"Book"

All in a day's work

Things Oliver did today:

• Got poop on his pillowcase, which necessitated the washing of all bed linens
• Moved his alphabet puzzle to the bathroom while I showered, but then abandoned it to "rock rock" in the rocking chair
• Selected a donut from the extensive variety at Fox's Donut Den
• Drank two sippy cups of milk before 9am
• Helped brush Lucy's teeth and gave her two dental treats
• Read Lucy (now pronounced "Woosy") his Ten Rubber Duckies book
• Tried to ride Lucy's back while she chewed on her bone and tried, unsuccessfully, to play rope with Lucy
• Spun around in circle while singing the snippets of ring-around-the-rosie until he got dizzy
• Had a time-out, or several

Books a million

Oliver loves books.  I mean, this kids just loves books.  He has, I don't know, twenty or thirty board books that he carries around every day.  A few books are upstairs next to his bed, and he looks at them at bedtime, in the morning, and before and after naps.  He sometimes gets out regular books, too, like Tom the Truck Driver or his Curious George Treasury.  He has many more with his toys downstairs, and most days he takes every single one of the cupboard to look at.  He still prefers to have them read to him, though he's very participatory.  "Read, read," he says, coming to me with a book.  I open his door in the morning and he greets me with a book in hand or I find him in his bed surrounded by books.  He gets up from a nap, comes downstairs, and wants to read books.  He can "read" some of his books himself.  He knows how to hold a book right-side-up now, to turn the pages and such.  He is starting to make print-to-meaning connections.  He has one book, called Hug, that has only that word as most of the text (in dialogue bubbles), and tonight he opened it up, and unprompted, pointed to one of the words and said, "Hug."  And that is what it said.  I'm not saying he has hug as a sight word, only that he recognizes that the words we read aloud to him, and the meaning of the story, are contained in the print, not the pictures.  This is one of the first steps of reading.

When Wes and I got our new computer recently, I got a 3-in-1 HP wireless printer/scanner/copies for free as part of a promotion.  So I decided to play with it a little.  In the last week, I've scanned four of Oliver's board books into the computer, then used iMovie to sequence and narrate the book and turn it into a video. When Oliver wants to read books and I need to do something else (or in the case of this week, have no voice -- a concept beyond the understanding of a 2-year-old), I can play his books to him on repeat, and he happily watches and talks to the computer and points things out just like he does when I read them to him.  And the computer doesn't mind reading the same book five times in a row.  Since the projects save, I can re-narrate them later, let a family member do one when they visit, or even let Oliver record his rendition for a younger sibling once he can actually read.

I still prefer to read to him myself, mind you.  I love how he sits in my lap, how excited he gets, the fact that he loves to "read" and be read to.  We'll read a book once, then look at the pictures the next time, then I'll have him "read" it to me by asking him questions.  It's such fun.  But for a kid who doesn't get television (we've introduced short segments of old Sesame Streets recently), books on a movie are pretty exciting.  If anyone out there in blogland is so motivated, feel free to make your own book-aloud for Oliver.  You can send it on CD or post it privately on YouTube and send me the link.  I know he -- and I  -- would love it!

Eric Carle's From Head to Toe

Books from Grandpa

Oliver got his first Christmas present this year from his Grandpa John, Wes's father. He sent four different children's books, all featuring an Oliver as the protagonist. Isn't that the cutest idea ever? So far we've read Oliver Who Would Not Sleep, which is my favorite (since Ollie still won't nap much, despite being a solid night sleeper), Oliver Finds His Way, and Oliver's Must-Do List. I browsed Oliver's High Five, which is a cute if somewhat absurd story about an octopus with only five arms who faces workplace discrimination for his handicap. I haven't read to the end, so I don't know how it all turns out.

Thanks, Grandpa John!

Story Hour

Oliver and I have started reading together after he's done nursing and still interested in sitting still. While my mom was here, we read her Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type, The Best Pet of All, and Amelia Bedelia. Oliver's favorites are Harry the Dirty Dog and The Monster at the End of this Book.

Books that I must have in my book collection

1. The Monster at the End of this Book
2. Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?
3. Everybody Poops (I mean, who doesn't want that in their collection?)
4. Amelia Bedelia books
5. Click-Clack-Moo (an anthropogical study of the labor movement among farm animals; perhaps to be followed by Animal Farm)
6. Pat the Bunny
7. But Not the Hippopotamus
8. Good Night, Gorilla (if you know my husband at all)

This does not include the many excellent books already on our shelves, including (but not limited to) Harry the Dirty Dog, The Five Chinese Brothers, Mrs. Pigglewiggle, Where the Wild Things Are, The Butter Battle Book, and other such classics.