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Do you make a note of what you’re reading to kids?
I like to.
I’ve been meaning to start this catergory for ages and finally, here it is. I like keeping track of all the books we read to M anyway and noting down the titles and authors in a diary as I’ve been doing doesn’t seem to be working too well, because a) I keep misplacing the diary b) I can never find it when I’m trying to recollect the name of a book we read a few months ago or its author – which totally defies the purpose c) since I want to share the names of the children’s books we read on this blog anyway, why make a double entry? I know I haven’t been updating babylovesbooks as often as I’d like to and I thank you for bearing with me. At the very least, I hope to update the weekly reading section every week – kind of keeps me accountable ( did I spend time reading to M this week) and also helps me feel less guilty about temporarily abandoning the blog when I don’t get around to posting much else.
Hope you find something on our list interesting and inspiring. And I would love to know what you and your little ones are reading.
Amar Chitra Katha comics- Dasha Avathar, Tales of Hanuman
Indian mythological tales are BIG entertainers and M could spend up to an hour looking at one of these comics. No other book or toy can hold this 4 year-old’s attention for that long a duration and so, you can imagine how valuable these comics are for all of us on various levels. (They’re great for buying time when I’m working or fixing dinner, also great for ‘time out’ or ‘ calm down’ time when M needs to spend some time alone and of course when we just have the luxury of free time to read and relax, while also learning about these fascinating characters and stories from India.) If you grew up in India, you probably owned and read at least a half a dozen ACK comics and I’m so glad that these have now become staples in my daughter’s reading routine.
Grow a Pumpkin Pie
Ah! the thrill of figuring out letters, words and sounds for the very first time…and the exhilaration of watching your kid do it! You’ve got to admire how much thought has gone into planning these Scholastic Reader books – and it’s such a pleasure observing and helping M as she tries to sound out groups of letters to make words. She struggles with some, figures out others and gets frustrated quite a bit, but, I can see that if we can somehow manage to be a little patient and give her the little nudge she needs, she is on the right track to one of the biggest milestones in an individual’s life – reading independently. I recognize that it’s not going to happen overnight and that she’s still got a lot of figuring out and remembering to do before she starts reading fluently – which’ll probably happen when it happens. In the meantime, we’ve got a pumpkin pie to grow and it’s just so wonderful that books like this one makes the learning-to-read journey so enjoyable.
Piano Explorer
We had a lot of fun enriching our musical vocabulary together with this month’s issue of the magazine.
Disney Classic Storybook
OK, for all those who consider these mere brand extensions and not real books – I hear you. But, I don’t see how we’re going to escape reading about princesses or Dora unless we move to a cave with no connection to the outside world. So, I figure, we might as well embrace and enjoy them, just making sure that it’s not the only literature we expose our kids to. We have at least 4 different versions of Disney Princess Stories and Fairytales in our home and may stumble upon a few more if we looked under beds and other furniture. Somehow, Disney collections make their way into our home in the form of gifts from family and friends and oddly enough, we don’t seem to get tired of them. M received the Disney’s Classic Storybook – a Treasury of Tales this week yet again as a present and do I even need to tell you which book we read over and over again the past couple of days? Oh well, as long as we’re reading something…Although I must admit I feel like I may be approaching the very edge of my tolerance level for the Disney Princesses with this one.
Karadi Tales – The Talking Cave, Fish Friends Three
Ok, I didn’t really ‘read’ these to M, I let Karadi take over. So, I can’t take full credit, but, I did pop in the CD and get M to sit down with the respective books on the couch while I supervised(err…did chores) – all said and done, M got about an hour’s worth of reading/story time in on a couple of occasions this week thanks to these audio CD/book sets. So, that deserves a place in our weekly reading round-up.
That’s it from me for this week. What have you been reading with your little ones recently?
Is there an alternative to picture books?
Reading a book to your kids for the 457th time is probably not as much fun, interesting or intellectually stimulating as it used to be the first few times, regardless of how great a classic it is and with all due respect to its creators. Sure, Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny and Eric Carle books may have all the elements to attract a child and get him hooked to reading, but, let’s face it, when you hit the 400 mark, or sooner, you’ve about had it with picture books. Chances are your child may still pick the very same books everyday for you to read much to your bewilderment and with no regard for your silent ’Not again’s. There’s an easy way out and one that both of you will enjoy.
