Maryann Whitfield
A Good Idea!
Luke pulls a little book from the bookshelf. Its title is My Box. I know immediately he has chosen the perfect book for a boy with a lively imagination and a love of big boxes. Holding the book between us we snuggle together in a cozy chair.
On the book’s cover we see a picture of a girl, a cat, and a very big box. I say, “I wonder what the girl will do with that box.” Luke’s imagination fills with ideas of how the girl should use it, and he listens intently as I read.
We find our imaginations joining the girl and the cat on their adventures with the large box. When the girl and her cat fly up to the stars, Luke launches into telling his own story of flying to the moon in the box. We burst into laughter at the surprise the author gives us on the last page of the story.
As I close the book a big smile spreads across Luke’s face. He turns to me and says, “I have a good idea! Let’s go get a big box.”
A Book and the Opportunities It Gives
As our child or grandchild travels their journey of learning to talk, to read and to write we have a beautiful opportunity. This opportunity begins when we select books to read to them. Books that will set their imaginations free. Books that make them curious and ask questions. Books that give comfort to them. Books that help them develop a rich vocabulary. Books that help them gain knowledge of the world…
But oh, there are so many books to choose from.
Here are some questions to think about as you select books for your child or grandchild:
- Does the story have charm, magic, impact, and appeal?
- Will the illustrations help your child gain meaning from the book?
- Will the language spark your child’s imagination and inspire thought?
- Is the story’s idea worth the time and effort spent on reading?
