DADS READ: “The Day You Begin” by author Jacqueline Woodson and illustrator Rafael López

-



JER: “The Day You Begin” by author Jacqueline Woodson and illustrator Rafael López does a great job discussing all the ways people can be made to feel different, from race, appearance, accent, ability, or socioeconomic status. “There will be times when the world feels like a place you’re standing all the way outside of . . . “. Since I grew up with an unusual last name: Valentiner (sounds Italian, but my father is Danish). I used to really care that people would pronounce it “right”. I felt for “Rigoberto” because they don’t understand “the way words curl from your mouth” or how to say your name.  I hope the kids of the future treat my girls with kindness, especially my youngest girl who has a family name “Ejler” (my grandfather’s name pronounced like “Tyler” without the “T”, and she will probably have to explain it for the rest of her life like my niece Anja (my grandmother’s name)). But I have hope they will grow to realize that we all have things in common and our differences are what make this life so beautiful. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DADS READ: "Who Has What" by author Robie H. Harris and illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott

-
Image
Being a parent involves setting societal and cultural norms for your children.  When and where is it appropriate to eat, when and where is it appropriate to use electronic devices, when and where is it appropriate to sleep, when and where is it appropriate to urinate and defecate, etc.  That last one has an instructive, humorous story. One of my nephews had been on a long road trip to California, and something many people can relate to on long road trips, this nephew needed to urinate, but there wasn't an exit, a gas station, or any bathroom for miles in either direction.  His parents tried to explain to this nephew that in this circumstance, it was okay to urinate outdoors, on the side of the road, because there isn't any other alternative.  Great, no problem, many people have experienced needing to urinate outdoors when camping, traveling, or otherwise in a pinch.  Fast forward to after their road trip is over, they jad made it to Carlsbad, California, and...
Read more

DADS READ: "Lucia and the Light" by Phyllis Root & Mary GrandPré: how to save the world with backcountry skiing

-
Image
It's rare  that a book begins an adventure with backcountry skiing and ends with Trolls, but that is why  "Lucia and the Light"  by author  Phyllis Root  and illustrator  Mary GrandPr é   is one of my favorite  children's books.   One of my passions is  backcountry skiing/ski mountaineering , it has been a dormant passion for quite some time, but being with a few friends in mostly unoccupied wilderness, slowly ascending a narrow track on skis fitted with  climbing skins  is one of my favorite places to feel "a return to a genuine and simple way of life" and tap into  my inner Tao .  My love for the mountains, skiing, and being self-propelled all factor into my love for this book, but it also has another strong feminine role model my daughters can look up to.  The story of "Lucia and the Light" involves a mysterious loss of light, and a young girl's quest to set out on skis to climb to the top of the mountains...
Read more

DADS READ: “Where’s Spot?” by Eric Hill

-
Image
JER: “ Where’s Spot? ” by Eric Hill might be the most well “loved” book in our house.  It is so well “loved” that many of the distinctive flaps in this “lift-the-flap” book were “loved” off of their board-book-pages . . . But I am pretty proud of my make-shift replacement flaps.  A fun way to increase interaction with a toddler is to sign the name of the animal as they are revealed behind the flap. “Is Spot behind the door? ‘No’, says the snake” (accompanied by a hissing snake sign). The “Learn ASL App” is really great for learning basic sign language. 
Read more