Find something else to read.
Beyond Bedtime Stories
You’ll find reading recommendations for kids and lists of age-appropriate children’s books pretty much everywhere you look. But, you don’t have to stop with the storybooks and bedtime tales on these lists. Make one of your own that includes reading material outside of traditional children’s books. Here are some suggestions that seem to pique the interest of some kids I know, especially one in particular who’s growing up faster than I like to admit. And the best part? If you’re like me, you won’t mind the reading change yourself.
* Children’s World Atlas -
 Explore the world with your child A little globe trotting at bedtime anyone? Why not learn about a new country, continent or a geography fact with your child? Turning the pages of a world atlas with your child at bedtime may not sound like much fun at first, but it is a reading activity packed with potential. Soon your child will be able to identify flags and countries on the map and trust me, you will appreciate the break from fairies, monsters and talking bears. Try it once a week to start with and see how you both like it. Take it a step further by picking out a picture book or bedtime story about the country you’re learning about, from the library.
* Planet Earth
 Turn storytime into science time
It’s like watching Discovery Channel except somewhat better, because you’re reading and interacting with your child, feeding his curiosity and expanding his mind at the same time. Again, a storybook about the animal or species you’re learning about will be easy to find at the local library.
*Magazines
You could snuggle in with your tot with a copy of Highlights or any other children’s magazine. If your child is into a certain hobby or activity, do a little bit of extra reading about his favorite subject. Piano Explorer is an example – kids who’re learning to play can learn some fun facts about the instrument, or about some of the famous composers or even other kids who’re learning to play, read and write music. These magazines have plenty of puzzles, trivia and lighter columns to keep both of you engrossed for a while. No fairies or princesses involved.
* Poems, Songs, Lullabies
You’ve probably done Twinkle Twinkle to death, and you know your child likes nursery rhymes, so why not explore a few not-so-popular ones with your child? Poetry is not everyone’s cuppa, but if you enjoy it and want to share it with your child, check out Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies. You’ll find some beautiful verses in it that your child may enjoy at bedtime, including These are a Few of My Favorite Things and other unforgettable classics.
* Comics
 Amar Chitra Katha - Indian Mythological Comics
Yes, the good, clean kind. And there are plenty of them available today. Sometimes, a little variety can work wonders and reading the same story in a new format provides the refreshing change you and your child want. Also, comics help your child look at a scene as it is happening and as you’re reading together and so they’ve got the potential to keep even less attentive, restless kids engrossed longer. Again, much like TV but, only better, because you’re still engaging your child and interacting with the story.
* Mail
Remember the olden times when people sent each other mail? (Yes, I’m that old.) I still have some of the letters, greeting cards and notes the important people in my life sent me over the years and I like to take out my old shoe box and read them every now and then. (What? You don’t? Laugh all you want but you have no idea what you’re missing. ) I like to share some of these with my daughter…especially letters my mom wrote me or greeting cards from my family. Since we live so far away from our extended family, I think this is a way for my young daughter to understand more about her family and older relatives and how we’re all related – the fabric of family yada yada. Especially because we don’t receive too many snail mail letters, notes or cards any more in the online age. Some of these olden-day letters are so fascinating to read now and sharing them with our kids lets us connect our past with our future. And if you haven’t saved any of those old letters(shame on you!), you could just get creative and prose-y, and write a few to your kids and read them together at bedtime. (And maybe they will do a better job of preserving letters.)
* Recipes
Bonding while baking is nothing new, but did you know that going over your recipe book with your child is another delicious way to blend reading, cooking and bonding while whipping up a family meal? Whether it’s Rachael Ray or your grandma’s recipes you follow, go over a few with your child – read out the dish, the ingredients and the method – and try out something new with your pint-sized assistant chef every once in a while.
It’s important for kids to cultivate a lifelong love of reading and learning, but sometimes, stepping away from children’s books may be necessary to do it. Taking reading beyond books may actually help nurture the love of reading in ways and measures you never imagined possible.
What are some of the ways you read to your child that doesn’t involve children’s books?
