TEN Tips for Reading BOARD BOOKS with Babies and Toddlers plus a PRECIOUS Memory

Every night when my kids were little – starting when they were babies – we would wrap up our day with some cozy reading time, followed by a lullaby and a prayer. They loved it. I loved it. My husband loved it. 

We had our favorite board books which included Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (to which we always added a long list of items in their room), Time for Bed by Mem Fox, and my son’s all-time favorite What to Wear, Jesse Bear” by Nancy White Carlstrom (to which we made up our own tune and actions).

And this picture, oh this picture, makes me smile.  I think my husband took it or maybe my sister. It was taken shortly after our sweet Miss A arrived and my son, then four, was so excited that he held her hand during our bedtime readings. Wasn’t that a precious and tender way to demonstrate his love?

Now, in celebration of the joy and bonding that happen when we read with our little ones, here are 10 tips for reading board books with babies and toddlers.  What would you add?

Tip #1: Make reading time special. (It’s about more than just reading. It’s about
bonding, interacting and fostering love of story and storytelling.)

Tip #2: Ask questions. “Where’s the___?” “Who/what’s that?” “What’s ___ doing?”

Tip #3: Read anywhere, anytime. Read often.

Tip #4: Add simple actions and/or sounds. (Like animal sounds)

Tip #5: Vary the delivery. Sing the story. Use different voices.

Tip #6: Let toddlers turn the pages. Anticipate what will happen.

Tip #7: Point and name things as you read.  

Tip #8: Extend the story with an activity. (Like counting or drawing)

Tip #9: Read the same stories again and again… if they ask! That’s how they learn and grow.

Tip #10: Establish weekly library visits. (Let them pick some of the books.)

Happy Reading, all!

Looking for some new board books for your littles? Check out mine in the Books Tab above!

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TWELVE TIPS for READING ALOUD to 3 – 7 YEAR OLDS at BOOK EVENTS

Reading to the young is fun, but can be challenging if you are new to it.  With that in mind, here are twelve tips for capturing and keeping the attention and interest of preschool – K-2 audiences at picture book read-aloud events. (Perfect for authors or anyone reading aloud to this age range.)

BEFORE THE STORY:

1. Have the children gather around you – close up.
2. Begin with a focusing activity, such as a song or clapping response game (or a fun book-themed gameshow style quiz as I do with LITTLE EWE).
3. Briefly tell a little bit about who you are, your inspiration for story etc. in a playful, kid-friendly way.  (Optional:  Bring a long a couple of props to help with this.  I bring puppets and, perhaps a hat or other book-themed apparel, such as my most recent bunny hat that I wore whilst reading BUNNY FINDS EASTER!)

DURING THE STORY:

4. Be animated and excited. Read with expression.

5.  Make eye contact. Remember, you aren’t just reading, you are interacting with your readers.

6.  Before turning each page, be sure to hold the book up and pan it around the room slowly so everyone has a chance to enjoy the illustration.

7. Involve the children in the storytelling. (By using body motions and sounds, for example.)

8. Pause occasionally to point out something from the illustrations that they might not notice, but which adds to the story.

9. As you read, occasionally ask questions like “What do you think will happen next?  Would you want to be…?”  (But don’t do #8 and #9 so much that you break the flow of the story.)

AFTER THE STORY:

10. Share a fun post-reading activity such as a simple craft or song.

11. Depending on age and attentiveness of group, have a brief Q&A session.

12. Thank the children for being such a great audience and thank their parents or guardians for bringing them to the event.  Remember also to thank the event host.

Read, Discuss, Do! Guest Post: The JOY of Reading TOGETHER (A Childhood Memory and a Challenge)

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When Rebecca Gomez, founder and creator of Read, Discuss, Do! asked me if I’d be part of the team here, I was thrilled. For starters, I love the Read, Discuss, Do mission to help families and educators thoughtfully extend story time through the simple three-part formula reading a story, using that story to spark conversation, and then taking action through a meaningful activity.  

