ReadMeThisBook

Author: teachcmb56

  • “See, Touch, Feel: ABC”

    David is 14 months old when he proudly picks up a book and sits on the floor next to me. He has selected Roger Priddy’s See, Touch, Feel: ABC.

    As of now, this is his favorite book.

    David opens the book himself to the “G is for Goose; H is for Heart” two-page spread. There is a wonderful sensory detail of a raised printed yarn heart. He rubs his hand over this illustration several times because he likes the “bumpy” feel.

    Summary: This is an ABC book. Each page represents a letter and has very bright high-gloss illustrations. Look closely at the illustrations and you will notice the way baby hand prints (B is for butterfly) or foot prints (T is for tree) are incorporated into the design. Each page offers tactile opportunities for little hands to explore.

    Audience: The book also works best as a starting tool for teaching a baby or toddler “Concepts of Print”. At this early stage, learning how to hold a book or turn pages is a good goal. Teaching a young child to keep a book right side up is another building block to help familiarize babies and toddlers with books.

    Of course, the book is sturdy enough to be used by toddlers independently.

    That is a very good quality because David is NOT gentle with this book. He yanks on pages. He slaps both hands on the Queen’s face and pushes the book across the floor. He scrambles up to chase and grabs to open another page:
    “O is for the adorable Octopus, P is for Peacock.“

    Fortunately, the book holds up.

    Reading Opportunities:

    There are short rhymes on each page for each letter, but reading these aloud is not necessary to having a child enjoy the book. For example, the rhymes “K is for Koala, so cuddly and small. L is for Lion, the king of them all” are not driving a plot. David pays little attention me reading, choosing instead to turn pages back and forth to his favorite pictures.

    I do, however, have some small quibbles with the book.

    “C is for cat, D is for deer.” Deer? Not dog? Hmmmm.

    “Y is for yellow.” Yellow? Yes, yellow is a noun and all the objects on the page (banana, lemon, chick, flower, star) are yellow, but the page strays from the pattern of one object per letter. So, why not yarn or yard or Yak ? (yak is no more strange than N is for narwhale)

    David does not seem to notice. He is more interested in patting the adorable Zebra on the last page.

    Author/Illustrator: Roger Priddy is the creator of Priddy Books, which publishes books for babies and young children. Priddy Books is a division of Macmillan Publishers and books published by the imprint have won several Practical Pre-School Awards. 

  • OLIVIA by Ian Falconer

    “Read me this one, Grandma,” asks Sloane, holding up her copy of Olivia. She turns the opening pages fingering the small illustrations before we even get to the story.

    SUMMARY:
    Olivia is the title character, a six-year old pig with a sophisticated appreciation for Edgar Degas paintings and an exhausting ability to “wear someone out.” Olivia is “good at a lot of things” including her ability to:

    • sing (40 VERY LOUD SONGS),
    • keep her younger brother, Ian, in line,
    • build sandcastles that rival the Empire State Building.

      BUT, Olivia does not want to take a nap.

      In the book, Olivia demonstrates how to negotiate a number of bedtime books with her mother:

    “Only five books today, Mommy,” she says.
    “No, Olivia, just one.”
    “How about four?”
    “Two.”
    “Three.”
    “Oh, all right, three. But that’s it.”

    In my short grand-parenting experience, we never read “just one” because Sloane negotiates …just like Olivia.

    AUDIENCE: Olivia is ideal for both pre-school listeners (3-5 years) and their adult readers. The sly humor makes even repeated readings enjoyable. Children may agree with Olivia’s assessment of modern art (“a mess”). Adults may be surprised when Olivia finally falls asleep, she dreams of the opera diva, Maria Callas.

    WHY OLIVIA? Olivia is the 2004 Caldecott winning picture book by author and illustrator Ian Falconer (who passed away in 2023). The book is frequently featured as one of the top 100 picture books for children and has been a NYTimes #1 best seller.
    This picture book is also an ideal entry for this blog about children driving the book choice(s) for a bedtime read-aloud.

    READ-ALOUD SUGGESTIONS When reading Olivia, there are many opportunities to pause and spend time discussing the pictures. For example, Olivia “has to try on everything” on a two-page spread of clothing choices, with everything from evening gowns to underwear. Sloane insists we stop and name each piece of clothing; she admires Olivia’s extensive wardrobe.
    We spend several minutes discussing the clothes on these pages.

    ILLUSTRATIONS: The 34-page book features simple black and white drawings with bright red accents. Sloane particularly calls attention to the flaming red lipstick Olivia wears, and that her brother Ian poorly imitates!
    Other illustrations include credited works by Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm #30 and Edgar Degas’ Ballet Rehearsal. Falconer may be also recognized as the illustrator for several New Yorker magazine covers.

    OTHER BOOKS: Olivia Helps with Christmas, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, Olivia and the Missing Toy, Olivia Saves the Circus. Board books also available.

    The qualities of confidence and creativity are what any parent or grandparent try to instill in a young girl. The character Olivia has these qualities in abundance.

    Let Olivia be her guide!