Children’s Book Celebrates Georgia’s Pre-K Program
Title: A million Starts with Me
Creators: John Archambault, Sarah Hollander (CD- David Plummer, John Archambault); School Specialty, Inc.
 Children's Book Celebrates Gerogia's Millionth Pre-K Student
So, a few days ago M brought home a book from school. It’s called A Million Starts with Me. I learned that it was written to commemorate and celebrate an important milestone – the one millionth child entered Georgia’s 16-year-old state-funded, nationally recognized Pre-K program in 2009. According to this press release, “Georgia is the first state in the nation to serve more than one million Pre-K children in a voluntary, universal, lottery-funded program.”
Written by John Archambault, famous author of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, this is one book that well…didn’t really click with me( or M for that matter) at first. (And I usually can’t put a picture book down until I’ve read it from cover to cover – a few times. There. I’ve said it and I’m not as embarrassed as I thought I’d be admitting to that. ) But I have to say, I’ve been reading the book to M for a few days now and it has kind of started to grow on me.
The turning point probably came about when I heard the accompanying CD for the first time – they’ve done a really good job of capturing the essence of ‘being one in a million’ in the audio version. I guess sometimes a little audio nudge is all you need to ‘get’ a book the way it was intended. Even if it’s meant for a pre-schooler. 
I like the way the book alternates between the two central themes – that ‘a million begins with you’ and ‘you’re one in a million’ – both very valid and valuable words every child should hear early and often. And every parent and teacher probably knows, and should believe. The surprise treat this book offers comes in the form of illustrations sprinkled througout its pages done by children in Georgia schools - inspiring, innocent and so full of hope.
‘The world is waiting for you with wonders’ says Gracie’s grandma, gently coaxing and convincing the anxious pre-schooler on the eve of her first day of school. This tender song-story that didn’t win my approval initially has gradually turned into a precious bedtime read – and now I’m not quite sure who among the two of us enjoys it more. I recommend you give this a read with your toddler or pre-schooler, if only to stoke her curiosity and talk about a ’a million’, the universe, stars, the Milky Way and separation anxiety or just to enjoy a cozy read.
Title: One Green Apple
Creators: Eve Bunting, Ted Lewin
Clarion Books New York
Age: 4+ – independent readers
 Eve Bunting Book
War. Violence. Hatred.
Could a good old field trip hold the answers to problems plaguing the planet for centuries? What does making apple cider have to with changing the world and perceptions anyway?
For Farah, a young immigrant girl struggling to find her place in a new country, a trip to an apple orchard with her new classmates, who are practically strangers, offers a faint glimmer of hope.
Everything in her new life seems odd, inexplicable. Especially the words that refuse to emerge from her lips. Even though she knows, understands, sees them in her own way. The language her classmates speak doesn’t make much sense to her. She finds comfort in the familiar sights and sounds of nature. They seem to be no different from those in her country. ”Only the words are different.” She wonders when she will begin to feel at home, in her new home, like her father promised.
This thought-provoking book with multiple layers explores the thoughts and feelings of a young girl who understands she is different, on the surface, but is still a child at heart. A strong-willed, intelligent individual who values her dignity and is proud of her heritage, but is overwhelmed by the strangeness and everyday challenges her new home presents. She is strong, yet shy, silent, yet alert, different…yet…not unlike her peers, she discovers.
One Green Apple is the touching, yet light-hearted tale of a day in Farah’s life and how at the end of it, she begins to belong and blend, like the fruit she picks on her first field trip. 
At a time when children are bound to be exposed to news about war, terrorism, violence and international crises, Eve Bunting’s book does three things -
i) Serves as a guide for parents seeking help to answer their children’s questions about immigrants, religion, war and other issues.
ii) Provides comfort for children in similar situations – whether it’s the first day of kindergarten, or the family’s move to a new city or country, or when a child is having difficulty making friends…reading One Green Apple with your child is sure to raise questions and help you find answers together. It also brings comfort and reassures children that they’re not alone in facing these challenges
iii) Gives you an opportunity to discuss tolerance, open-mindedness and universal well-being with your child. It’s not easy to explain to kids why you should be kind to a stranger when people you love are fighting, getting hurt and losing their lives in battles thousands of miles away. One Green Apple may bring you and your child just a step closer to understanding the world, our interdependence and just a little more about human nature.
