The soul of reading
Many books have fed me over the
years. The books I knew and loved as a child took root in my soul, where
they’ve lived for a lifetime. And now, when I see these books, it’s like
finding a lost love, or reconnecting with a soul I knew in another life. I want
to crawl inside these books and soak up all that they offer. From my earlier
years, it’s been the illustrations that have elicited this response.
Anytime I see a Little House book on the library shelf, and glimpse the Garth
Williams illustrations, I catch my breath. They are so simple and rich and
dear. They immediately transport me back to the days I spent lost in Laura
Ingalls’s world.
I always enjoy the artwork of Maurice
Sendak, yet the illustrations in the Little
Bear series, by Else Holmelund Minarik, are especially exquisite.
I happily lost myself in the world of
Betsy-Tacy-Tib in the series by Maud Hart Lovelace. The illustrations by Lois
Lenski (who also illustrated her own lovely books) simply and sweetly show
childhood in times gone by.
And last, possibly my favorite of
all, showing the absolute joy and simplicity of children and trees, is A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry. The
text is lovely, but the illustrations by Marc Simont take my breath away. They
draw me in so that I ache to crawl into those pages and join the children
climbing trees.
What books are feeding your children?
Perhaps, if they are lucky, there are some that will feed them forever.
— Lynn Malooly
This week for
families:
Interfaith
Forum Essay Contest Deadline: Oct 29. Theme: Building community, bridging our
differences, grades 9-12. Info: www.ggw.org/buildingcommunity
RMSC
Strasenburgh Planetarium 657 East Ave. Pink
Floyd Laser: Sat 9 p.m.; A Trip to
Saturn and Pluto: Sat 1 p.m.; Pulse:
A Stomp Odyssey: Wed-Fri 4 p.m.; Sat 2, 3, 4, 8 p.m.; Sun 1, 2, 3, 4 p.m.; I See the Sky: Sat 9:30 a.m.; The Sky Tonight: Sat 10:30 a.m.; Tix:
$4-$7. 271-1880
Rochester
Museum and Science Center 657 East Ave. 60 Second Science Saturday, Sat, Sept 11, 1-3
p.m. Free. | GetCharged Family Fun Day, Sun, Sept 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
www.getcharged.org. | Surprise! It’s
Science, through May 2005. | Rochester’s
Frederick Douglass, through January 2006. | Live Science! demos and
theater, Wed-Fri 3:30 p.m.; Sat 2, 3, 4 p.m.; Sun 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 p.m. Sat 3
p.m. show sign-interpreted. | Ongoing exhibits include: AdventureZone, Carlson
Inquiry Room, At the Western Door.
| Hours: Mon-Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $5-$7. 271-1880, www.rmsc.org.
Seneca Park
Zoo 2222
St Paul St. Tonia Loran-Galban, Sat, Sept 11, Native American stories, 11:15
a.m.-12 p.m. Hours: daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tix: $5, $4 seniors, $2 kids.
467-9453, www.senecazoo.org.
Slip and Slide
Night Fri,
Sept 10. Swimming, water slides, and ice skating, Genesee Valley Park Complex,
131 Elmwood Ave, 9 p.m.-12 a.m. $4, $2 kids. 428-7888
Strong Museum 1 Manhattan
Square. Grandparent’s Weekend, Sat-Sun, Sept 11-12, Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun
12-5 p.m. | Long-term exhibits include National Toy Hall of Fame, Can You Tell
Me How To Get To Sesame Street? and Super Kids Market. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10
a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $7; $6
seniors, students; $5 children. 263-2700
Sign with your baby
“Mommy? I want a cracker and a
banana. Thank you!”
That’s what my 15-month-old daughter
told me when we went into the kitchen this morning. Except she didn’t speak it,
she signed it.
I learned about Baby Signs before my
daughter was born, and I knew that most babies would be able to use sign
language before learning to speak. During her first year, I learned several
signs and used them with her regularly. While I saw her noticing them, I wasn’t
sure she’d catch on.
Then one day, after a rousing game of
patty-cake, she made the “again” sign. We were hooked!
My daughter is rapidly becoming
verbal, but that isn’t rendering her signing obsolete. Rather, she’s had the
opportunity to double or triple her vocabulary. She can communicate concepts
and ideas to me that would otherwise be beyond her ability, and that cuts down
on tantrums, whining, and frustration for both of us. She can also communicate
with other caregivers, which makes babysitting easier on everyone. She’s become
very creative in expressing herself, devising new signs as needed.
We learned through the website
http://www.signwithme.com, which has videos demonstrating ASL signs, and the
Baby Signs board books. Sign language has greatly demystified my toddler’s
little proto-brain; I highly recommend it.
— Dawn Straight (www.bizarrogirl.com)
This article appears in Sep 8-14, 2004.
