Lessons Learned from a Pre-Schooler

I was in the unique position of spending two uninterrupted weeks with a four year old. My camera roll reminded me of ten very important lessons we can all learn from spending time with our little ones.

 

#1 One piece of candy is worth three baby carrots.

 

#2 A box is never just a box.

 

#3 Sing, dance, and do the hokey-dokey. (pronounced as spelled)

[Musical accompaniment from storyteller and bookseller at our local bookstore, Joseph-Beth.]

 

#4 Cows do not have upper teeth.

 

#5 Fairies like mushrooms, acorns, and painted rocks.

 

#6 Even a field of dying sunflowers is magical.

 

#7 Blanket Forts are great places to eat cookies and play games on rainy days.

 

#8 Speaking of cookies, if you take only a nibble maybe no one will notice.

 

#9 You only need a cape to have superpowers.

 

#10 Make friends everywhere!

 

 

 

Energy Enthusiasm Excitement

Energy. Enthusiasm. Excitement. These three words perfectly describe Sherri Duskey Rinker, author of the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series and several other books for young people.

Sherri must have been exhausted, she had already had two school visits that day. Yet here she came, eager to meet more fans.

Hosted by The Blue Manatee Bookstore she was here to talk to her audience… a loud rambunctious crowd to say the least. And talk she did. To them. On their level. Matching their energy, enthusiasm, and excitement note for note.

 

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sherri asked them questions, responded to their questions (and sometimes off-topic comments), and told them stories about herself. And of course she read her newest book, Construction Site on Christmas Night.

Every eye was focused on the book. Every ear was tuned into the story.  She totally had these kids… mind, body, and spirit. I was in awe of her.

On the way to dinner, I asked my granddaughters what they liked the best. The six year old liked Sherri’s story about her sons. She even compared them to herself and her sister, saying that she goes right to sleep after her stories but that her sister does not. And she liked that the author wrote all their names in the book. The three year old said she wanted chicken nuggets and fries, but not the orange fries her mommy gave her the other day… those were yucky. Yep, even my own prodigy can be off-topic at times!

Thanks for coming to Cincinnati, Sherri! So glad I got to meet you in real life!

 

Sweet Potato Fries

Off topic post script: Orange fries are NOT yucky. Mommy is right, they’re better for you than regular french fries.

 

 

Duck, Duck, Moose

Duck, Duck, Moose! written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones (2014)

Duck and Duck are so neat, organized, polite, mannerly…  Moose, not so much!  Duck and Duck spend all morning cleaning the house, Moose crashes through the wall wrecking the table they have just set. Duck and Duck work at creating pieces of art, Moose falls splattering paint and destroying the statue. Duck and Duck hang balloons and bake a cake, Moose is ordered to leave the house. Duck and Duck hang the banners, wrap the gifts, make the punch… but where is Moose?

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen writes a two-word simply perfect picture book. Children will love the rhythm of the familiar playground game transposed in this funny and touching story of a clumsy misguided Moose and the Ducks who love him!

Noah Z. Jones adds the details of this almost-wordless picture book. Even without knowing how to read, preschoolers can follow along and retell the story to themselves without missing a thing!

I so admire writers and illustrators who work together to tell a whole story! I couldn’t help but feel sorry for poor Moose. His tears broke my heart… and the Ducks’ love for him melted it. This is definitely one for my bookshelf!

Number One Sam

Number One Sam written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli (2014)

Yesterday I got the chance to spend the day with my #1 toddler. We went to Story Hour at our public library and got the chance to hear the children’s librarian read Number One Sam. The little ones loved it, the toddlers as much as the preschoolers, so did the adults! Greg Pizzoli has done it again with a clear and simple story that everyone can enjoy.

Sam is number one at everything. He just knows he going to win the big race, until he loses a race to his friend Maggie. Oh, no! Everyone is cheering except Sam. Sam cannot even look at Maggie on the day of the big race. He was so distracted he missed the starting flag and everyone sped off leaving him in a cloud of dust. Maggie was first in line. Then Sam caught up and passed everyone, including Maggie. He would be number one again…until something terrible happened. Sam saw a brood of chicks crossing the track! He slammed on his brakes and rescued the chicks while the other racers sped past him. Sam finished last. As he approached the finish line he heard everyone cheering… for him! ‘And even though he lost another race…his friends still thought he was number one.’

How could you not love this story? It teaches so many valuable lessons about friendship, winning, and doing the right thing. Greg Pizzoli is a genius at choosing just the right words to tell a story. He doesn’t talk down to kids or adults and uses vocabulary that is rich in meaning. And the illustrations are simple and vintage in the way that makes me think of cartoons I watched in the 60’s and 70’s. Sam reminds me of a cross between Underdog and Speed Racer, but then again that may just be me! So with the Indy 500 just around the corner… I’ll be rooting for Sam!

PS. If you remember Greg Pizzoli’s Watermelon Seed, you’ll recognize the alligator in the race.

THE WATERMELON SEED