Calling All Children

Hello Children ... come and listen!

We have such a special story for you. 

Do you like books? Do you like stories? 

Well dear children, can any of you keep a secret?

You can? 

Good!

Would you like to learn about the most unusual love story and what this has to do with unicorns?

How wonderful. Well we have just the book for you. It is a delightful story, its a bit of a mystery, a lot of a fantasy. Its a very special story and it contains a secret. Yes, you heard that right, it contains a secret.

Well now, you can only read it or listen to the story if you know how to keep a secret. If you really can, then how about asking your Mommy and Daddy to buy a copy of this special story.

There are only 45 copies left. Do you know how many that is?

Well, if you really want to read the story, you can only obtain a copy while these few copies are still in stock. It will soon be going out of print and you don't want to miss out on finding out what transpires in this beautiful book.

Guess what? We have a very special surprise. The 18th buyer will receive either a major discount or the book absolutely free. Which will it be? We'll let you all know when the 18th book is ordered.

That does not mean you can all sit back and wait, we just might have another special along the way.

GET YOUR COPY BEFORE STOCKS RUN OUT!

Only $15. SHIPPING FREE!

Message from the Author - R.A. Kahn

  Photographed by Shear Success Photographers. 

Message from the Author, R.A. Kahn:

" Remember these?  

  They were fun to write and hopefully have brought joy to

   children reading them."

Do let us know how you have enjoyed these books. 

Leave a comment or a message for the author.

Children's Book Corner, With Photographs - Part 1

Some readers have been searching for images of children's book corners. In this post we will start to give some thoughts with a few images. We hope to photograph a few other book corners too, so as to provide a little more variety and ideas for parents.

The images below are not placed in any special order.

This photo shows a boy who is already old enough to sit at a table on his own and enjoy looking through a book without supervision or assistance. Notice the enjoyment on his face and obvious concentration in whatever the topic of the book is. Behind him you see two shelves of books.

This could be a book corner or library at school, at a local library, or if his parents are well organized, even at home.

It looks as though the table top is raised slightly to assist him to look more easily. Since we obtained this image from microsofts free images, it is not easy to know for certain.

The next photo shows two boys sharing a book together. They look as though they are enjoying both the company and the book. It could be that a bookcorner is next to them, however not as easy to see in this photo.

What the photo does suggest is the importance of offering smaller children a table and chairs for them to sit at while looking at a book. Preferable table and chairs the correct height so that when they sit down, their feet can reach the ground. This frees children's energy from being busy about their position at the table to being able to concentrate on the book they are reading or looking at.

This photograph shows a father holding his child to show her a book. This could be in a library or next to the parents' bookshelves. Either way, it is another way to help children to realize the importance of books not only for them, but for the whole family. In this way, we can begin to help children to appreciate the value of books and why they should be treated and handled with care.

This photograph is just for fun, to show that a book corner can even be a collection of precious books tied up with a bow. In this image they are high up for the child. The child's own books should be within their reach.

This cute photo shows a little girl, enjoying a book, seated in a chair just right for a child. The chair is positioned in front of her book corner. This is an ideal set up for a child.

It seems from the photo that the child has already learned to appreciate books and is looking with care, her finger pointing or tracing hovers a little above the page.

Remember, when children look at books, it is good practice to teach them to always wash their hands prior to sitting down to look at a book, even their very own books.

We hope to put up some more photo's on this topic soon. In the meantime, if you have questions regarding reading skills either from an experienced teachers perspective or an occupational therapists, please either post a comment or email us.

Enjoy reading with your children.

On Introducing Your Young Child to a Book Corner.

I believe that it is never too soon to start showing books to babies. Small babies like the movement of the pages and the sounds they make, just as much as they love being held closely. The tone of your voice and the colours and shapes will hold their interest.

We all know the vital role books play in a young child’s life and how they can help with concentration; visual stimulation; language and listening skills and many more benefits. When a child reaches out and wants to hold his or her own book, the time has come to start planning a special “home” for the child’s very own books. This does not have to be elaborate in any way. A big cushion on the floor and a large box or carton to hold the books safely, without getting them damaged, is quite sufficient, as long as the child can reach the books easily.

You might want to clear the bottom shelf of one of your own book cases to house your child’s books. Or, as one of my daughters did for her little one, make and brightly paint a special bookcase for a corner in the child’s bedroom. Once again, the child must be able to reach the books and the experience must be cosy and inviting.

Once this is set out, the child will quite happily go there alone, to “read” for short periods. When the first sign of this happens, some simple rules should be set, in a relaxed and happy manner.

“Oh, good,” you might say “that’s a wonderful idea! I can see you have found your own special book corner. Now you can read your book and I will read mine”.

Toddlers often have very short attentions spans, but most will sit for a while with a favourite book, just looking at the pictures.

At the end of the little book corner session, it is important to make sure the books are returned to their box or shelf, preferably by the child. It is important too, to make sure that the reading activity does not involve any other activity at this stage – scribbling in books, tearing or cutting, is just not acceptable. So keep the crayons far way from the books, out of temptation’s way.

Visits to the children’s section of your local library are also a wonderful way to introduce the child to a home book corner. I have found children well before their second birthdays, know just what to do and where to go in their own special section of the library. There are often comfy little chairs and tables for the children, or cushions on the floor. I think it is a good idea to let the child choose a book unaided. The big picture books might even be in a special basket at just the right height for the child. And children delight in finding a copy of a favourite “home” book on the library shelves. The child will sit down and page through the book, reliving the story that has been read to them at home.

By introducing your child, carefully and lovingly to a book corner at home, you will be starting that child on the road to a life time of reading and enjoyment. Reading, as the child grows older, becomes a solitary pastime and pleasure, and it is never too early to lay the foundations for that satisfying experience.

Rosemary Kahn