 - One Green Apple
Read it with your child, even one as young as 4 and use it as an opportunity
to talk about acceptance and tolerance.
Title: When I’m Feeling; The Five Mile Press
Creator: Trace Moroney
Age Recommendation: 3+
 Children's Picture Books - When I'm Feeling... M’s (and her mom’s!) current reading favorites are a set of books on feelings. That’s right – anger, sadness, joy and fear. And how to deal with them.
M is at an age now when she can communicate her feelings if she wants to. But like most 4-year olds (and many 40-year olds), chooses not to. Why bother when she can take her pick from stomping her feet, yelling, kicking, wailing and whining?
The ‘When I’m Feeling’ series is designed to help us tackle the feelings our children experience most often and which impact their self-esteem. Not to mention our sanity and the peace at home.
In the past, I’ve turned to books for help with potty training, dealing with separation anxiety and building self-confidence among other things. You didn’t think I would miss a chance to read a book of feelings to my daughter, did you?
What I like about the ‘When I’m feeling’ series of books:
* The associations with each feeling (Angry, Happy, Sad, Scared) - The feelings come to life…visually…through words, the lay out and the pictures of the bunny experiencing them. Your kid doesn’t have to able to read to know which feeling you’re talking about and how to deal with it.
* The advice…is missing. Little nuggets and tips about what to do when your child is feeling a certain way are woven into the books but thankfully there’s no instruction or advice. You and your child can just read the books as if they were stories. (But they’re not, of course and nobody has to know.)
The books haven’t dramatically transformed M into an embodiment of tranquility. Of course, she still throws a fit when she’s upset and screams when she’s angry. But, at least, now, we both know what ‘feeling’ she’s experiencing and that it’s okay to feel that way. And experts say, identifying the feeling is the first step! Hopefully we’ll get to the part where we deal with them..err..a little more gracefully…in due course.
Definitely worth reading with your little ones. 
Activities to try with your child:
* Ask each other, ‘What makes you (happy/sad/scared/angry)?’ and listing out a few things. How many do you have in common?
* Draw pictures representing the different feelings.
* Draw and cut out 4 paper pumpkin masks with different expressions. (I consider myself artistically challenged, but I found that just making small changes in the shape of the eyes and mouth drastically altered the expression!) The next time your child ‘feels’ a certain way, ask him to wear the appropriate mask to communicate his feelings.
September 8 is International Literacy Day.
And you and I can do what 800 million others can’t.
Read.
To make sense of the written word – to be able to read, comprehend and write – may not seem like a big deal to most of us for whom like breathing and speech, it seems almost natural. As if we were born with the ability to combine letters and words together into language. For us, a world without written words may be almost impossible to imagine. But, there’s nothing impossible about it. It’s the world that millions of our brothers and sisters know and the same world we share with them. The same world we would know had we not had the opportunities we did. We read today because we were read to and taught how to. We write because someone showed us how to hold a pencil and moved our fingers over a page…teaching us, helping us make shapes, lines, curves, alphabets.
Literacy. It’s a word that’s all over the place all the time. It appears to wield so much power and seems loaded with potential. “Literacy”, you hear experts, analysts, politicians and just about everyone say, ” is the key to a better world. Literacy is the answer.” Literacy - the all-powerful solution to every problem facing human kind. Or so they say.
I admit I have my own doubts about the definition, purpose and meaning of literacy or even, education, for that matter and, whether either really makes a difference in the grand scheme of things – when it comes to say, preserving nature or realizing one’s self. For it seems to me, the more we ‘learn’ – at least in the modern sense, the more we destroy, the farther we move from our ‘centers’. Anyway, that’s an argument for another day and certainly not appropriate for International Literacy Day.
Today, we’re talking about literacy and how it can drastically transform our lives. And transform it has without a doubt. There’s almost nothing we can do in our modern lives that doesn’t require us to read or write.
So, on one hand we have a world where you need to be literate to do anything from getting from one place to another to making a living. On the other hand, there are millions of others whom we have conveniently left out of our world – the world that is as much theirs as ours – simply because they didn’t have the resources, the family background or the kind of education we did.
And today, it’s us, the literates of the world celebrating(or are supposed to be, anyway) this day in honor of ’empowerment through literacy’.
