Reading time with the kids
When looking for creative inspiration, there is no better place to look than between the pages of a book. Good books are able to transport you to a different world and open your mind to new ideas without you leaving the comfort of your own home. This is why when seeking to nurture creativity in our kids one of the best things we can do is to read to them regularly. Even for the young ones, there are lots of great picture books that inspire the imagination.
Here are five of our favourites:
1. Harold and the Purple Crayon (by Crockett Johnson)
Harold is a little boy who decides one night to set out for a walk. Where can he go and what will he meet? Armed with just his purple crayon, Harold draws himself into an adventure but through it all, it is his quick thinking (and his artist ability) that brings him through it and home again. When he falls into deep water, Harold quickly sketches a boat to rescue himself. When he gets hungry, he creates a purple pie picnic for himself, and even conjures up some animals to eat up the leftovers! The pictures are simple—indeed, Harold's purple drawings are the only colours on the page, but this quirky tale of a boy and where his imagination takes him will delight both young and old. Above all, Harold's magical journey is a wonderful showcase of how with our imagination, anything is possible.
2. Press Here (by Herve Tullet)
Press Here is a delightful book which brings the interactivity that children of today are used to on gadgets like the iPad to the flat pages of a book. "Press here and turn the page," it says, on the first page of the book, and when you do, you are off on a fun journey -- pressing dots, shaking pages and tilting the book to see what would happen next. This book never fails to make my kids laugh as the dots multiply, move in different directions and grow in size. When we think of interactive books, we think of pop-ups or those that are tactile with fuzzy/bumpy pages, but this clever book uses just simple instructions to get the kids to interact with it and their delight at how the book seems to respond to them is priceless. By the end, all the book has to say is "Want to do it all over again?" and every reader will invariably yell "yes!" in response. A unique picture book about the power of imagination that is a fun read-aloud for all ages.
3. The Dot (by Peter H. Reyolds)
Vashti sits alone after art class with her back to her blank sheet of paper at the end of art class. "I just CAN'T draw!" she tells her teacher. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you," are the wise encouraging words of her teacher. From there, Vashti starts on her artistic journey and learns that what is art is a matter of perspective.
As someone who thinks that she cannot draw, I LOVE this book, with its simple yet inspiring message that all of us are creative in our own way. It is also the story of how a great teacher can make all the difference to a child's journey of self-discovery and expression. A wonderful reminder for all parents!
4. Not A Box (by Antoinette Portis)
This book is for everyone who's ever been enamoured of cardboard boxes and who has, at some point of time, climbed on one or into one - ie. everyone. "Why are you sitting in a box?" are the opening words. "It's not a box," is the answer, accompanied a simple black line drawing of a rabbit sitting in a box, with the picture overlain in red to show a speeding race car. This repeats itself through the whole book with the rabbit showing how a simple box can be anything you imagine it to be. You'll be hard pressed to keep your kids out of cardboard boxes after this!
5. You Choose (by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharatt)
"If you could go anywhere, where would you go?" "Who would you like for family and friends?" You choose!
A wonderful conversation primer, You Choose is a not conventional storybook. Instead, there is a question asked on each page, which is filled with colourful drawings of all kinds in answer to that question. The kids just love pouring over the pictures, lots of which are funny, and imagining where they can go and what they can be. The answers aren't always what you expect! I also love how it provides an opportunity to build vocabulary and bond with the kids.
Have fun reading!
