It’s Story Hour!
Does anyone else’s child enjoy reading as much as mine? I’ve been reading to Kairo since he was an infant and he has always really loved books! Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault was the first book we read daily and for months it was his absolute favorite! He used to light up as soon as he saw me coming over with it. I read it to him so many times that I have it memorized.
Mama Loves You So by Terry Pierce was another one he enjoyed. We used to read it every night before bed for months. This book allowed us to end our day with Kairo being told (for the 10000th time) that he is loved. I appreciate a book that can put my feelings into words and use intriguing illustrations to capture my little one’s attention.
As he got older, his taste in books began to change. He has always enjoyed books with animals, but most recently, he’s taken an interest in books with human characters. I’ve been extremely intentional about the type of books I bring into our environment. Many of the books that we read have black and brown main characters. I wanted Kairo to see himself in these stories and read about characters that looked like him and his family.
Representation in children’s literature is so important! Children seeing themselves mirrored in their favorite books can help build high self-esteem and confidence from an early age. Imagine if from birth, you were read inspiring stories with main characters you could identify with. How would that have changed the way you believed in yourself? Now, I’m not saying we only read books with black characters. I understand the importance of exposing him to diversity through literature. His library consists of all types of books. However, I am saying that I intentionally read him positively affirming books with characters that look like him.
Here are some of the books starring black and brown characters that our library currently consists of:
Other than representation, I also make sure to buy books that are of interest to me. Since I’ll be reading them 50 billion times in the coming months, I think it’s important that I genuninely like the books. When I tell you I really enjoy some of these books…..I REALLY ENJOYT THESE BOOKS!
I’ve noticed that the amount of enthusiasm I show when reading a book greatly influences his level of interest, so, I get into character for every single book that I read to him. I want Kai to have a positive relationship with books and reading. I also want him to continue allowing his curiosity to lead him. I enjoy exploring new ideas, activities, places, and things through books with him. But most importantly, I can’t get enough of the quality time we spend together while reading. I would do it all day, every day.
What are some of you and your little’s favorite books?