As special occasions and international ‘days’ go, Literacy Day is not very popular from what I’ve seen. Not among us regular folk anyway. I didn’t really know much about it and still have only a vague idea. I don’t know too many people who can wax eloquently on the topic either. But, if there’s to be any impact of allocating such a day in honor of world literacy, there’s got to be more involvement and education about the day itself. There has to be more one can do to participate and spread the word. And we’ve got to take some marketing lessons from these guys who package Mother’s and Father’s day and all those other ‘Days’ that make our pocket books lighter.
Since this is not an A-list holiday or occasion, I’m not really sure if there’s a right and proper way to go about celebrating or honoring it. But, it’s literacy we’re talking about and I’m guessing there are some things we could all do that are sure to count and won’t hurt. These are little things we could do on a regular basis, or bigger commitments (financial or physical) we could take up during certain times of the year.
For example,
This Literacy Day, we could:
* Give Time – Pledge to Read to a Child/Adult every day. (or once a week) Many organizations offer volunteering programs for reading mentors – such as Communities in Schools, Everybody Wins! and Reach out and Read. It’s amazing how much difference the simple act of reading to a child for a few minutes can make. Get involved with an adult literacy program in your neighborhood or city or take a more informal approach by offering to tutor an adult who needs it.
* Give Books – Pledge to donate books. Donating gently used books or new books or choosing to contribute financially to an organization that donates books to children and adults in need is another way to help the cause of literacy.
Or if you prefer something more light-hearted but far-reaching at the same time, you could just tweet a ‘nonsensical’ message. That’s right! Sep 8 will be the day that Room to Read, a global non-profit committed to empowering the world through education will partner with Twitter and send out an ‘illegible tweet – symbolizing how every sentence looks to the more than 776 million people worldwide who cannot read or write. Users will be able to decode or “read” the indecipherable tweet and send the coded message through Twitter’s hope140.org (http://www.hope140.org/) site to spread the word about the importance of reading and literacy’.
That should keep some of us busy!
So much to do. And only a lifetime to do it. We had better get started, don’t you agree?
Go ahead and share your pledge. There are 776 million illiterate people in the world. What will you do to change the numbers?
In other news…
Two of my articles on the topic of raising bilingual children went up this past week.
# 1: Raising a Bilingual Child for ParentUSACity.com which highlights some of the research showing the benefits of bilingualism and why it’s important for parents in multilingual families to try and pass on their linguistic diversity to their children. I interviewed some wonderful authors and experts for this article who provided solid insights. It’s amazing how much research has been done in this area. It was an eye-opening experience to learn the multifaceted benefits of bilingualism – something so many of us take for granted!
# 2: The other is a guest post on the Desiknowledge blog – The Balancing Desi. Desiknowledge.org, a California-based non-profit is a fantastic source of children’s books and comics from India – a great resource for Indian parents in the US and Canada who want to give their children a taste of Indian culture, mythology and history. If you grew up devouring Amar Chitra Kathas, you’ll be delighted to find that their site has a wide collection of ACKs and other educational material from India including bilingual picture books, CDs and DVDs. Inspired by TOMS Shoes‘ ‘One for One’ idea, Desiknowledge has pledged to donate a book to a child in need in India for every book purchased. Check out Mother Tongue – The Gift Your Child is Entitled To and share your views!
Help! What do I do with all these picture books?
You’ve probably already realized what I’ve just come to accept – if you have kids, there comes a point when you have more books(and toys and other accessories) than you can handle while managing to remain sane.
And you just can’t put off dealing with it beyond a certain stage.
Our home may have just hit saturation point and I spent a considerable amount of time this past month going through M’s books, organizing them into ’discard’, ‘donate’, ‘recycle’ and ‘keep’ piles.
I didn’t immediately know what to do with all the books that M had outgrown but which I didn’t have the heart to throw away. A little research into the matter and some digging for ideas revealed many possibilities. So, if you find yourself facing the same situation, here are some ways to give your children’s old books a new leash of life.
Donate: There’s definitely a child out there who can benefit from the gently-used books your child doesn’t need or use any more. And there are dozens of places that accept used children’s toys, books, clothes and other items. Here’s a great consolidated list of places to donate books.
