I love it when friends recommend good children's books. So I was delighted yesterday when my friend, Lauren, recommended Art to me.
Art is a masterful blend of simple text and simple illustration that unfolds the dynamics of artistic expression. Patrick McDonnell has produced a worthy piece of art in Art.
"Good literature teaches more than we know. Example always speaks louder than precept, and books can do more to inspire honor and tenacity of purpose than all the chiding and exhortation in the world" (Honey for a Child's Heart p53)The challenge for parents is to be well-acquainted with such a corpus of good literature that we can pull out the book, poem or short story to meet the hour.
Families who share literature together have a rich history and vocabulary with which to communicate depth of feeling, as Gladys Hunt captures well:
"When we went to visit a favorite spot and saw that much of hat we remembered as beautiful had changed, our son said, 'The orcs have been here,' and we didn't need to say more." (Honey for a Child's Heart p76)That expression alone captures for me the power of literary allusion.
For some reason, I never enjoyed poetry as a child (or at least I don't remember enjoying it). So now I find it strange that poetry speaks so deeply to me. Words like these, of James Russell Lowell, stir me deep within:
They are the slaves who fear to speak
For the fallen and the weak;
They are the slaves who will not choose
Hatred, scoffing and abuse,
Rather than in silence shrink
From the truth they needs must think;
They are the slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or three.
I love reading with Elisabeth. That discovery has been one of the greatest joys of parenting. Gladys Hunt captures well my sentiments:
"Children and books go together in a special way. I can't imagine any pleasure greater than bringing to the uncluttered, supple mind of a child the delight of knowing the may rich things God has given us to enjoy. Parents have this wonderful privilege, and books are their keenest tools. Children don't stumble onto good books by themselves; they must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure magic and joy." (Honey for a Child's Heart p17)I would nuance what she has said to state that it is the privilege and responsibility of parents to teach children to delight in God and His gifts. For she is surely right that children don't stumble onto good books by themselves. Yet that in no way negates or diminishes her point that it is a tremendous privilege to discharge this responsibility. Our job as parents is to enjoy the goodness, truth and beauty of God in all things, and to introduce our children to this delight. That is a gloriously happy responsibility.
At the grocery store recently, I was appalled by one family's shopping cart. It was heaped high (quite literally) with all manner of processed food. I couldn't help thinking, "Those are going to be fat kids." Their parents, who are responsible for their health and well-being, are shaping their taste buds for life. Growing up on potato chips and sugar water will not help them savor the foods that are really good for them.
What may not be as obvious as a family walks through the grocery store is how parents influence their children's taste for truth, goodness and beauty. Gladys Hunt observes:
"Good books have genuine spiritual substance, not just intellectual enjoyment. Books help children know what to look for in life. Reading develops the taste buds of the mind as children learn to savor what is seen, heard, and experienced and fit these into some kind of worthwhile framework." (Honey for a Child's Heart p21)A diet of 'junk food' literature cripples the mind and soul just as a diet of lousy food disables the body. If you're wondering how to build a balanced literary diet, the annotated book lists in Honey for a Child's Heart is a great place to start.
Last night I was re-reading Honey for a Child's Heart (yes, again), and came upon this selection:
"The right word in the right place is a magnificent gift. Somehow a limited, poverty-stricken vocabulary works toward equally limited use of ideas and imagination. On the other hand, the provocative use of the right words, of a growing vocabulary, gives us adequate material with which to clothe our thoughts and leads to a richer world of expression." (Honey for a Child's Heart p18, emphasis mine)In the phrase poverty-stricken vocabulary, I experienced precisely what Gladys Hunt was describing: 'provocative use of the right words.'
I've been re-reading Honey for a Child's Heart for my work on tumblon. [I've been blogging more actively there than here.] I'm rediscovering why I loved it so much the first time. Here is one tidbit from Gladys Hunt:
"Every parent by words and choices furnishes the heart and mind of a child, for good or for ill. I am lobbying for the intentional use of words and books to influence a child in the best possible way. What do books bring a child? A recap is in order: a big world with all its possibilities - people to know and understand, places to imagine, eyes to see beyond the obvious, words to stretch the mind and heart, and a lasting stewardship of language used in the right way. (p101)
The Call of Stories is a powerful call to stories and through stories. Robert Coles, a pediatric psychiatrist and prolific author, writes brilliantly on the role that stories play in shaping character. He writes from the experience of teaching literature at Harvard to undergraduates, and in almost every one of Harvard's graduate schools. Time and again he recounts how stories affected his students in ways that challenged and changed them - in a way only stories can do.
Although Coles isn't dealing here with children's literature, the implications are clear. We engage in stories in a unique way, identifying with the characters, feeling outrage at wrong, and even coming to see our own hypocrisy. Stories, both oral and written, can and should play a significant role in the education, and moral and spiritual formation of children. To neglect great stories is to dispense with the most powerful and vital tool of education.
