I saw a story the other day about reading to your children that started with, “It’s pretty hard to screw up reading to a child.” Have fun and engage your audience, the author said. Oh yeah, I thought. I certainly did that.
When my son and daughter were little, one of my favorite parts of the day was bedtime. Yes, I’ll admit that I was exhausted, and part of me hoped that their day full of questions, play dates, and emotional highs and lows had worn them out too. But there was also a much more compelling reason that gave nighttime a higher purpose. The end of the day meant impressing upon them that they had played as hard as they could, and that they needed their rest so they could start all over again tomorrow. It meant tucking them in and reading them a bedtime story and I always looked forward to that.
This was a time when I had their full attention and they had mine. It was a cozy time. Bathed and in their favorite jammies, I would have one or both of them entrenched under each arm. No television or video games or phone calls, this was “us” time where my voice and their occasional giggles and questions were all we heard. That was, unless I read Octopus Hug by Laurence Pringle. This was not a bedtime story!
This was a rousing picture book story that was one of those rare gems that appealed to both boys and girls. Here is how the author described it:
Octopus Hug is a charming look at the games a father plays with his children when he’s left in charge for the evening. The games are wonderfully active — and interactive. The dad gets down on the floor with Becky and Jesse, pretends to be different animals and objects, and encourages the children to join in. The fun is still going on when the mom returns home, so she gets to experience the games, too.
My kids loved that book. The first time I read it, I would pretend to be one of the animals in the story, making bold sounds and I would pick them up, rock them, roll on the floor, and encourage them to do the same. Night after night I would ask, “What do we want to read?” and they would say, “Octopus Hug!” and then settle into their favorite places to be roared at until finally, the giant octopus (me) grabbed them and rocked them back and forth in a victorious hug. There was lots of laughter and running around, but the innocence of it all always warmed my heart. It still does. Of course, I quickly learned to follow up with another story that calmed them down because this book defeated the whole purpose of a bedtime story!
I still have Octopus Hug on my book shelf. Sometimes give a copy as a gift to parents and grandparents who are welcoming new little people into their lives. It is one of those books that underscores that all important message that we want all of our children to embrace: Reading is fun. And we all know that children learn by example.
Congratulations to my daughter, Lisa, who is a member of the 2013 graduating class of Wayne State University, and last night, was recognized as an Honors College graduate.
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