But, for me, the connection runs deeper because reading aloud together was foundational to my own reading experience as a child. Learn more as a reminisce about the joy of reading aloud together witha loved one – my mom- and how this relates to the wonderful mission of Read, Discuss, Do! I’ll make it easy for you. Here’s the link.

The 2020 ANNA DEWDNEY READ ALOUD AWARD: Celebrating Books that Spark Compassion, Empathy and Connection

(Read to the end for a fun LOVE IS KIND connection.)

Per the official description “The Anna Dewdney Read Together Award is given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and also sparks compassion, empathy, and connection. The award commemorates the life and work of author/illustrator Anna Dewdney, and celebrates her commitment to reading with young children and putting books into as many little hands as possible.”

This year’s award goes to author/illustrator Oge More for her picture book THANK YOU, OMU!

I love this book. My kids are big now, but it’s just the kind of story I would have read to my kids over and over again. It would make a wonderful addition to any book collection.  It is also a Caldecott winner and the illustrations are amazing.

Here’s my quick description: Omu has created a delicious stew and its mouth-watering aroma fills the neighborhood. Soon all sorts of visitors stop by for a taste and Omu gladly shares.  But, when it’s finally time for her dinner, she discovers the pot is empty!  Will she go to bed empty-bellied or will compassion and generosity prevail? 

You will have to read the story to find out.

You can also hear the author herself read it live this coming Friday, May 8th at 3pm ET as part of Children’s Book Week on the Every Child A Reader Facebook Page.

Now, the little bit of fun news – with a LOVE IS KIND connection:

Though not the winner, LOVE IS KIND is named as one of five honor books for this year’s award.  Isn’t that neat? Little Owl thinks so. Here’s the link to the official announcement. 

Hooray for stories that foster love and joy and connect us to others!  And hooray for the magic of reading aloud with children! Happy Monday! 

DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE Read by Author LAURA SASSI

Looking for a virtual STORY TIME with the author?  It’s very unusual for publishers to grant permission to do these kinds of storytimes. It’s their way (and mine too!) of doing something special for families and kiddos at this time when the world is topsy turvy and we are all sheltering in place due to the pandemic. I’m grateful to Sterling Children’s Books for providing this opportunity to share my favorite opera-themed picture book – DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE – as part of Sterling Storytime! It’s available for viewing (for a limited time) on their Youtube Page. If you have a copy, grab it now so you can read along with me. Then, get ready to sing and be silly!

Fun little back story: My 15 year-old filmed me reading the book on our front porch and I think she was a little embarrassed at how dramatic I was being. Her embarrassment turned to teen mortification when a passerby applauded after the finale. Delores, however, was delighted!

Extension Activities: Here a couple of links to extension activities to do post-reading. Enjoy!

Diva Delores Coloring Page and Writing Prompt

Feathered Fan: A Read. Discuss. Do! Craft

Teaching Respect with Diva Delores and the Opera House Mouse

NOTE: The Sterling Story Time featuring DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE, courtesy of Sterling Children’s Books, is no longer available. But the good news is the book is still available at book stores and at your local library. If they don’t have it, you can request it, for which we would be most grateful. Happy reading! =)

EL AMOR ES BONDADOSO Read Aloud by Laura Sassi!

One of my JOYS over the past couple of months has been learning to read EL AMOR ES BONDADOSO (Vida Zondervan) in Spanish so that I can read it at bilingual school and library visits (all of which have now been temporarily canceled). For the first step, my ADORABLE dad, who speaks Spanish fluently, sent me little video tutorials so I could listen and then read on my own with his voice in my head. Here is a sample of one of his sweet tutorials:

The practice schedule intensified when my publisher invited me to do a Facebook Live! Story Time on their Facebook Page. I said yes, of course, but I still had a lot of practicing to do, so Dad and I began a lovely evening pattern of connecting via FaceTime at 8:45 pm so he could listen to me read through the story and then give feedback. It was extra precious because – due to Covid-19 – we’ve both been having to shelter in place – he in Virginia and me in New Jersey.

