|
|
Last thing at night, first thing in the morningApr 02 '00 Write an essay on this topic.Last week, I cleaned a closet that held boxes filled with mementos of my son’s first 16 years on this earth. Although I hand down most toys, outgrown clothing, and other items to my sister’s four boys, I’m a packrat by nature. During each stage of my son’s life, I’ve held on to a few possessions that, to me, defined his personality and character. Digging through the closet resembled an archeological expedition. Boxes with soccer and Little League trophies were on top of the pile. A bit farther down, I found his grade school science fair projects and a disturbingly realistic paper-mache mask of James Madison. Digging deeper, I unearthed his first grade lunchbox and a day-care backpack that still contained long-forgotten Matchbox cars and an uneaten granola bar. As I moved boxes of games and toddler toys, I glimpsed his old bookcase in the back of the closet, filled with stories I hadn’t read for years but still remembered, word for word. Sitting on the floor, surrounded by books that I’d read hundreds, if not thousands, of times, I realized that reading had been a central activity in our family relationship from the very beginning. Forget the cleaning. I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting cross-legged on the floor; sipping tea and rereading the books that had brought on a welcome rush of memories. Babyhood My son heard his first Beatrix Potter tale on the day I brought him home from the hospital. Throughout his first year, I read him story after story. While he didn't understand the words and had no concept of a plot, he knew that cuddling and closeness were part of this wonderful activity called reading. As he grew, he would initiate our reading sessions. I have an oh-so-sweet memory of my little son, before he could walk, crawling toward me with a book firmly clenched between his teeth. Even then, he had his favorites. A short list of stories that I've read over and over, thousands and thousands of times to my son as an infant, include: Pat the Bunny; by Dorothy Kunhardt* An interactive first book for babies, incorporating words and tactile sensation Good Dog, Carl; by Alexandra Day Beautifully illustrated, no text. Allows child to craft his own interpretation. Goodnight Moon; by Margaret Wise Brown* An all-time favorite . . .without opening the cover I can recite the entire book from memory Baby Ben Gets Dressed, by Harriet Ziefert Baby Ben Eats Supper, by Harriet Ziefert* My son identified with Baby Ben and would point to his own socks, hat etc. with the first book and found Baby Ben’s dinner exploits hilarious in the second book. Toddler Years Once he could follow a simple storyline, our range of literature expanded. By this time, I regularly read to him for more than an hour each day. As soon as we got home, me from work and him from daycare, I’d fix a snack and we’d snuggle on the couch to reconnect after a day apart. Dinner came later, reading came first. While a significant portion of my discretionary income went for books, I considered it an essential investment. I was on a first name basis with the owner of the local used book store. He saved classic books for me and I’d go in once a week to check out his latest reserve pile. Books that my son most enjoyed from age two to four include: The Very Hungry Caterpillar; by Eric Carle* An all-time favorite, he was thrilled one day to find a real cocoon that we brought inside until it hatched . . . and then set it free to fin its way in the world Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; by Eric Carle He loved the colors and cadence of the text Good Night, Good Night; by Sandra Boynton* This was a favorite with both of us. The illustrations are downright funny and the story of animals on board a ship who find reasons to delay bedtime hit close to home. Where the Wild Things Are; by Maurice Sendak* This story of a naughty little boy who was sent to bed without supper was a favorite. The reassurance at the end that forgiveness and a hot supper go hand in hand, was wonderful. Mickey in the Night Kitchen; by Maurice Sendak Actually, I think we have every book Sendak ever wrote. Since Shane was my kitchen helper, he loved this story of the little naked boy who seems to be single-handedly responsible for “cake every morning”. The Runaway Bunny; by Margaret Wise Brown While I was less than thrilled with the smothering maternal love portrayed in this book, my son loved it and requested it almost every night. Curious George; by Margret Rey This little monkey was just as curious as my own little monkey. Shane had most of the books in this series and loved reading about George’s escapades. Make Way For Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey Since we live near a duckpond and frequently took a loaf of bread down to the water, this book was great fun. Drummer Hoff, by Barbara Emberly* This book which chronicled the steps necessary to fire a cannon was a huge hit. I liked the last page which showed the cannon, many years later, surrounded by wild flowers and serving as shelter to a family of birds. The Little Bear series, by Else Minarik* Illustrated by Maurice Sendak, this collection of stories detailed the imaginative adventures of a small bear and his ever-supportive mother. I liked the strong friendships between various animal characters, even when they disagreed on fundamental things. Anything by Dr. Seuss, especially The Star-bellied Sneetches and The Cat in the Hat He was a prolific writer and we had most of his books . . . and read them all. Always enjoyable. There are many more books than I can possibly list in one review. These were my son’s favorites. Your child may have others. A night owl from an early age, it was hard to get him into bed at night and sometimes harder to get him out of bed in the morning. I found that if I asked him to pick out five books (one for each finger, he picked the hand), four to read as a bed-time story and one to save as a wake-up story, that he and I would both be asleep by book four. In the morning, I’d wake my little sleepyhead with a cuddle and a new story. By the last page, he was awake and ready to face the day. His books were kept on a low shelf in our living room and he learned at an early age that books were to be enjoyed and treated with respect. With the exception of a few baby board books which bear tiny teeth marks, the hundreds of children's books in his early library have no crayon marks or torn pages. Eventually, I ran out of room on my bookshelf and bought one for my son's room. Although I gave some books away, I kept his (and my) favorites. As I added boxes of memorabilia to the closet, the bookshelf gradually became hidden. I know there are other boxes of books that he enjoyed as an early reader and in grade school. They’ll have to wait for another weekend. Is the closet clean? Yes and no. I cleaned out cobwebs and vacuumed the floor. However, I couldn’t bring myself to discard a thing and replaced each box, albeit in a different order. The bookcase is in front of the stack this time. The next time I need a touch of nostalgia, I won’t have far to go. * Books with an asterisk were absolute all time favorites . . . fun to read for me and fascinating to listen to for him.  |
| Read all comments (35)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
by kairosdreaming
by dandj
by texas-swede
