Challenge

I spent my weekend with two children, 2 and 5.  It was spent outdoors in beautiful warm weather. And there were hikes and baking and reading...lots and lots of reading. Anyone who knows me, knows I love to read aloud.  It is a time for acting, for trying on new voices and exploring new roles. But also with reading aloud comes the children's desire to read the same book again and again and again. I remember this tendancy in myself, wanting to hear "goodnight moon", just one more time. Now if your children have impeccable taste, as I obviously had, this is fine. But for some reason children always seem to be a bit drawn to that book that just gets under my skin. This weekend that book was "the happy birthday" book by Dr. Seuss. I read it once, and thought...that is a dumb story...and then I read it again...was bored with the rhyme and annoyed with the repetition. Ah, how do I instill in the youth of today my fine taste?   I discovered up in my room I held a secret weapon. A special gift given to me before I left to spend time with the trees. I figured one Dr. Seuss should be able to be replaced with another, and so I brought out The Lorax. This book held power. I would finish it and they would say "again". It would be time to read and the 2 year old would chant, Lorax. I believe in over a 30 hr. period I read this book at least 8 times. And the joy was that I was thrilled to keep reading it. The rhymes are witty, the story compelling...and the end, each time I read it, chills ran up my spine...as only a really good book does. So, to all of you who spend days with children who love to read...and find yourself reading Dr. Seuss books that are boring and way too long... I recommend turning to The Lorax...here at my almost 30 years I have just discovered this treasure...but it seems to work magic on children, as well as me. Thank you Rachel.

note:
this entry is part of a theme blogging going on with 2 other friends...jeannie and rachel...you can see their blogs on my favorites...each week we will blog on thursday around a declared theme...join in if you like...next week "Outside the box".