Learning to Read with a Wordless Book

Spring has sprung!  Now that winter's over, the child from author and illustrator Lita Judge's Red Sled is in for another surprise in Judge's follow up book, Red Hat.

The story opens with a thorough "swish swash swish swash" washing of the titular red knit hat.  The child then hangs the hat on a clothes line to dry.  Soon,  a bear cub spies the hat with a familiar "Hrmmm?" and the baby bear wastes no time in snatching the hat from the line. (Could this be the cub of the curious bear from Red Sled?) As baby bear runs along, more baby forest animals join in the fun and the hat begins to unravel. This nearly wordless book leaves a lot of room for spontaneous discussion that won't interrupt the flow of the story.  On each page the action is highlighted with a simple sound effect that's often quite funny.

Wordless picture books are a great way for children to enhance their visual literacy skills. Being able to extract clues from pictures is a valuable skill in and of itself, and it is also a great strategy for emergent readers first struggling with text.  The give-and-take feedback that comes from discussing the illustrations builds vocabulary since the discussion will likely include words that would not normally come up in everyday conversations.

Judge gives her tale a comforting wrap-up.  The child's reaction to discovering the ruined hat is puzzlement rather than anger or sadness, and the next scene shows the child contentedly re-knitting the red strand of yarn.  The child models a great response to a potentially stressful situation, and the book provides an opportunity to talk with your child about some strategies for handling life's inevitable upsets.

You can borrow Red Hat along with other titles by Lita Judge and also other wordless picture books at your local library branch.  Happy reading!

Miss Robin

Friends Forever--or Snack Time?

For a "fintastic" story about overcoming bias and stereotypes, Nugget and Fang by Tammi Sauer and Michael Slack, is at the top of the food chain.  Through expressive illustrations, hilarious diagrams, and well-placed aquatic puns, children will learn that differences can make a friendship richer. 

Nugget and Fang are best friends beneath the sea:  "They swam over. Glug.  They swam under. Glug-glug. They swam all around. Glug-glug-glug."  The two pals do everything together, despite the fact that Nugget is a minnow and Fang is a shark (with an exceptionally toothy grin). When Nugget starts school at Mini Minnows, Nugget begins to learn about the food chain, about predators and prey, and about how sharks eat minnows!  Nugget returns to Fang and explains how they can no longer be friends: "Shark are toothy.  Sharks are scary.  Sharks and minnows can't be friends."  Fang embarks upon a series of misinterpreted gestures to get his best friend back, but to no avail.  Even his mermaid costume goes unnoticed! 

Friendship stories like Nugget and Fang encourage children to consider and talk about their own behaviors and interactions with others, which can help with social development.  And, there is no shortage of friendship stories at the public library.  Another favorite of mine is Penguin and Pinecone, the story of a curious bond between an animal and a tree!  At least there is no perceived danger of one friend eating the other in this one.  Enjoy!

-Miss Ashley

Celebrate Moms

Here are some wonderful children's books that celebrate moms of all kinds from all over the world.  Don't wait for Mother's Day to enjoy, however.  These stories, like the moms they celebrate, are good every day of the year.

Love to Mama: a tribute to mothers, edited by Pat Mora, presents loving, funny, and colorful reminiscences of mothers and grandmothers by 13 Latina poets, some known, some new. Bright, exuberent illustrations by Ecuadoran artist Paula Barragan, adorn each story.

My Mother's Sari by Sandhya Rao is simple enough for a toddler and rich enough for older children.  Written from the point of view of a little boy or girl, each page gives a special reason why the child loves his mother's sari, and how it represents her love.  Illustrations inside the book's front and back cover show how a woman wraps a sari, clearing up a fundamental question for the curious.

Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth by Kate Klise is one of the funniest books about mothers I've ever read.  Little Rabbit's calm, loving mother has a surprise in store for her little bunny who would rather join the circus than clean his room. 

Some of my favorite books featuring adoptive mothers include:  A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza, Our Twitchy by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan, and Guji, Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen. 

And for grandmothers, give these a try: Sleepover at Gramma's House by Barbara Joose, Grandma Francisca Remembers by Ann Morris, and Piglet and Granny by Margaret Wild.  All of these titles are avilable from the Pima County Public Library, but don't be surprised to learn that the story your child loves the most is the one you tell from your heart.    Enjoy! - Miss Meg