February 2008

Good Books Books are like good old friends, as they have been part of my world from before I could read. The first time I ever set foot in a room where the book shelves reached all the way up to the ceiling and understood what a library was, my whole being was tingling with happiness. Over the years, books have helped me learn and brought comfort when I was ill or upset. Reading has allowed me to stay in touch with several languages and beat the boredom on public transport. Most of all, I found that browsing through children's literature in a bookshop was a delicious adventure. Other Articles - On Being a Parent - The toughest job you'll ever love - Growing Concerns - Pre-teen steps towards independence - WebWatch & many more

Good Books

It was a little bit scary and a little bit exciting to be going to a parents' introduction evening at kindergarten. The classroom was decorated with children's crafts and radiated a cheerful atmosphere. All the mums and dads were sitting in a circle on the miniature wooden chairs and looking at each other. Like many parents, I did not know what to expect, so I appreciated the playful approach the kindergarten teachers adopted to break the ice. They asked us to choose a toy that we loved playing with when we were little. My eyes scanned the room in childlike exhilaration. What fun! The toys seemed so new and so interesting. There were marble runs, card games such as memory, toy trains, building blocks, horsey harnesses and pogo sticks, to name but a few. "Which one should I choose?" I thought as I walked around. Then I stopped in my tracks - we did not have most of these toys when I was a child. Slightly dazed by my realization, I automatically reached for a picture book.

Books are like good old friends, as they have been part of my world from before I could read. The first time I ever set foot in a room where the book shelves reached all the way up to the ceiling and understood what a library was, my whole being was tingling with happiness. Over the years, books have helped me learn and brought comfort when I was ill or upset. Reading has allowed me to stay in touch with several languages and beat the boredom on public transport. Most of all, I found that browsing through children's literature in a bookshop was a delicious adventure.

However, such enthusiasm for children's books has not always been convenient in Switzerland. Recently we went to a library to listen to "Stories for the Little Ones". When we got there I discovered that parents were not welcome. The flyer hadn't mentioned that. Similar situations had happened to us before, so I've had time to contemplate about possible reactions. It was a dilemma. On the one hand, I was faced with a well meaning librarian, whose local opinion I respected, as that's the way it has "always been done". On the other hand, I was a mother and I knew what my kids' expectations were. As usual, motherly intuition decided it and I heard myself saying quietly and firmly, "I'm staying." It was okay to sit in an armchair around the corner from the children, as quiet as a mouse. So I listened to the stories anyway, while pretending to write. What I really felt like saying was, "Wow! The storyteller sounds fantastic in Swiss German - you can feel the atmosphere of the book. Please, please let me join in. I do so love looking at the pictures!"

In contrast, my mind's eye conjured up a forgotten image of an octagonal room with windows nearly all around it and a splendid view onto the wide Hudson River, whose waters would sometimes flow in one direction and sometimes in the other, depending on the tide. The walls of the room and even the ceiling featured a hand painted Humpty-Dumpty and other nursery rhyme characters. Tiny rocking chairs for little tots stood in a circle around some multicolored cushions that looked like pieces of pie, so kids could lounge there and get to know each other while browsing through their books at leisure. Baskets of board books adorned the floor, so that inquisitive older babies and business-like toddlers could reach them easily. There were big rocking chairs for moms. It was children's books galore - all sorts of topics by highly talented writers and illustrators. The whole atmosphere in the library was saying, "Welcome! Do join us. We hope you'll love reading as much as we do."

In the past few years, I was disappointed to see that the children's section in our local libraries was organized out of the way, preferably into the basement, where the artificial light seemed feeble and cold. Toddlers and babies were not encouraged to be there, so it was difficult for a mother to join an older child if she also had younger siblings to look after. Regarding the literature itself, most picture books in German for younger children had talking animals in them. Before I had kids, I thought that talking animals were what made a children's book. But what do you do when it is obvious that a child is completely indifferent to those types of stories? If I see that glazed-over look, I know it is time to pick a picture book the kid really likes and unfortunately I haven't been able to find it yet in a Swiss library. However, I haven't given up completely, because there is a new Pestalozzi library that has opened in Zurich in July 2007, which belongs to a chain of Zurich township libraries. (See www.pbz.ch/info/engl.htm for more details.)

