Skip to main content

NYTimes: "Pic Books No Longer a Staple for Children" -- hmmm

If you're on a children's writing board or online group, chances are you've heard the chatter about the recent article in the NYTimes about picture books. For those who haven't heard the buzz . . . here is the link.
http://www.nytimes. com/2010/ 10/08/us/ 08picture. html?src= me&ref=general

After you read it . . . come back and let us know our thoughts. As for me, I can't believe parents are bypassing picture books for their children. I'm not saying this because I write them. I write in all genres of children's lit so to me that's not my concern. What I'm worried about is the fact parents don't realize how important starting your child out reading picture books is important.

Yes, picture books have colorful illustrations and normally don't have a lot of text, but there is more to a picture book than that. Picture books are great tools to teach your child creative thinking, problem solving, concepts, and so much more. Before I even read the story to my children, I first have them look at the pictures and tell me what they think is happening in the story. I let them tell me the story they think we'll be reading from just looking at the pictures. After we've done that, I read the text and we find out if their were right or wrong about the storyline. We also talk about what is in each picture, where the beginning, middle, climax and end of the story is and why it is important to tell a story in this fashion.

There is more you can do with picture books and I'm sure you all have tools you use when reading them with your children. I would love to hear them.

Popular posts from this blog

OWNING: Only One of You

Martha Graham, a famous dancer and choreographer in the early 20th century, wrote in a letter to one of her students: "There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open." Graham's words ring true. There is only one of you in the world: The way you think, the way you see things, the way you respond, the way you nurture yourself and other people, the way you go about doing mundane things. The way you love, the way you express, the way you tell a story, the way you write. The world will know of and witness only one you . The totality of you -- talents, nuances, thought proc...
Read more

The Comeback of 2D Animation: Why We’re Craving Realness Again

There’s something happening in animation right now that’s worth paying attention to—not because it’s simply nostalgic, but because it’s deeply human. As someone who works in the mental health and creative storytelling space, I can’t help but see these conversations about art, AI, and hand-drawn storytelling as part of a bigger theme: our collective hunger for authenticity. We live in a time where AI-generated content is everywhere—convenient, efficient, and often soulless. It’s not surprising that artists and audiences alike are looking back toward something that feels more tactile, more imperfect, more human. That brings us to 2D animation, an art form that has shaped generations and now, it seems, might just be making a comeback. Here’s what Language of the Soul podcast host, Dominick Domingo, had to say on this trend: There’s been a lot of industry talk lately speculating about 2D/traditional ANIMATION making a comeback. Recent articles confirm that although Disney has not greenlit...
Read more

Unmasking Narcissism: Lessons on Healing, Boundaries, and the Human Condition

  When I first sat down with Dominick to interview Stuart Wood, neuroscientist and author of Escaping the Void: How to Support Victims Out of Emotionally Abusive Relationships , I thought I knew what to expect. I’ve been a victim advocate for years. I’ve sat with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and I’ve seen the way emotional abuse erodes someone from the inside out. But there was something about this conversation—something about tying narcissism not just to relationships, but to culture at large—that resonated with me on a personal and professional level. Stuart came to the topic of narcissism the way so many of us do—not through clinical theory at first, but through experience. He supported a friend through four years of leaving and healing after an abusive narcissistic marriage. And from there, he wrote a book that demystifies the confusing behaviors and manipulations so often minimized or dismissed, even by victims themselves. Why Narcissism Hits Home I come ...
Read more