Reading to Children, Part 3 - Favorite Books

I have always loved children’s books.  Children’s Literature was one of my favorite classes in college.  During that time, I also worked in the children’s section of the library at my school and loved my job.

And now, finally, I have a child of my own, and I get to read to him to my heart’s content.  And it has opened up a whole new world for me of all the preschool books available, which was an area I was less familiar with, not to mention that thousands of new ones have come out since my college days.

This is actually sort of a hard blog to write because there are SO MANY good books out there, but I will attempt to put them into a few categories, using books that Cooper and I both love.  Your child probably has many that he/she loves that I don’t mention.

Dr. Seuss:  These are classic.  I remember my parents reading me The Cat in the Hat Comes Back when I was a kid.  Many people cite Green Eggs and Ham as the first book their child learned to read.  Dr. Seuss wrote it after his publisher challenged him to write a book using not more than 50 different words.  The rhythm, repetitiveness and limited vocabulary make it easy for children to begin reading on their own.  Another interesting factoid about Dr. Seuss: his real name was Theodore Seuss Geisel.  He wrote under the name “Theo LeSieg” (“Geisel” spelled backward) when he wrote books that he didn’t illustrate himself.

Other Classics: Old classics are constantly coming out in new forms.  I enjoy reading these to Cooper as he relates to the modern illustrations and, in some cases, updated language.

Books Designed to Teach Concepts:  Teaching your child his ABC’s, how to count or factual information doesn’t need to be a chore.  He can learn while sitting in your lap, relaxing and enjoying a book together.  There are thousands of books available that teach useful things.  You can begin “homeschooling” your child without either of you even realizing you have done it.

Rhyming Books:  Besides Dr. Seuss, there are a myriad of other books that are written in rhyme.  These books are easily memorized by children (and probably by you too).  Cooper was “reading” some of these books cover to cover almost as soon as he could talk because the rhymes stuck in his head.  Memorizing is a first step in reading, and over time, children will begin to associate the written words with the ones they are quoting.

Bible Story Books:  I am a big fan of these.  These books instill in children a love for precious Bible stories that they will likely carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Lift the Flap Books:  “Spot” is a favorite of Cooper’s, and it is one of many lift-the-flap books that young children love.  Even I am always curious about what is underneath.

Little Golden Books:  These, too, are books that I remember from my childhood.  I don’t think they’re in print anymore in this format; I got most of these at Goodwill.  I personally don’t like books that promote TV shows, movies, etc., a popular topic in these books, so not all of them have appeal for me, but there are still many that do, and I am always excited when I see the familiar “golden” spine on the shelf when I am perusing through potential books to buy.

Touch and Feel Books: Great for young children, Dorling Kindersley has a wonderful series, but there are many others available as well.

Eric Carle:  I love Eric Carle’s cut-paper illustrations, and his books are designed to teach concepts such as counting, telling time and facts about animals. 

Margaret Wise Brown:  Deceased since 1952, Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon is still on the shelf of millions of homes where young children reside, but she has also written a number of other books that we love.  Big Red Barn uses rhyme to teach what life is like in a day on the farm as well as incorporating other learning concepts such as colors and counting.

Baby Einstein: This series of videos, flash cards, books and more is very educational and enjoyable for children.  These books teach facts but also contain captivating illustrations.  Windows to Color contains a number of classic pieces of artwork, something rarely found in children’s books.

Richard Scarry: A childhood favorite of my husband's, these books are fun for children to look at and help build their vocabulary.  They contain many labeled pictures of objects that children can learn to identify.

Biscuit, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, is a personal favorite of Cooper’s.  Biscuit is a little dog who is always getting into some sort of mischief, but who is continually loved by “the little girl” (whose name is never revealed and whose parents are never seen).  It is easy reading and will probably be among the first books Cooper reads on his own.  This particular volume contains 10 separate Biscuit stories.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip and Erin Stead, is another favorite of both Cooper’s and mine.  Geeky but loveable, Amos takes care of the animals at the zoo, until one day when he is sick and the animals all come to his house and take care of him.

 

I have only scratched the surface, but hopefully I have given you some information you can use to help you choose from the millions of wonderful books available for young children.

Popsicles!

I have taken on a new hobby.  Popsicles.

Sure, you can buy them at the store.  But you can make your own very easily and inexpensively.  Plus, you have the option to make them healthy if you want to.  Or not.

I got this mold on sale at Kroger for $2.99,

but you don't even have to have one of these.  You can make them in ice cube trays using toothpicks as sticks, or make them in paper cups or recycled yogurt cups with popsicle sticks or plastic spoons.  (If you cover them with aluminum foil and stick the stick through that, it will stand up straight.)  Run a little hot water over the mold to get them out if you need to.

You can make them with pudding, jell-o, fruit juice, pureed fruit, yogurt, soft drinks, even milk (preferably flavored), or a combination.  I made these with pureed banana and strawberries, with a little vanilla yogurt mixed in.  Yum!

You can add chunks of fruit, candy or chocolate chips, marshmallows, nuts, etc.