Last autumn I had the good fortune to participate in a reading night at school (in German). Many pairs of inquisitive eyes were riveted on the amusing pictures in the book I was holding. Unused to larger groups of children, I thought I would be nervous, but the book took over and I found myself watching the kids' reactions and taking cue from them just as keenly as with a smaller group. What I liked was when already tired children would suddenly sit in interest. Premieres definitely have something special about them, as it was surprisingly tricky to repeat the performance four times over with the same quality to each group of children.

After the reading, all the participating parents met in the staff room for refreshments. Dads represented a good half of the readers. One of the fathers was particularly popular with the kids, because instead of reading, he let each group make up their own lively tale, where every child got several turns to contribute to the story. A few years ago, this father had gotten fed up with reading the same thing over and over again to his own children, so he had begun improvising. "What's great is that anything is possible when it comes to storytelling," he said. By that time, I felt like he was starting to tell us a captivating story himself, "Boys do tend to think up dragons and monsters, while girls prefer furry creatures." The other parents were listening attentively and nodding in agreement. The dad looked around at each person in turn as he spoke and his brown eyes laughed with enthusiasm. "Language is important and you can use any amount of imagination to express something". He went on to demonstrate a wonderfully sounding piece of German he made up on the spur of the moment.

That night, I took two things home with me. One was the book title, "Flusi, das Sockenmonster" by Bine Brändle, where socks get lost during laundry because it is actually a little purple sock monster who borrows them to line its den. The second thing was a question, "What makes a good story?" For instance, there are children's books out there which have withstood the test of time and continue to be appreciated by new generations, just as they were by previous ones. There is something about them. One trademark of beloved classics must surely be the way language is used, for instance when prose is smooth to read and when rhymes have a rhythm and zest to them. Another characteristic of a good book is that it gives its audience the freedom to imagine and to expand on what was read. It is what makes the book personal and tailored to many individuals, as well as being respectful of children's intelligence and perception. Furthermore, the illustrations in a picture book make it come alive and give it a dynamic feel that is so important for busy and active little minds.

Normally I buy English books online at amazon.de and would prefer to leaf through them before purchasing, but that is not possible on the internet, so I have made quite a few mistakes. In addition, on amazon.de the reader's reviews don't always exist for English children's books, and if they do, there may not be enough of them to get a rounded opinion. Subsequently, I have tried to figure out how to increase the chances of getting a certain quality of language in our next online order. So I looked up all the titles that had won the Caldecott or the Newberry medals. That did the trick. However, I still like to browse around in stores and try diverse and unexpected new stories, which have not yet made it onto any lists of honors. After all, some of the books might help discover new interests and light that spark of imagination in an otherwise ordinary day. Besides, children might like a story just because, without any special medals attached to it.

Reading is highly individual. One way of getting kids to notice books is to make interesting books available to them in their environment, without forcing them to read. I keep our books in baskets that are located in strategic places in various rooms, in the hope that a little person will notice and pick up a few books while meandering within the home. We buy new books often and the contents of our book baskets are rotated according to age, season, theme and interest level. We put both the "old" books and the "boring" toys away into storage for a few months, so that they can be rediscovered in delight, once they have been sufficiently forgotten.

We sometimes have a recording session of all our favorite stories and put them on a CD, so the kids can listen to it in the car. When I am reading aloud, the slightest change in my mood, intonation and interest can be heard immediately and it is vital that I enjoy the story too, or my audience starts to fidget and switches off. So the books I dislike get "lost" rather quickly and discretely. At other times, I edit what I read on the fly, if it is not age-appropriate, or too tense and because we strive to promote sweet dreams and a relaxed nighttime routine.

Back at the kindergarten, to round off the parents' introduction evening, we had some tea, coffee and cookies, whilst chatting amicably among ourselves. By then my heart was singing, because I sensed that this class would be a good fit to my child's character. Then I looked around at the toys once more and decided I couldn't let such a golden opportunity pass me by. When it was my turn to shake hands with the teachers I asked, "So, when can I come round to play?"

