Milk and Honey

A good friend recently brought an interesting book to my attention. Honey For A Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use For Books in Family Life is a look at how reading can not only enrich your child's life but also your family life.

I have been casually thumbing through the book for a couple of weeks now, but when JillyBean was feeling crummy on Saturday I used the time to dive into its pages. I will admit that nothing super surprising is revealed, but it does put a lot of thoughts and assumptions together with information I have learned over the years about the importance of introducing kids to books. Everything that you probably know about reading with your children gels together in this book.

Gladys Hunt approaches the subject from a Christian perspective, but I would not consider it a religious book. She doesn't guide parents away from particular subjects, rather challenges them to really think what lessons and images are important for them to pass along to their children. What sort of traits do you want your children to develop? Find characters and situations that will help them grow. Knowing her religious background, it was interesting to read her take on the Harry Potter series. The poor wizard got a bad rap from Christian church leaders for supposedly introducing children to witchcraft. She calls that bunk and discusses how children are quite able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Besides, giving children a healthy dose of fantasy will not turn them into bad people.

She opened my eyes to quite a bit in regard to children's literature. For one, I realize that I cannot pass on my lack of enthusiasm for poetry to Jilly. I should use this time to rediscover the beauty of some poems and introduce it to her and help her grow an appreciation for the art. I also need to be on the look out for diluted versions of classic children's tales. I grew up loving the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie series. Apparently they have been rewritten into easier chapter-styled books and much of the beauty of Ms. Wilder's prose is lost. Also, Disney has done its share to dumb-down great children's stories so I should be weary of branding and marketing schemes. I have a specific concern for this in regard to A. A. Milne's beautiful Winnie the Pooh series, which sadly has been hijacked by Disney. Pooh was a childhood favorite of mine. I dreamed of living in the Hundred Acre Wood and going on adventures with Pooh, Piglet and Eyore. I fear that Jilly will never grasp the sweetness of the relationship between Christopher Robin and Pooh and instead will continue to ask about Darby and Buster who are part of the My Friends Tigger and Pooh series on TV. Daddy says I don't need to worry. As she grows older so will her appreciation for real stories.

Artwork is just as important as language is in children's books. As Hunt discusses, small children will "read" the pictures before they learn to read the words. I have certainly seen this in JillyBean. The art of a book can draw a child deeper into the story and such images will remain with them forever.

Finally, Hunt made me rethink the importance of reading with your child. Sure it helps with language development, but more than anything it strengthens the parent/child relationship. Naturally we read to our children at this age, since they can't read on their own, but it's important to read aloud or continue to read books together as children grow older. As she writes, reading aloud brings the story and its characters to life. Plus, sharing a book together creates a bond. Characters in books become shared friends and plots become shared experiences.

Honey For A Child's Heart includes a great book list in the back with suggestions for toddlers to teens. It is a valuable tool and will now be a standard shower gift for everyone I know having a baby, so act surprised when you receive one.