The EL AMOR ES BONDADOSO Story Time aired on April 1st (no kidding!) and it’s now on Youtube as well. I thought perhaps you might enjoy reading along with your copy (or ordering one if you don’t yet have one) as I share this story about the many ways love can be extended to others. Here it is:

PICTURE BOOKS: What Makes A Perennial Favorite?

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Summer time reminds me that I LOVE perennials, those wonderful plants that bloom in my garden, season after season, where they are enjoyed by all, again and again. My favorites include my butterfly bush, the daisies, the echinacea, the black-eyed susans and, most especially, my beloved roses – that remind me of my mother who faithfully tended her to her perennials year after year. 

The joy of seeing my perennials bloom more gloriously than ever has gotten me thinking about how picture books – the good ones – are like perennials too, enjoyed by generations of kids and caregivers. 

So, what makes a picture book a perennial favorite?

I’m sure I’m just scratching the surface, but here are FIVE characteristics that I think elevate a picture book to perennial status.  What would you add? 

Characteristic #1: Perennial picture books are fun to read again and again for both kids and caregivers.  Books that have this quality tend to have fresh plot lines, fresh characters and fresh word play. They might incorporate a fun refrain or include fun sound words or rhymes, both of which engage youngest readers.  Many can also be enjoyed on more than one level, thus appealing to littlest ones and their grown up readers.

Characteristic #2: Perennial picture books have charming illustrations that engage the reader and add to the story. Children are incredibly observant and LOVE perusing illustrations for extra story clues. The extra details in perennial favorites are often related to plot or the personality of the protagonist. Sometimes, though, the illustrations engage by offering extra details. These details might be conducive to playing “I spy” as you read, or they could be humorous clues to what will happen next, or offer readers a parallel visual story as they read.  These illustrations can take many forms – but they all result in on thing – creating a magical reading experience that draws readers of all ages to return to their perennial favorites again and again.

Characteristic #3: Perennial picture books tap into universal themes that have and will most likely to continue to stand the test of time.  Perennially favorite themes include friendship, love, discovery, thankfulness, overcoming hardship etc.  However, to stand out, and remain a perennial favorite, the universal theme must be handled in a fresh and fun way. (See characteristic #1.)

Characteristic #4: In contrast to holiday-themed picture books which tend to be read just during their particular season of celebration, perennial favorites can be read and enjoyed anytime of year.  Their settings may be distinct, and usually are, but the plots of perennial favorites typically don’t focus on a particular holiday.  (Christmas picture books may be the exception because, at least in our house, my kids enjoyed several of those all year round.)

Characteristic #5: Perennial favorites often wrap up with a soothing restful ending, conducive to putting little ones to bed.  Many times this takes the form of the characters in the story literally settling down to sleep themselves, but it can also simply be a cozy feel good ending, that’s not set at bedtime, but still has that soothing, “everything’s all right” feel.

Happy reading… and I’d love to hear what you’d add to my list! 

KidLitTV Celebrates READING with a Special Read Aloud Event!

This past Friday, as part of National Reading Awareness Month, KidLitTV hosted a Read Aloud Live Stream to raise reading awareness and celebrate picture books. The festivities took place at the KidLitTV studio in New York City. For over three hours, energetically emceed by the delightful Katya Szewczuk, dozens of children’s authors, illustrators, librarians, and other book lovers, read picture books aloud. There was even a picture book themed poem in the mix and some singing.

I think all there agreed that it was wonderful spending the afternoon with  KidLit TV   sharing in their wonderful mission “to create fun new ways to reinforce an appreciation of reading that children will carry with them for the rest of their lives”.

Since the event was live and not recorded, you can’t watch it now, but I hope this small collection of snapshots captures the  excitement and magic of the event and, most especially, the magic of reading out loud!  There were, of course, many, many amazing authors present.  Below is just a sampling of the people I happened to take pictures of. (In hindsight, I wish I’d been a better camera girl so I had even more pictures to share.)