Below are a few more to consider. (Not all of them accept used books as donations, but they all support early literacy and reading programs in one form or another. So, you could still contribute by donating the proceeds from the sale of your children’s used books at a garage sale -)
Reach Out and Read,
Everybody Wins!,
ReadingTree,
United Way/ The Bridge of Books Foundation,
FirstBook.
Other great places likely to accept children’s books in fairly good condition include your local library, your child’s school, schools in low income areas and hospitals.
Pass ‘em on - Your child’s younger cousins, friends, your friends’ and neighbors’s kids all make excellent candidates to receive the books your child no longer reads. So, before you discard or recycle a box of old children’s books, ask your friends and family to take a look and see if there’s anything their kids might like. You’ll be surprised at how much lighter the box will get at the end of the day.
Exchange – If there’s a birthday party or sleepover coming up, why not suggest a book exchange instead of guests bringing new presents? Each child could bring a book he no longer reads, wrapped up as a gift. At the party, have the children exchange their books. This way, everyone goes back with a new book (sort of), while having learned a lesson in recycling and reusing.
Set up your own children’s library - Get together with your friends and neighbors and collect all the children’s books that aren’t in frequent use. Set up a library at one of the houses or in a garage or storage shed that is easily accessible to everyone. Take turns managing the library. Train the kids to categorize, catalogue, organize books and to keep records. This is a great way for kids to learn about community building, develop leadership and organizational skills, share ideas and care for books. A mobile weekly library is another option where each week, one child accompanied by a parent goes around the neighborhood, collecting and delivering books.
Create a book museum at home – Some of us simply can’t bear the thought of parting with books – even those of the lift-the-flap variety that our children have long outgrown. When the idea of donating or recycling children’s books is not an option either because the books hold special memories or you’d just like to preserve your children’s items for posterity – why not turn a corner of your house into a children’s book museum? Come up with a unique, uncluttered way to display your child’s books. A glass encased book shelf will work well. So will a wall shelf on a staircase landing. Or a lesser used cabinet in the kitchen. Turn an old crib into a book chest. Find a place that will serve as a home to your child’s books for years to come and who knows, if you do a really good job of caring for and preserving the books, your great grand children might even enjoy and appreciate them.
What do you do with the dozens of picture books, board books and story books that don’t interest your child any more? Share your favorite ‘decluttering ideas’!
A Delicious Reason to Read to Your Child
You probably know that advice usually doesn’t get you very far with kids.
Even babies seem to be wired to sense unsolicited advice and are equipped with the mechanism to ignore or avoid it. Children have this uncanny way of figuring out when you’re about to dole out advice and activate their built-in auto shut-off mechanism almost involuntarily.
So, what is a well-meaning parent to do if he wants to teach his child about being punctual or patient, or about compromise or caring for others?
Parenting experts will tell you that you should keep trying to find those windows of opportunity to plug in advice( even if huge chunks of it miss the mark) and continue to set an example yourself. And by all means, listen to them. They probably know what they’re saying 73.8% of the time.
But if you find yourself tearing your hair out after vain attempts at getting your kids to stop fighting or helping around the house, maybe it’s time to fix your hair and go pick up a copy of One Smart Cookie – Bite Sized Lessons for School Years and Beyond.
Children’s Book Teaches Kids to Bake
(… and encourages good behavior! But, don’t tell them! )
 Like me, if you sense the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting from the pages, you are likely to be disappointed. Sorry, the book offers no free samples.
But it does keep its promise of offering bite-sized lessons for your tots in a manner that may actually hold their attention and win their approval. And maybe even coax them into listening, compromising, waiting patiently or (gasp!) sharing with their siblings and friends.
One Smart Cookie(Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illustrators: Jane Dyer, Brooke Dyer, Published By: Harper Collins) offers sincere, sensible advice using simple, short sentences, strong vocabulary and irresistible illustrations in a non-condescending way that makes it easy to take in stride.
So, if you’re wondering how to explain ’being prompt’ to your first grader or struggle to get your squabbling twins to compromise, I suggest you make your first stop at the book store.
The way I see it, One Smart Cookie is as appropriate for your two-year old as it is for your teenager. It would make a wonderful back-to-school, birthday or graduation gift.
