Excessive Reading

I now read up to three hours every day. I'd say, on average I do at least two hours. It's pretty good to be getting in all that reading time. Too bad it's reading the same books over and over again.

Ok, before I get all doom and gloom, I have to admit, I'm pretty happy that Sophie's favourite thing to do is sit and read with me. She'd do it all day if I let her. Recently, we've also upgraded from rather small, short, simple story lined board books, to slightly longer with somewhat more complex story lined picture books.

When Rachel is asleep, (and often even when she is awake), Sophie grabs the chunk of new books off the shelf, (about eight centimetres thick of books) and we plonk ourselves on the couch for some quality reading. We have even gotten to the point where she's happy to read each book only once before moving to another one, though that Shoes from Grandpa by Mem Fox is tough to distract her from.

I feel that I've been reading each of these books a little too long when we get to ones like Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen. All of the animals seems to be drawn with an exaggeration of weight, I notice. Except of course the mouse (the ultimate boat sinking culprit). Misdirection, it seems, is being taught at a very young age.

I also notice though, that all of the incredibly round and well bodied creatures seem to be female, while the tiny mouse is a male. Is the author trying to say something about body weight to my two year old? Am I thinking about this way too much as I read it for the umpteenth time?

Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen 

The story that always makes me feel much like crying is Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox. This tells the story of a young boy who is friends with a lady from an old folks home who has lost her memory. Maybe it's because my own, only surviving, grandmother is now in one of these places and she too is losing her memory, but I am easily moved by the simple story.

Wilfred Gordon with Miss Nancy
Image from Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas

Maybe it's because I can see the beautiful relationship that there is between children and the elderly, that none of us adults can really understand. Sometimes it's like they really do have their own secrets. Maybe reading this children's book is actually teaching me something about life.

So I enjoy the two hours I have a day of sitting with my girl (sometimes both my girls) and reading. After all, Albert Einstein once said:

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." *

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For those interested, the books currently in circulation in the reading block (in no particular order) are:

Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen
The Particular Cow by Mem Fox
Christmas Wombat by Jackie French
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
Incy Wincy Spider by Kate Toms
The Magic Hat by Mem Fox
Mr Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham
Little Rabbit Waits for the Moon by Beth Shoshan
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Time for Bed by Mem Fox
The Magic Sky by Lucy Richards
Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? by John Butler
Shoes from Grandpa by Mem Fox


*For more information on this quote, read here.