As I opened the door into my two little boy’s bedroom, I saw what most parents see on any typical day. Toy trucks scattered throughout the floor, teddy bears with poked heads from their embracers half made beds and an assortment of trinkets that can only be called treasures by their youthful owners. Picking up and replacing one item after another to return to their rightful places, it dawns on me that a child’s bedroom is more than a place to sleep or to change clothes. It is dwelling in which wishes, dreams and adventures take place, a sanctuary where every creative idea is kept safely and nurtured by the tools we provide. As parents, we supply instruments such as crayons, blocks and puzzles to enhance our children’s ability to think, interpret and problem solve. We make sure that coloring books and construction paper are constantly stocked and that the Lego bins are filled to the brim knowing that as soon as one model is erected it will soon be taken apart and rebuilt. We encourage this playtime as a critical area of development, realizing that one day this form of play will mature into a valuable skill set necessary to succeed as adults.
As an author of children’s books, I have always stressed the importance of reading in my home, stacking shelve upon shelve with both paperbacks and hardcovers. “Where the Wild Things Are”, “Snipp, Snapp and Snurr”, “Curious George” and my littlest’s favorite, “Dr. Seuss”, are a few of the staples accompanied by the visitors borrowed from our weekly trip to the local library. Science, fairytale, arts and crafts, biography and action-hero themes are all represented, ensuring an eclectic array of options to suit the little intellects perusing the cases for the perfect find. Whether a book becomes a soother for bedtime or a greeting at morning, literature can be useful for a wide variety of reasons including as an aid for routine scheduling, early learning, or even yes, FUN!
For myself, I am a mother of two, having an eldest child who held an accelerated ability for conversation at an early age and a second child who possessed speech difficulties, often producing mumbled pronunciation or one worded dialogue. His trouble became noticeable to us at the age of 1 ½, when he would exhibit distress when trying to communicate his needs. Although he was enrolled in speech therapy, we only began to detect a strong improvement after he started preschool and a love for books began to manifest. He no longer would only sit for a lightning second after “Once upon a time…” was spoken, but would now hold his attention and convey sincere interest towards hearing the stories read from beginning to end. Reading became his best medicine as he watched our lips form the words of the pages, adding influx to our voices for questions, exclamations and excitement. Almost always opting for his favorite book, “Green Eggs and Ham”, the soon- to -be three year old has expanded his vocabulary exponentially while honestly enjoying the experience of being swept up within wonderful worlds of rhyme and fantasy.
As I write this, I begin to map out an outline for my next book in the hopes that it will capture that precious piece of a child’s imagination to dream, hope and aspire big. I will remember my son’s laughter after he hears a funny sentence of Dr. Seuss while I conjure entertaining plot lines of my own. I will try to duplicate the effects of his wide eyes in my own storytelling as he does when he experiences the gripping scene of the three bears finding Goldilocks in their beds. And last, I will be sure to formulate the soothing ending that will put young readers at ease as my son feels drifting off to sleep after lulled by “Goodnight Moon”. Mystical places, enchanted people and the desire to fix problems which might at first appear unfixable must be included. After all, these are the pieces which make the heart, mind and spirit of a tiny hand pull your book down from the shelf.
Written By Suzie Canale
Author of The Beantown Tales children’s book series
“The Land of Chocolate Cosmos”
“The Popcorn Hydrangea of Poppingtom”
“The Candy Roses of Cape Care”
Author of The Beantown Tales children’s book series
“The Land of Chocolate Cosmos”
“The Popcorn Hydrangea of Poppingtom”
“The Candy Roses of Cape Care”
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