Monday, November 12, 2007
I Love You More....
I love to read. Maybe because my mother loves to read, and she read to me. When she couldn't read to me, she made sure I had books to read myself. I hope I passed that on to our three children. Certainly we made reading a priority in our home. Each of our three kids had an old coal bucket, painted to match their bedroom, and it held their favorite books. At bedtime they'd each go grab one, and we'd pick one bed to pile into, where we'd end our day with a story or two. Some of them were read so many times the lines were memorized by all of us.When Dan went through his 'love of all things dinosaur' stage, the girls threatened to stage a revolt, but fair was fair. He was willing to listen to their girly choices, so they had to suffer through stories of tyrannasaurus rex eating diplodocus. When one went through the fear of the dark, Franklin books were pulled out - again. Leslie loved Pinnocchio so much that we'd check it out of the library, browse awhile then go back to the desk to take it home again. Sarah especially loved the Little House on the Prairie series.
What mattered was not the story so much as the practice, that time spent snuggled up in bed at the end of the day. Everything stopped for just a bit while three little bodies in footie pajamas, covered in the smell of night-time baths, listened to my sing-song voice read them their favorite book. As they got a bit older, they began to read to me, to us.
So I'm happy to recommend to you a book sent to me for review. Titled, "I Love You More", it's unique in that it ends in the middle and begins on both sides. One start is from the parent's perspective, then the other is from the child's. In simple sing-song verse, with childlike chalk drawing illustrations, it's a book that could easily become a night-time favorite. The words are manageable for a young reader, giving them a sense of accomplishment - that "I Can Read!" feeling.
What's unusual about this book is the author - Laura Duksta lost all her hair to a childhood illness, spent years of her life hiding behind wigs, then at her 30th birthday had a coming out party. Known as The Bald Chick, she teamed up with a friend who did the illustrations, in a style that will appeal to kids. Together they call themselves Hippie and the Bald Chick, which tells me they have a healthy sense of humor to get them through life!
You can go here to buy the book on Amazon. You can go here to learn more of Laura's story. Looking back, with my children grown, I'd love to go back and relive one of those nights, snuggled up in bed with three wiggly, footy pajama, soap smelling kids, and this book would be a lovely choice.
For you weary parents, still in the thick of it, who would love a grandparent to show up at bedtime and take over the nighttime duty just once, you'll be happy to know this book, start to finish from both sides, could easily be read in fifteen minutes. Just right for the child who doesn't quite want the day to end, and the weary parent who feels like it's never going to.
Labels: Busy Buzz
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