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These
are picture books where text and illustrations work together to
tell the story. Many of the wonderful books in this classification
are truly for readers of all ages (young and old). But the menu
is broad and varied for this reading stage as it should comprise
both books that you will read to them, and books they will
read by themselves.
Grasshoppers are so named because they will
bounce up and down in their journey to get places. Sometimes they
will crawl slowly along like the caterpillar, and at others they
will seem almost to fly. Both these extremes, and everything in
between, is what you should be offering your child who falls into
this category.
Some
of the picture books you will read to your grasshopper will be among
the most gorgeous books you will ever own. Children's illustrators
take their craft very seriously and have created visual masterpieces
which are a joy to own. The writing in this category is free and
wild. There are no limits, and everything is possible. I've spent
pots of money and endless hours wading through the wonderful offerings
for grasshoppers. My special bond with my three children (Sarah,
Erin and Tristan) is partly cemented with the strength of our common
feelings for many of these books, and all three have directly benefitted
from this constant exposure through cultivation of a marvelous imagination
and an artistic hand.
NEVER
stop reading to your children, and especially don't miss this
most fertile and prolific time period.
When
you're selecting books for your Grasshopper, remember to offer breadth.
Don't be scared off by the longer text of some of the books I will
talk about in this section. The ones with longer text might have
3,500 words or so (compared with perhaps 400-500 in some of the
smaller picture books.) For a willing listener, this is a snap to
do in one sitting. But if it doesn't work the first time, try again
in a couple of weeks. These longer books will take you on a whole
new reading plane with your child which won't replace the shorter
books, but will add much to your read-together time.
Somewhere between the ages of 3 and 7,
many children will start to be able to decipher the written word
themselves. As long as you are constantly exposing them to good
books, it doesn't matter when this happens. It will happen.
The worst thing you can do is pressure your child and turn reading
into a chore. However, you can help things along in a positive
way by giving them the right tools to make this enormous leap with
greater ease.
There are tons of "first reader" series
out with simple words and flat, empty stories. Kids will happily
devour these with a tremendous sense of triumph. But the writing
doesn't have to be dull and formulaic for this group. We're lucky
enough to have many talented writers writing specifically for children
in this transition period. I've searched and found many treasures
(that will give your children both the thrill of conquest AND the
joy of story) which I've graded from simplest ( )
to most challenging ().
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Imaginatively
conceived stories built around one or two words.
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Simple
stories which introduce small, repeated sentences. |
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Longer,
but still predictable sentences and patterns |
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Still longer text with
qualities of natural repetition and rhythm, making them perfect
for this stage. |
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Little
chapters and more developed stories, still within the context
that your more experienced Grasshopper can happily navigate |
The best first readers
have elements that are familiar and predictable, but present them
in a surprising way. Writers will use rhythm, repetition and
rhyme in a way that naturally reflects the story. These books are
far from condescending. They're fun and lively and beg the child
to push him/herself on a bit to find out what happens.
If
you have both a Grasshopper and a Caterpillar (as I do), encouraging
your older child to read some Caterpillar books to his/her younger
sibling will make winners of them both.
Grasshoppers are an exciting group. Have
fun with them.
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books
for grasshoppers
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