Book List

As I am constantly on the lookout for favorite titles myself, I have included a list of the books that we enjoyed most from babyhood to school age.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. We only borrowed this book at first, but ended up reading it so many times that we missed it when it wasn't there anymore. Its rhymes are simple and memorable. Our favorite bit is "Goodnight nobody." and we look for the young mouse on every page.

What makes a Rainbow? by Betty Ann Schwarz. There is a ribbon inside the book for every color of the rainbow and the last page is a sturdy pop-up rainbow, which appeals to babies and toddlers. Meanwhile, bigger kids learn the order of the colors. For a baby, I did not dwell on the story, but turned the pages quickly, just listing the colors and saying "Where's the rainbow?" at the one-but-last page. Baby would turn that page and giggle.

The Wheels on the Bus by illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky (pop-up book). You can feel the wheels going round and round, the wipers swishing, as well as the bumpy ride in an active world. The illustrations are full of expression and it feels like everything is moving.

Ten Seeds by Ruth Brown. A book of few words which, along with the illustrations, gets the message across perfectly. We discussed each picture in turn and learned to add to the story using our own words. It takes ten seeds to make sure that one flower can grow.

Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long. The tune to Hush Little Baby is one of my favorite. However, before I read this book, I used to be somewhat bothered by the song's lyrics, namely by the many promises of bying, bying, bying. This book has alternative words that show a mother's natural love and understanding for her baby - " … and if that humming bird should fly, mama's going to show you the evening sky. When the nighttime shadows fall, mama's going hear the crickets call etc."

Wait and See by Sue Heap. This is a board book for babies and toddlers that has a real story behind it. A bear is waiting and waiting for something. We find out he is waiting for a leaf to fall from the tree so he can catch it. We have tried catching falling leaves too. It is quite exciting and not as easy as it sounds.

Two Little Dicky Birds Sitting on a Wall by illustrator David Wojtowycz. This book is in a series of three others which recount the most popular nursery rhymes. Perhaps it is the shiny pictures that the kids loved or perhaps the shapes and colors appealed to them. At any rate, I had to keep reading these books over and over again.

Draw Me A Star by Eric Carle. As with most of his books, this one is more than words. It is art. We learned to draw an eight cornered star without taking the pen off the paper. Meanwhile, the story has a light biblical touch to it (creation of the world).

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. Talk about rhyme! It's snappy and it rocks. All the letters or the alphabet climb up the coconut tree and then fall down. We learned the alphabet this way.

Chicka Chicka 1,2,3 by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson. The numbers 1 - 20 start climbing up an apple tree. Number 11 thinks the apples taste like heaven. Zero keeps asking when there will be a place for him. Then 20, 30, 40 all climb up… until there's 99 and all the numbers are feeling fine. But then they all fall down… all except for the number 10. That's when the magic happens. The story is told like a rap - my foot couldn't resist tapping right along to it.

Come Here, Cleo by Caroline Mockford. A New York librarian, who specialized in children's literature gave us this dynamic little story, which teaches action verbs to toddlers in a fun way. There is a feeling of quality about it. When I read up about its publisher, Barefoot Books, I was impressed how their philosophy makes their stories stand out. "The Barefoot child represents the person who is in harmony with the natural world and moves freely across boundaries of many kinds. Barefoot Books works with artists, writers and storytellers from many different cultures, focusing on themes that encourage independence of spirit, promote understanding and acceptance of different traditions, and foster a life-long love of learning."

I Spy (Little Book) and I Spy (Little Letters) by Jean Marzollo. There are many dinky little objects to spot in the photographs. The rhymes fit well. Both books are enormous fun.

Grandfather and I by Helen E. Buckley. While everybody rushes about on their business, grandfather takes the youngest in the family for a delightful walk in the woods. They never hurry. "We walk along and walk along and stop and look just as long as we like."The illustrations are warm and show a wonderful relationship full of love, patience and gentleness between grandfather and grandchild. There is a similar book called Grandmother and I.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. The illustrations are funky and just right for a snowy day. The story is beautiful in its simplicity - that's exactly how it is when a boy enjoys playing in the freshly fallen soft snow.

