I recently read an article in Reader’s Digest about the books we share with our children and the books we remember from our own childhood. Reading that article inspired a nostalgic trip to the past.
I was read to copiously as a youngster. We all know that studies show the more a child is read to at a young age (even in utero!), the more likely that child will enjoy reading throughout life. That doesn’t hold completely true, but we do know it also helps brain development and language usage. So what books inspired this bibliophile?
Mom read a lot of fairy tales to me. I remember a big red book that was filled with them, but we’ve lost track of that over the years. However, I do have another fairy tale book she used frequently, that I still use when I teach a fairy tale unit in class. This book has pages coming out of it willy-nilly and also has many literally hanging on by a thread. Still, when I look through the pictures and read the words, I remember many a night of hearing these before bed.
Dr. Seuss was a big part of my life at a young age too. Pictures are so important when we’re being read to and learning to read ourselves, so is it any wonder that the good doctor’s books strike such a chord with kids (and adults)? Along with his one-of-a-kind illustrations, Dr. Seuss is probably near the top of many people’s most fondly remembered stories. And after reading them to my own kids, it’s hard to keep “I will not eat them in a box, I will not eat them with a fox” out of your head once you get started thinking about “Green Eggs and Ham.” Personally, “The Lorax” is one of my favorite Seuss stories.
I also enjoyed Curious George a lot. The man in the yellow hat probably should have known better than ever to leave that monkey alone, but it did provide for some hilarious adventures. I remember George being in the hospital for swallowing a puzzle piece and also taking newspapers he was supposed to deliver and making them into paper boats to float down a stream. George joined the circus and saved an ostrich from swallowing a bugle, and even made it into space! There are newer versions of Curious George out now, but I’ll take the originals every time.
For some reason, I really liked the Harold and the Purple Crayon stories. These were very simplistic books, but I recall that purple was the only bright color in them. Harold was very imaginative and creative, creating whole cities with his crayon or forming a boat to travel to far away islands. Perhaps, along with a love of the Minnesota Vikings, these books are a reason that purple has always been my favorite color!
Amelia Bedelia stories were enjoyable for their play on words. When she was told to change the towels, for example, she took some scissors to them, changing their shapes. She is so literal a character that she planted weeds when told to weed the garden and put real sponges in a sponge cake. When I think about my development as a writer, I can look back to the laughter and thinking these books brought about to understand some of that humor and figurative language at the same time.
Shel Silverstein was a brilliant poet when he was alive, and luckily, book publishers have found some of his unpublished works since and put them before the public. He’s probably best known for The Giving Tree, but his poetry collections such as Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic include funny, well written poems like “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out,” my personal favorite.
And the list goes on and on. You can go way back to being a very young child and recall stories like “Goodnight, Moon” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” I’d include the Corduroy stories as well as those of the Velveteen Rabbit in there. Even tales like “The Snowy Day” resound in my memory, as well as “Where the Wild Things Are.”
And then you get a little older and start reading chapter books. “Please, Mom, read another chapter,” is probably heard often, but those are good stopping points for parents at bedtime. I really remember reading Charlotte’s Web at a very young age; that story stays with me to this day. And then there is the Little House on the Prairie series, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories about growing up across the Midwest.
So are these still relevant today? Do these stories still get shared with young people? I know Michelle and I read these with our own kids. But there are many more, even newer, books that create memories for different people. We read “Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom” more times than I can remember. And Sandra Boynton has created a line of children’s books that are as memorable as they come. Just try reading “Moo, Baa, La La La” and not have it echo around inside your head for years to come!
Everyone has their favorites, and there will continue to be new and excellent stories to read to our children and grandchildren in the years to come. I hope I was able to stir up some fun memories for you this week and encourage you to continue reading as much as possible with and to our youngsters. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is droog, which means henchman, as in, “The young boy always looked forward to seeing Draco Malfory’s droogs appear as he read the Harry Potter series of books.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!