While waiting to read, I was delighted to meet author Elizabeth Upton.  We quickly discovered a shared passion for poetry and rhyme.  Here she is reading her darling rhyming debut, Maxi the Little Taxi, illustrated by the amazing Henry Cole and published by Scholastic.

I also had the pleasure of meeting best-selling Zonderkidz author Sally Lloyd-Jones who delighted the audience with her reading of Baby Wren and the Great Gift, illustrated by Jen Corace and published by Zonderkidz.

Fellow New Jersey author Laurie Hallmark read her fascinating Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine illustrated by April Chu and published by Creston Books.  Laurie’s was one of several non-fiction picture books read and I loved each one. They were a good reminder to me about  just how diverse the picture book format can be – with books to please just about any age and interest.

The adorably funny (and fully-costumed) Robin Newman no-doubt captivated our virtual audience just as much as she did those of us in the studio with her animated reading of Hildie Bitterpickles Needs her Sleep, illustrated by Chris Ewald and published by Creston Books.

Instead of reading a picture book, author Carol Weston gave us a most charmingly moving reading of her poem “Picture Books”.  Afterward, I had the pleasure of chatting with her and was excited to learn that her newest book, Speed of Life, a novel geared to 11 – 14 year olds, and set to release April 4th, has already received three starred reviews! It’s on my list of books to read with Miss A.!

I also especially loved hearing my wonderful critique partner, Rosanne L. Kurstedt, read her heartwarming mother/child picture book, And I Thought about You.  She has such a moving way with words.

Finally, oops, I almost forgot, I got to read too!

It was a wonderful afternoon. Thank you for having us, KidLit TV!

About KidLit TV. Founded by Julie Gribble,  KidLit TV, is a fabulous resource for kid lit fans of all ages. Comprised of a diverse group of parents, educators, librarians, kid lit creators, and award winning filmmakers, KidLit TV works creatively to bring great books to kids. Their self-described mission is to create fun new ways to reinforce an appreciation of reading that children will carry with them for the rest of their lives. They are doing a great job and have even been awarded the Parents’ Choice Gold Award! What a wonderful contribution they are making to the world of children’s literature!

Celebrate NATIONAL READING AWARENESS MONTH with KidLitTV’s READ ALOUD LIVE STREAM!

This week, in celebration of PICTURE BOOKS and READ ALOUD TIME, KidLitTV will be hosting a READ ALOUD LIVE STREAM. The event will take place tomorrow, Friday, March 3rd, from noon – 3pm EST. The festivities will be streamed  LIVE on the KidLitTV Facebook page and will include picture book readings from a whole host of authors and illustrators (including me)  who will be sharing their own books. I will be reading Goodnight, Ark.

So, please join us and share the magic of reading with your kiddos tomorrow afternoon. Tune in for a few minutes, or for 30 minutes, whatever works best.  We’re looking forward to celebrating reading aloud TOGETHER… LIVE with you!

Thank you, KidLitTV, for organizing and hosting this event.  Here’s the link to their Facebook page so you can easily hop on over: https://www.facebook.com/KidLitTV/ Happy reading all!

 

GUEST POST: We Don’t Grow Up, We Just GROW (Thoughts on READ ALOUD TIME) with Juliana Tyson Kissick

I am so excited to have Juliana Tyson Kissick as my guest today. We recently reconnected on Facebook, but I first met her when she was in fourth grade! She was my student. Just take a peek at that adorable class, gathered joyfully around our Thanksgiving project that year. She’s seated in the center with a very young Mrs. Sassi standing behind her.  And there she is working hard. She’s also represented by one of the little birds depicted in the delightful card my mom made for me that school year. The card is dated 1995 and the note I found with it reads:

“Mom made a terrific birthday card depicting an early January day in the new classroom. It was pouring and the power went out. I kept the kids entertained until their parents came by reading. It was a treacherous day with lots of flooding and rain.”

