. From cooking to knitting, optical illusions and firefighters. Any given week there will be a good range of subjects showcased. But as LeVar Burton says, "Don't take my word for it," check them out!

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