And in the unlikely event that your kids see through your sneaky plan and refuse to take the bite-sized advice, all is not lost. Take comfort in the fact that at the very least, they would have learned to bake.
Let Karadi The Bear Read to Your Child
I’ve known about Karadi Tales for almost a decade, but, only recently had the chance to pick up the first of our CD/Book collection for my daughter. I bought a collection of stories about animals narrated by some of India’s most beloved and well-known voices. And here are my thoughts on this latest addition to my daughter’s book/CD collection:
Karadi Tales: ‘Surrogate Grandmother’, Indeed!
* Holds Kids’ Attention –>Buys YOU Time: If something can manage to keep a 3-1/2-year-old seated and absorbed for more than 4 minutes, that in itself is an accomplishment deserving mention. If that something isn’t a moving image on a screen, then it almost qualifies as a miracle. When I pop in a Karadi Tales CD for my daughter, M, I can be assured of 15-20 minutes of ‘me’ time, which is quite substantial in parenting parlance. For me, it means enough time to fix a meal, start a load of laundry, reply to a couple of emails and maybe even sneak in a shower.
* Plug in the kids, without feeling (too) guilty: Let’s face facts. Even the most efficient and devoted super-parent with the best of intentions needs to plonk her child down in front of an electronic babysitter for a few minutes every now and then. Be it video games, TV shows or DVDs of friendly, pink monsters, we all resort to the unspeakable at one time or another. For those of us laden with guilt for doing so, Karadi Tales CDs brings comfort. With these CDs you can finally rid yourself of the guilt of the electronic monster while enjoying all the benefits. No harmful rays, no fast-moving images, no annoying commercials for ridiculously priced toys. Just a few minutes of healthy, wholesome entertainment for your child.
* Karadi Tales CDs engage, (not curtail) child’s imagination: So-called educational DVDs and popular TV shows have come under criticism for turning children into passive consumers of content. They have been found to have no positive impact on language development, communication skills etc and may in fact be slowing the process. Karadi Tales on the other hand seems to have found the secret formula in using the most powerful tools that help a child learn — music – rhyme, rhythm and tune – combined with interesting plots, witty lines, colorful narration, characterization and voice modulation –the same tools that grandmothers and other elders have been using for ages to entertain and engage little children in every culture.
Whatever it is that Karadi put into its CDs, it sure makes for some very rapt listening on the part of my almost 4-year-old. And I can tell you from the way she observes each sound, word and note, and from the fact that she asks for each CD to be played at least twice in succession, that Karadi Tales is going to be a staple in our home for quite a while.
The read-along books that accompany the CDs make for great reading on their own as well. For very young kids who’re just learning or starting to read, it may be a good idea to read the books and listen to the CDs separately at first, and then nudging them to follow along with the CD. Trying to do both simultaneously may overwhelm a reader who isn’t quite ready and also take away from the enjoyment the audio CD provides. For advanced readers or older kids, reading and listening parallelly may prove to be more enriching.
I would definitely recommend Karadi Tales:
* As gifts to any household with young children age 1-7 for any occasion.
* As a must-have in your car. Believe me, you’ll thank the creators the next time you’re stuck in traffic for over an hour or two.
* Any time you feel like turning on the TV and plonking your kid in front of it, try Karadi instead.
Warning!
As with all things good and bad, there are some things you should keep in mind when it comes to Karadi Tales CDs:
* There’s a very good chance that everyone in the house will be singing or humming the tunes from the CDs for quite some time. They tunes are very catchy and hard to shake off. Just so you know!
* Once your children taste Karadi Tales in the car or at home, you may lose the right to your choice of music, at least for some time. Think of the peace and quiet at home, the arguments you won’t have to settle and the tantrums you can avoid, and you’ll realize why it’s a trade-off worth making.
* As with all toys, games and other tools that serve as ‘parent life savers’, remember that Karadi Tales CDS, despite all their benefits, can’t substitute the presence of a parent or a caring adult and shouldn’t be used to replace quality bonding time or activities such as reading to your child.
For best results, I’d say, listen to Karadi Tales with your child whenever you can.
Karadi Tales CDs and Books are available at:
http://karaditales.com/
Amazon
Desiknowledge
and other places.
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