READ ALOUD TIME.  It was my favorite part of the day and it happened every day, right after lunch.  Actually, I think it was everyone’s favorite part of the day – a chance to be transported by storytelling to magical worlds, faraway places and different times.  And I AM THRILLED that Juliana has agreed to share a little bit about what reading books aloud has meant to her over the years.  Take it away, Juliana!

When Laura invited me to write on the topic of reading aloud to children in the classroom, I felt an immediate surge of energy run through my gut. It was as if my soul were demanding I leap through the computer screen, exclaiming, “There is nothing more important than reading to children in schools!!” — a good indicator that I probably had something to say on the matter. And what I came to realize over the course of writing out my reflections was how valuable and multi-faceted the benefits of “story time” really are… and most certainly not just for children.  It’s like my Jewish, anecdotally-driven father always tells me (quoting the magnificent poet, Muriel Rukeyser), “The universe, Juliana, is made of stories, not of atoms.”

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Story time. Is there a more cherished, enchanted hour in the world of a young person? The Phantom Tollbooth, Charlotte’s Web, The Boxcar Children, Little House On the Prairie, A Wrinkle in Time, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Giver…  I can remember every. single. book that was read to me (or that my classmates and I read aloud to each other) over the course of my elementary schooling. I LIVED for story time. And it wasn’t just because “story time” equated not doing math (something I still avoid, sorry Laura). No, story time wasn’t just an easy out…that’s what recess was for. And it wasn’t just because I was somewhat of a doctoral candidate in the esteemed academic discipline of Class Clownery and more or less couldn’t wait until I was allowed to give a personality (a British accent) to letters on a page… ok fine, maybe it was a LITTLE bit about that (I’m not British, for the record). But really, truly, at the heart of my love for story time was my love for adventure and meaning, adventure beyond the physical entrapments of my birthed circumstances and the moral lessons to help me make sense of it all. Story time was everything I dreamed this life could be and opened my eyes to what it already was… in other words, story time was church. It was spiritual. It transcended me. It was a gathering, a listening, an intuiting, a shared emotional rite of passage that didn’t have a right or a wrong answer. You couldn’t get a check minus in story time. You only had to be a person. And that, dear ones, is why the gift of telling story is just that–a gift. It validates the complexity of our humanity and the diverse range of our experiences, and all we have to do is breathe and listen. 

Unlike reading alone, the experience of being read to (or reading to someone) transforms written narrative into a conversation between heartstrings. When characters are given voice, when a scene depiction is read with purpose and conviction and tone, suddenly this is now a world and these are now living beings that are taking up physical and emotional space in our lives. It becomes real. And when something becomes real, like all the greatest of fiction has taught us, we conjure empathy and compassion. The characters don’t need to look like us, or talk like us, live in our hometown…heck they don’t even have to live on this planet. Story makes everything, and everyone, a worthy subject of our love and understanding. And oh how this world could use a whole lot more of that.

Just yesterday one of my best friends mentioned to me that she and her husband were reading the Harry Potter series to one other before they went to sleep… and I couldn’t help but get wholly and utterly inspired to treat my own grown-up self with the same kind of joy and validation I gave my story-loving, story-needing child self. We don’t really grow up, you see. We just grow. 

Blessings and giggles,

Juliana 

Bio: It probably won’t surprise you to know that Juliana grew up to become a storyteller. She’s a multiple Ovation-nominated choreographer, actor, dancer, and founding member of Los Angeles’ very own Boom Kat Dance Theatre. After over a decade of performing professionally in Southern California, Juliana moved to San Francisco with her husband (and former boy across the literal street), Ryan. It was upon the move to Northern California that Juliana tapped into her love of visual art to further her storytelling career. In 2014, Juliana founded Good Juju Ink, an illustration design company dedicated to spreading “good juju” one funny-but-tender illustration at a time. Good Juju Ink’s greeting cards are sold online at www.goodjujuink.com and at Paper Source locations nationwide.