If you are patient, you can make layers (if using liquid, you have to let one layer freeze before adding the next layer).  If you want to be really creative, you can tilt the mold to make diagonal layers.

Use your imagination!  Any way you make them, you will have a tasty summertime treat that your whole family will enjoy.

Enchiladas

One good way to use up leftover chicken or other ingredients is to make enchiladas. 

This is a recipe I have made several times, both with chicken and also with leftover pot roast that I shredded.

I used to hate making enchiladas because it seemed cumbersome to fill them all one by one, and I never knew how much "stuff" to put in each one to make it come out right.

But then I discovered a new system:

I put them out on my table and make my own little assembly line.

Just be careful if you have one of these:

unless of course yours is a perfect angel who wouldn't think of helping himself when you're looking the other way.  Let's just say it's good that more than 12 tortillas came in the package.  And I had to re-distribute my chicken.  And Nash got put in another room until I finished my project.

So, I distributed all the fillings evenly, rolled them up and Voilà!  I had one pan ready to go in the oven for dinner tonight and one to put in the freezer for another night.  Of course, if you have more people to feed, you can put them all into one big pan.

I'm sort of a systematic person, so this works well for me.  And now I don't hate making enchiladas anymore!

Reading to Children

Here are some tips on reading books to children.  Don’t let this discourage you or make you think reading is not beneficial if you don’t do these things.  I think ANY reading to children is great for them, but if you incorporate one or more of these ideas when you read, you may make it even more so.  Obviously, different ones are appropriate for different ages.

1.  Slow down.  Don’t be in a hurry.  Take the time to look at the pictures on the page together, talk about them.  If there are pictures hidden under flaps, let your child open them.

2.   Ask questions: “What color is this?” “Do you see a ball?”  “How many fish are there?”  “What does a pig say?”  “What shape is this?”

3.  Point to pictures on the page as you read about them.

4.  Incorporate a reading lesson.  Many books begin with a larger, decorative letter.   Ask your child what letter it is, and talk about what starts with that letter.  Begin teaching sight words: have your child spell out the letters of words that are easy to recognize (in the title, on a stop sign, etc.) and say the word.  Point to words as you read them.  In a book your child is familiar with, stop at random times and let your child fill in the next word (whether he’s reading it or saying it from memory).

5.  Make it exciting.  Read words like “Hooray!” with expression.  Take on different voices for different characters.  Act out sound effects: yawning, knocking, etc.

6.  Teach your child to think about the plot.  “What do you think is going to happen next?”

7.  Incorporate books into life: “Look, there’s a car transporter, like we saw in your truck book.”  After reading a book about the moon, clouds, fireflies, etc., go outside and see them.  Read a book about the zoo before or after going to the zoo and talk about what you did or didn’t see.

8.  If you read about a place ("Lions live in Africa"), find that place on a map or globe.

Reading is such a great opportunity for early learning, not to mention cuddling, spending time together and otherwise interacting.  Read as much as you can!  I've been reading to Cooper since he was an infant.  I hope I am instilling in him a love for books and for learning that he will never outgrow.

My brother reading to Cooper and his cousins

Chicken

One way I have found to stretch my grocery budget is to buy a whole chicken, cook it and shred the leftovers for use in something else: soups, casseroles, chicken salad, enchiladas, etc.

I have 2 different methods I use to cook chickens: in the crock pot and in the oven.  I use the crock pot on hot days because it doesn’t heat up the house, or if I won’t have time to cook it before meal time.  I actually prefer it cooked in the oven: the skin is crispier and I think it tastes better overall, so I use this method when I can.

For either method, start by washing it and removing the “innards,” if they are included.  Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with some seasonings (salt, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, etc.) and a little lemon juice if desired.  You can stuff some chopped onion inside too, if you want to.

I use a 6-quart crock pot, but you can use a 3-quart one for a smaller chicken, standing it on the end.  Just be sure the lid goes on securely.   Cook it on Low for 8-10 hours.

To cook it in the oven, for a 3-1/2 pound chicken, cook it breast side up at 350° for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.  You’ll need to cook it a little longer if it’s bigger. I usually baste it a time or two toward the end.   If you have a meat thermometer, it should be 180° in the thigh when it’s ready.  This one came with a thermometer that pops out when it is ready.

After we eat what we want for one meal, I can usually pull off between two and six cups of meat, depending on the size of the chicken.   I then put 1 or 2 cup portions in bags or plastic containers and freeze them, unless I’m planning to use it in the next day or two.  It usually takes me 20 minutes or so, so be sure you don’t plan this on a night when you will be in a hurry after dinner.

Here’s one recipe I use it for.  Cooper calls this “Foodles.”

1-2 cups shredded cooked chicken

2-1/2 cups water

¼ tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1 envelope Ranch salad dressing or dip mix

¼ tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

4 cups egg noodles (uncooked)

1/3 cup Ranch salad dressing

Put water, bouillon, Ranch mix and pepper in a skillet and stir with a whisk.   Bring to a boil and then add egg noodles.  Allow to cook about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Add Ranch dressing and chicken and heat thoroughly.