Have you discovered Oliver Jeffers?

Hopefully you're already familiar with the wonderfully imaginative and original picturebooks by Oliver Jeffers, but just in case you're not, go hunting in a bookshop or library and discover some wonderful new books to enjoy. Jeffers' ideas and his artistic style seem deceptively simple, but amazingly effective. Although his books can be read to preschoolers, they also appeal to much older children (and adults too!).

I recently read 'Stuck' for the first time. I laughed as much as the 8 year old I was reading it with. Very silly but totally hilarious.

Check out Oliver Jeffers website. Like it's creator, it is full of unique and fascinating things.

http://www.oliverjeffers.com/

The magic of picture books

The picture says it all. In this digital age there are many forms of 'portable magic', but nothing beats a book.

A lovely book review

Another review of I wish there were dinosaurs. What a thrill. The reviewer found the book: ‘Very Maurice Sendak’. This is most likely a credit to Christina Booth’s wonderful, warm, humourous illustrations. A very complimentary comparison, with which I am honoured to be associated.

Here is the link: 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16139639-i-wish-there-were-dinosaurs#other_reviews

Over and over and over again!

I’m sure you’ve been in the situation where you have had to read the same book over and over for days, weeks, or even months. No matter how much you enjoy the book, eventually you may become sick of it, while your child or children are still clamouring for more.

Have you ever asked the child or children concerned what it is that they especially love about the book? The answers may often surprise you!

I once had to read The cat in the hat over and over several times a day for many weeks to a small group of 4 year olds who just couldn’t get enough of it. Luckily Dr Seuss’s rhythmic and rhyming text bounces along in a very comforting way, so is fun to read aloud. As several of the children knew most of it by heart, they also helped me to read the book. But it is quite a long book for some children to sit through, and as the weeks went by some children became unfocused and restless. Interestingly, although they were free to leave, as we were reading in a cosy corner during play times of the day, they always chose to stay. Occasionally I would stop mid way through the book and suggest we finish later, but at least one child would say “No! no! keep reading.” This puzzled me and set me thinking. I wondered if the children just found the rhyme and rhythm comforting, and weren’t really focusing closely on the actual narrative. So I had a brainwave and asked a group of 5 children who were listening to The cat in the hat one day: “What is it that you like best about this book?”

“The clean up machine!” said Chris.

“Yeah, me too,” said Georgie. And the others nodded and agreed. Fascinated by their answers, I made a point of asking every child who I read The cat in the hat with over the next few weeks what they liked best, and nearly every one of them said the same thing.

What books have you had to read over and over? Have you ever found out what it is that makes those particular books such favourites? Please share your read aloud experiences with us.

Here are some picture books I have happily read over and over: 

My all-time favourite picture book 

A book young children never seem to tire of

Any of the Willy books are wonderful to share with children

This book fascinates children with its mysterious ending

This book, like many of Pamela Allen's books, has a great sense of rhythm, and also gets lots of laughs

Comfy corners for readings

Many of us who have grown up to be readers (and writers) have special childhood reading memories. Often then are about favourite books, but they're also about people and places. Reading spaces can be carefully planned and created by adults or children, or they can be quite spontaneous. Here are some reading spaces for children which will hopefully inspire reading memories for children to take through their lives.

Mind you, any place can be a good place to read!

Please add your own if you'd like to.

More about bibliotherapy - a picture book about allergies

Marty’s nut-free party.

Written by Katrina Roe, Illustrated by Leigh Hedstrom. Published by Wombat Books.

What child doesn’t look forward to a birthday? And the party that so often goes with it? And what educator hasn’t heard, in pre-school and Kindergarten playgrounds, children bestow the supreme social badge of belonging: “You can come to my party!”

Children’s author Katrina Roe has cleverly used birthday parties as a focus for her story of Marty, the monkey who is allergic to peanuts. Dangerous allergies, particularly to peanuts, are increasingly common in our community, and many parents struggle with maintaining their children’s health and safety while still wanting their children to be included in social occasions with their peers.

Katrina’s story beautifully captures a young child’s perspectives on this situation. At first Marty is angry (“Why was the doctor being so mean?”); but he does try his best to do what he has been told and avoid eating peanuts. To keep him safe, at first Marty’s mum doesn’t let him go to parties. But she understands how important they are to him and lets him go to his best friend’s birthday party. With not such good consequences. Cleverly, Katrina then lets Marty come up with his own wonderful solution to the problem of parties.

Marty’s nut-free party is a lovely example of a book that can help to make young children aware of the dangers of serious allergies, and of the experiences of allergy sufferers. Early childhood settings, and many schools, have a nut free policy, which this book can support. The story is simply but imaginatively told and illustrated, and allows children to identify with Marty and his friends, and to understand both the health problem and Marty’s feelings. Marty’s nut-free party can be used by parents and teachers, not only for the purpose of bibliotherapy (helping children to explore and understand a serious issue), but also to share a story about a special and favourite time of the year.

The book also contains notes for parents and carers about nut allergies, with links to sources of further expert information. This is a great resource for families and educators. 

Link to Katrina Roe's blog

  Link to Wombat Books

This is a lovely story about my interest in writing picture books, which was published in the Macquarie University Staff News this week.