For parents interested in children's literature, this is an excellent book. I'll warn you in advance that for all its merits, the conclusion is decidedly lacking. Coles clearly perceives the powerful role that literature plays, but doesn't have a larger framework of purpose within which these forces make sense. Even with first rate insight, he comes up lacking because he doesn't see the ultimate purpose behind moral formation. However, for those who see that purpose, this book will be immensely helpful.
I found a book of poetry in the "reading room" at our local public library, and immediately had to find out if they had the book in the lending collection. Favorite Poems Old and New is an anthology of excellent poetry for children that includes poems of Longfellow, Wordsworth, Keats, Kipling, Emerson, Eliot, and Dickenson among hundreds of others. After being so long frustrated with poorly written poetry for children, I was delighted to find an outstanding anthology of fun poetry!
I have loved spending the past two and a half years with Elisabeth and watching her explore and develop on a daily basis. I have loved taking thousands of pictures and keeping this blog to be able to record our memories. Learning how she is developing, and finding appropriate ways to encourage and stretch her has been a delight.
As I spent hours perusing book lists, searching the shelves of libraries and bookstores, and wandering (mostly frustrated) through toy stores, I wondered if there was a service that told you what skills your child was currently developing, and recommended great books, toys and activities for each developmental stage - in short, a service to make parenting simple, so parents could spend more constructive time with their kids.
So I looked, and came up empty. There are lots of lists: lists of milestones, lists of books, lists of toys, and lists of activities. But no one had pioneered web 2.0 parenting, by providing parents a simple, customized, interactive environment to learn about and support each stage of their children's development.
At the same time, my childhood best friend, Jonathan, had seen that although parents (like me) take thousands of digital pictures, and there are many services for printing and sharing photos on the web, no one seemed to realize that the rate of computer replacement by home users would mean that parents needed a better and more reliable way to store their memories and photos for the long haul.
Thus tumblon was born. We could provide parents a simple, customized, interactive environment in which parents could learn how to support their child's current development and save those memories in stories, photos, and videos. It would be an interactive online 'baby book' so that grandparents (and other friends and family) could enjoy all the memories 24/7 - and for many, many years to come.
As an educator, I believe that parents are the key players in the education of children. I also believe that their greatest responsibility lies in the first five years of life (thought it certainly doesn't end there), as those early years mold the character, shape the personality, and even affect the intellectual capacity of children. So the prospect of creating a service that enabled parents to fulfill their responsibility, celebrate all of the milestones along the way and create a rich archive of memories is a dream come true.
In the not-so-distant future, that dream is going to come true when we launch tumblon. There is a teaser site up now, where you can sign up to learn more. And I'm posting on the founders' blog as we get closer to launch. Before too long, I'll start posting on my new tumblon blog, so you'll know that the transition has arrived, when this blog redirects you there!
I love The Big Picture Story Bible, but have been looking for an illustrated children's Bible that contained more Biblical stories so that Elisabeth would see more of the stories that fit into the Big Picture. I was sorely disappointed with the New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes, which is probably only appropriate for children under 3 rather than the claimed age range of 4-7.
Happily, we received the Illustrated Family Bible Stories as a gift, and have found a middle ground children's Bible that is not overly simplistic, but still has ample illustrations.
The authors do a remarkably good job of summarizing the Biblical stories. Sometimes there is very little editing at all, and is simply the Biblical text. (I've noticed how well they have stuck to the text as I have been reading through Genesis and Exodus in my devotions at the same time that I have been reading those accounts to Elisabeth.) There have been a few occasions that I questioned the way that they simplified a story for children, but for the most part I'm impressed. So, if you're looking for something to give more of the stories than the Big Picture Story Bible, check this out.
"Childhood is brief, and without some guidance a child may miss what is quality reading and never discover the pleasure of a well-written book" (Gladys Hunt in Honey for a Child's Heart).One of the consequences of the current ease of printing is that there are many children's books in print that are simply not worth reading. So when teachers say, "The most important thing you can do is read with your child," (like I did), that is only half of the story. If you go the library and take a book at random, it is likely that it is not good literature - if my public library is any measure. As Hunt says, "That's why book lists are helpful." Giving parents a book list provides a shortcut to books that will capture their imaginations and their hearts, and give them a hunger to devour really good children's literature. Once the cycle is begun, it tends not to need as much encouragement. If the first venture to the library is met by books that are less than captivating, then it is likely that the parent will pick up the remote control and turn on the television rather than traipsing out to the library again.
I'm terrible about finding good books to help Elisabeth understand holidays. I always wait until the last minute, and then find the library shelves empty of quality literature. However, this time there was still The Plymouth Thanksgiving on the shelves. Though it is a long read for Elisabeth, it does a great job of setting the context of the first Thanksgiving, based on William Bradford's diary. I learned a lot in reading it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Where The Read Aloud Handbook fell short, Honey for a Child's Heart excels. It commends the value of literature for capturing the imagination and shaping character far more than the Handbook. Whereas Jim Trelease sees reading (aloud and silently) as the crux of education, Gladys Hunt presents them as the crucible of character formation.