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman. The cook in the book collects her own ingredients. We learned that cinnamon comes from the bark of the kurundu tree in Sri Lanka, a pear shaped island in the middle of the Indian ocean. We also laughed a lot and learned how to bake an apple pie.

I am a leaf by Jean Marzollo. Her writing is smooth, clear and keeps a child's attention, which is perfect for a stage 1 reader. The illustrations are all collages and a pleasure to look at. We find out why leaves are important for a tree. Their job is to make tree food. We also find out how the tree food is made.

The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis. The refrain is catchy: "Round and round across the ground, making a thumpin' bumpin' sound, went that thumpety bumpety, thumpin' bumpin' round and roly runaway pumpkin." We ended up chanting this one by heart on a bumpy sled ride down Uetliberg in Zurich.

Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin. Both the writing and the illustrations are really funny. It starts off with grampa who teaches young spiders that butterflies taste better with a little barbeque sauce. It ends with "I wish that people wouldn't judge all spiders, based on the few spiders that bite. I know if we took time to get to know each other, we would get along just fine. Just like me and Fly."

Postman Pat by John Cunliffe. We have a bunch of annuals which I bought second hand in England. Language wise, these books filled the gap between the toddler stories and the more difficult stories for preschoolers. There are activities and comics in the annual, which broaden the range of interests, while the short stories are ideal for reading at bedtime.

Pancake, Pancake by Eric Carle. Jack finds out that there's a long way to make a pancake. Sometimes I ask myself if the success of Eric Carle's books is solely due to his artwork, or would the story stand by itself? This story certainly does. The illustrations add harmony.

The Listening Walk by Paul Showers. Sometimes, when you go for a walk, just listen to everything. You will hear wonders. When you close the book, listen. How many sounds can you hear?

Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Wonderful books as first readers, as they use short words, there is action all the way, there is a story and the words dance with each other in rhyme.

The Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook and The Alfie and Annie Rose Outdoor Book by Shirley Hughes. Both of these books are a collection of short stories, which makes them ideal for bedtime reading. The illustrations are exquisite. Our favourites are about "Breakfast Time", when dad hides behind the cornflakes packet because Annie Rose sings so loudly, and about "Bonting", the stone that Alfie keeps in his pocket as a friend and takes to bathe at the seaside in its very own green swimsuit… and then Alfie loses and finds Bonting again.

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. A magnificent epic about a tiny seed, describing what a plant needs in order to grow. The wind, the seasons, the sun, the rain and the soil all play a role… until the cycle starts all over again. The illustrations are, as usual, a feast for the eyes.

The following are books from the series Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science (Stages 1 & 2) How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan, Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber, The Big Dipper by Franklin Mansfield Branley, From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer, Fireflies in the Night by Judy Hawes. I have learnt something myself from all of the above books, because they are presented so clearly, their illustrations match the text and they are factually correct. Above all, they are comfortable for reading out loud and they satisfy the craving for finding out how things work.

Hello Mr. Twiddle by Enid Blyton. A collection of short stories about a man who gets things mixed up every day. It is the kind of slapstick that children find utterly delightful and they keep asking, "What happened next?"

The Cricket on Times Square by George Selden. A boy called Mario works at the family newsstand in the Times Square subway station. Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat live together in a drain pipe at the subway station. Tucker adores scrounging. Harry is mellow and philosophical - he loves the opera. One day, Mario finds a cricket, who had come Times Square from Connecticut in a pick-nick basket quite by accident, because of his partiality for liverwurst sandwiches.

Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. "A long time ago, when all the grandfathers and grandmothers of today were little boys and little girls or very small babies, or perhaps not even born, Pa and Ma and Mary and Laura and Baby Carrie left their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. They drove away and left it lonely and empty in the clearing among the big trees and they never saw that little house again." Our kids liked that it was a true story. They were fascinated by the descriptions of how a house and a well were built. They started painting pictures of a little house and horses pulling a wagon and the prairie fire.

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