Visit to a nursery school

I went to a local nursery school this morning and shared some of my favorite books.

It’s almost Thanksgiving, so I read this book about large family gatherings.  Image of itemAnd I shared with the teachers something I heard years ago.  When Cynthia Rylant first saw the pictures for this book, she didn’t like them.  They were so different from what she had imagined while writing the story.  But the illustrations won an award that year, so I’m sure she came to love them.  Many people are not aware that it is unusual for a writer and illustrator to work together on picture books.  Publishers usually make the decisions, and sometimes they create magic!

I also read 3 short books.  The children were old enough to help me with these books:
Image of item   Image of item   Image of item
Yuck! is my favorite picture books for groups.  The children learn the word and then say it only when I point to it.  It is usually hard not to say it before I point.  This children were terrific and yelled it out only when I pointed.
I love reading That Is NOT a Good Idea to groups who have never heard it before.  The structure of that book is so well executed, adults want to read it again immediately.
Tap the Magic Tree works best in small groups, so children can participate more.  We had 4 classrooms together in a large room, but the children were still pretending to do each of the motions with me.

Just so you know…  We will certainly visit a nursery school to read about a particular subject – like the importance of taking care of books.  But we have a better time when we get to choose books that are great for interaction.  Getting children to love books is sometimes the best way to get them to take care of them.

~Maureen