Like the Handbook, Honey is divided into two parts: expository text, and literature recommendations. The entire book is shaped by this conviction:
"You cannot bully people into appreciating what is true and good and beautiful." (p95)The necessary corollary is that parents have the responsibility for winsomely presenting what is good, true and beautiful to their children. Hunt contends that literature is one great vehicle of achieving this end, and I think she succeeds in her case. I found myself remembering from my childhood many of the books she referenced, and I found myself longing to explore others that I missed out on.
"Underlying all of this discussion is my thesis that parents who read widely together with their children are going to be those who most influence their children, who have the largest worldview, who have an uncommon delight in what is good and true and beautiful - and an uncommon commitment to it. Sharing and feeling and talking together will come naturally. Books shared with each other provide that kind of climate." (p99)
We're always looking for good children's Bibles. Right now, we are reading through The Jesus Story Book Bible right now (on loan from a friend, who has ours), and have to admit it is with mixed results. I should preface that by saying that we love The Big Picture Story Bible, which I have read through well over a dozen times with Elisabeth.
The Jesus Story Book Bible does a great job of prefiguring Christ through the stories of the Old Testament. That is the tremendous virtue of the book. The downside is that I wouldn't characterize it as great literature. Maybe after one or two really thorough revisions it could arrive at the place where all the words are well-chosen; but it is not there yet.
Now that I think about it, the reason that I so much prefer The Big Picture Story Bible to The Jesus Story Book Bible is the theological bias of each. The Big Picture takes the Kingdom of God as the central motif, and clearly tells the Gospel, with remarkable economy of language, through that lens. The Jesus Story Book treats 'God as lover' as the central motif, and often drifts into Sleeping Beauty type language (and in my opinion misrepresents the nature of God's desire for human beings).
So in my opinion, the scales are balanced on the Jesus Story Book: great prefiguring, but sloppy language and theology. In some ways far better than standard children's Bibles, but in some ways missing the mark. I highly recommend The Big Picture Story Bible for its rich literary and theological quality, and I'd encourage you to check out the Jesus Story Book and see if I'm overly critical!
Last weekend I had the privilege of traveling for business and pleasure. I took every advantage of the time in on the bus, in the airport, and on the plane to devour books that had been collecting dust for the past month or two. I was able to finish off several that I have been working on, and want to commend some of them to you.
The Read Aloud Handbook makes the case that parents reading aloud to children is the linchpin of successful education. Jim Trelease, very well acquainted with school policy and politics, and research on reading development, contends that reading to and with children throughout their years in the home fosters a love for reading, facility with ideas, critical thinking skills and open horizons.
For those who aren't convinced that parental reading plays a key role in their children's lives, I commend this book. For those who are already convinced, I commend the second half of the book, which is a treasury of recommendations for reading aloud. It will save you wading through many pieces of poor literature in an attempt to find good books for your kids.
In addition to his case for reading aloud, Trelease also offers creative ideas for establishing patterns of sustained silent reading, how to use the television to enhance literacy, and how to use audio books to enable children to enjoy literature that would prove difficult reading. His tips are practical and helpful, and I commend this book to parents and teachers alike.
"In James Stephen's The Crock of Gold, a wise philosopher says, 'I have learned that the head does not hear anything until the heart has listened, and what the heart knows today the head will understand tomorrow.'" (quoted in Honey for a Child's Heart)This, I think, is why God communicates to us through literature - including the literature of the Bible.
"Books are no substitute for life, but a keener pleasure comes to life because of books" (Honey for a Child's Heart p21).
As a teacher, I consistently told parents, "The most important thing that you can do for your child's education is to read with your child." I still think that is true. However, I now see that it is inadequate. It is like saying, "Feed your kids," without giving any nutritional advice. So one parent will take the children to McDonald's for every meal, while another will provide a healthy variety of foods. My exhortation to "feed your kids" is not helpful in the health of those children, because I didn't say anything meaningful.
A more helpful admonition than "feed your kids" is "feed your children a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein, and fat in moderation." The parent who heeds my advice will be truly helping his or her children. In just the same way, rather than saying "read with your child," it is far better to say, "Read books with your children that communicate truth, goodness and beauty, that inspire your children to virtue."
However, just as a trip to the vegetable aisle might be daunting to the parent who is accustomed to exclusively processed food, so will a trip to the children's section of the library be frightening to the parent who is more comfortable in front of the television. For that reason, I think the good teacher or friend must go farther than commending the reading of great literature to provide examples of that literature so that the novice can learn to identify great literature by immersion in it.
In Honey for a Child's Heart, Gladys Hunt does precisely that: encouraging parents to take up and read great books with their children, describing the characteristics of such literature, and offering lists of such literature for each age of a child's life. She is a much better teacher than I, and I highly commend her book!
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