In the Mind Garden - "On a Pirate Ship"

Alannah has just compleyed her first term of 'pre-school". She goes to a Kindergarten Union Pre-school two days a week Next year, when she is four, she will attend three days per week. The year she turns five - 2015 - she will go to 'big school", which will be Castle Cove Primary School. All that by way of introduction. She has finally realised that boys are okay to play with, too. In fact, they play games based on "super-heroes", and they play another game about "pirates". So, I figured she might like to know more about the lore of pirates. Not the reality of pirates, just the romance of pirates.

Perhaps all young children do this, but Alannah chooses a character in a book, and that becomes HER. I guess she "identifies". The little girl in this book is nameless, which makes it easier to identify. The book starts and ends in the little girl's bedroom, where she is playing "pirates". The illustrations are cartoonish. The pirates are heroes, and the stuff dreams are made of.

This book has been read quite a few times. It is not the best book in the world. The text requires a tough edit. But, it serves a purpose. It gives Alannah an insight into the popular image of pirates. It gives her the language of pirates, "Ship Ahoy!" She knows about treasure, she knows about gold doubloons, she knows about hot, spicy drinks. And, the story inclues a parrot, a monkey AND a cat. She loves hearing the story. She loves looking at the pictures. And, above all, she loves discussing what the story is on about.

In the Mind Garden - Reading allowed

Books and reading is a very big "thing" in our house. Each of us reads to the girls daily. Grandad reads to Alannah when she visits each Thursday or goes for a sleep-over. We are constantly looking for quality books, and complicated books. We have our fair share of film spin-offs, of Little Golden Books, and Dr Seuss books. Each Tuesday, Kirsten takes the girls to the library next to the pre-school. We are going to work our way through some award books. Here is a list of the Early Childhood Book of the Year since its inception in 2001, the first name being the author, the second name being the illustrator.

2013 - The Terrible Suitcase (Allen/Blackwood) 2012 - The Runaway Hug (Bland/Blackwood) 2011 - Maudie and Bear (Omerod/Blackwood) 2010 - Bear and Chook by the Sea Shanahan/Quay) 2009 - How to Heal a Broken Wing (Graham) 2008 - Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley (Blabey) 2007 - Amy & Louis (Gleeson/Blackwood) 2006 - Annie's Chair (Niland) 2005 - Where is the Green Sheep? (Fox/Horacek) 2004 - Grandpa and Thomas (Allen) 2003 - A Year on our Farm (Matthews/McLean) 2002 - Let's Get a Pup! (Graham) 2001 - You'll Wake the Baby! Jinks/McLean)

My feeling is that the Honour books, and the Short-listed books should not be overlooked. To this end, I will obtain a list of all winners, in all categories, since these awards by the Children's Book Council of Australia originated in 1946. Before the Early Childhood category was included, books were assessed under the category of Picture Book of the Year. This could be aimed at any child from the age of 0 to 18 years. So I will flip through this list, too, as I would not want to overlook any classics! I have illustrated this post with snippets from "The Runaway Hug" Written by Nick Bland Illustrated by Freya Blackwood Scholastic Press, 2011

In the Mind Garden - "Let's Eat!"

Kirsten is heavily into reading aloud, as was her mother before her. When Kirsten and her brother were youngsters, they were allowed two books each per night, and all 4 books were read by one parent, as the other parent cleared the table, and did the dishes. As they grew, they each went to their bed and were read to singularly. We were still reading to Alastair when he was 12.

We have books scattered everywhere around our house. Mamma reads to both girls, Ma reads to both girls, and Dadda reads to Alannah. Alannah also "reads" to herself. She would hear between 5 and 10 books most days. This was a recent borrowing from the local library. It has a wonderfully European lilt to it when read the right way, and the repetition of "que pena" lends itself to being recited by Alannah. The drawings are deliciously sensuous, as is much of the work of Julie Vivas.

The storyline revolves around eating a meal as a family around the dinner table at 2pm, but each time one member of the family is otherwise occupied. This lends considerable depth to each character. We learn about fiesta, old castles, kitchen gardens, carpentry workshops, and cafeterias. One by one the meals are revealed to be gazpacho, empanadas, sardinas, and paella. It is a very rich story about three generations living under the same roof, somewhere in Spain. The story and the characters, lead to extended finger-puppet play upon a theme. The illustrator and writer are mother and daughter. "Let's Eat" written by Ana Zamorano, illustrated by Julie Vivas Published by Scholastic Press, 1997

Books | There Once Was A Boy Called Tashi

Jess over at Malt Memories has started a beautiful series called A Book A Week.  I loved it immediately.  I do keep a record of the girls' favourite books, usually each week and over the course of the month, but I haven't documented the book itself or their interaction with it.

There Once Was A Boy Called Tashi

On Tuesday afternoons, just as Alannah finishes at preschool, the local library next door opens.  It is like the libraries I remember from my childhood: a small reading area, children's books arranged around on low shelves, hardcopy borrowing cards that are typed up on an old typewriter at the desk.

You can borrow only three books each and Alannah chooses two books for herself, two books for Juliet, and two DVDs.  I instituted the two books to one DVD rule.  I like how the borrowing limitations require Alannah to think carefully about her choices and to return some to the shelves. 

On Saturday, Tessie and Mummy El came to play at our house.  Over lunch, we chatted with the girls about the books they are enjoying at the moment.  Tessie's favourite book was a 'Tashi' book.  And surprise, surprise, Alannah's choice of books at the library on Tuesday included There Once Was A Boy Called Tashi.

Ma has read it to Alannah each morning and I have read it to her during the day.

I love the length and complexity of the story.  Short picture books still have their place, but for reading aloud, she gets more from books which last 15 to 20 minutes.

It's an interesting choice for Alannah and, but for Tessie's endorsement, she would have shied away from the scary characters that grace these pages. 

* All my other photo '52' series have just finished week 7, so I am starting at week 7 so as not to completely confuse myself.  And because I can.