The other day three new books arrived at our house by international post from the United Kingdom.  It was such a significant event in our day that our toddler figured out how to tell us, later on, that the books had arrived in the mail.  We retrieved the package and marveled again over how they had arrived.  If there ever was a house that doesn’t need another book, it’s ours.  We have book shelves and baskets all over the house. In our family room alone we have three book stations plus a book table.

You could say it’s not a surround sound, multi-media room but it is surround books.

This simple book basket contains delicate three part flip books,  pop up books and larger books.  It’s located on the floor where the children are always digging into it. It’s also located near their potty toilet so that they can sit on the toilet and read.  Don’t worry about hygiene! Not much action happens on said toilet these days, but lots of reading takes place.

All of the board books are kept in this basket on the floor.  It’s located in a line up of three baskets that are used to store toys and books. (The other two baskets have lids on them.) All three baskets are located on the floor by the wall. In the evening, after the children go to bed, the toys and books are tucked away and the adults can feel like they aren’t in a playroom. We purchased the basket for 75% off at the Bay in the days before our children were born.  It’s never been put to better use. Eventually we will pass them along to another family or a local thrift store.  The great thing about board books is that you can wipe them down and clean them up before passing them along.  We use Melaleuca’s Tough and Tender to clean board books.

We keep a third stash of books in this leather container.  It was purchased for 75% off at Sears and has turned out to be a great purchase as it can withstand a lot of use.  It contains early Laura Ingalls Wilder stories, books about numbers and letters and poetry books, for example.  We keep it near two child-size leather armchairs that our toddlers use.

The kitchen table has become a book table during the day and evening, when it is not in use.  We place beautiful books, recent purchases or books we want to feature on this table.   A solar powered owl  presides over the books.  As the children play with stackable In the Night Garden wood puzzles at the window sill, they stop at the table to flip through the books.

We also have a small container of books in their playroom downstairs and a bookshelf with resource books for mum.  Another set of three shelves with hard cover books and other books is used daily.  In our office there is also a shelf that contains early 20th century children’s books.  Eventually the children will also have books in their rooms.

We are fortunate to have friends and family who either give us new books or pass along books that they no longer need.  It also helps if you have a background in Montessori education and a large personal collection of books.  Even if you don’t have this scenario going on, you can set up a book corner with a basket or book shelves and put a rotation of library books inside, along with any books you have purchased.  Your set-up doesn’t have to be worthy of a Pinterest pin! Book Warehouse, grocery store bins, Liquidation Warehouse, garage and church sales and the second hand section on Amazon are great places to find affordable new or almost new books.  At the library you can get books, magazines and even CDs and DVDs for children.  We like to check out Puntamayo and French language music CDs from the main library in downtown Vancouver.

For the early reader set we like fiction and non-fiction books about numbers; letters; animals; how the world functions; flip books; books with textures and sound buttons; flap and sliding component books; pop out books; books about the naturalworld and animal kingdom, the life of children and families; and, poetry and spiritual books. We also like books about cooking, art and books that are written in specific parts of the world.  For example we enjoy books written in British Columbia, the Caribbean, Africa and Japan.  Some of our books don’t have any words at all and some are very old.  For the most part the books have detailed, gorgeous illustrations that are realistic.  A few of them are fantastical – such as Peter Rabbit books - but most are focussed on stories about real life.  Many feature gorgeous illustrations of the natural world. Our favourite illustrators are Beatrix Potter, Jane Dyer and Satomi Ichikawa.

Since we have so many books around, our two year olds are constantly looking at the books, are excited about letters and about reading letters on the page.  This has led to an interest in the computer keyboard as it is full of letters. Here is our two year old girl’s contribution which she snuck in while the computer was left on:

lhfdsa\\\\\\\\\\CVN,LP”\

 bbbbbbnbbbbbbvbbbbbbbbbbvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvbvbgv bgv gbgfvbgfb gbfrvfrgvfvgfgvfvbgfbvff]g=rvtrfgpthtyhuyjuykjujujpujlup[luypjuyjptypjuyyyyyyjpsswqyi

A book is the perfect gift in our household and generates a lot of interest and excitement.  Books bring so much joy into our home and we feel blessed to have the opportunity to read books as we do.

How do you have books set up at your home and what kinds of books does your child like to read for his or her age level?

It would a treat to hear from you so don’t be shy! You can comment about this posting using the comment function below or visit the BCFamily.ca Facebook page.

Aaah – Mary Engelbreit. What’s not to love about her vibrant, sweet illustrations? In recent years you might have come across copies of her “Nursery Tales” and “Mother Goose: 100 Best Loved Verses” publications.  Either book makes for a perfect gift for a young child.  You just might want to purchase a second copy for yourself.

Mary’s work first started garnering attention in the 1990s. Back in the day – when people still sent cards just to say “hello” – you might have received one of Mary’s cards in the mail. She produces thoughtful cards with memorable expressions, eye popping illustrations and matching envelopes. Much of her work is influenced by illustrations from the 1920s, 30s and 40s that featured quotes in borders. Englebreit also credits the inspiration she gets from her “idyllic and wonderful childhood”.

 Baba Brinkman was born in the West Kootenays – a beautiful and somewhat remote area of British Columbia- and grew up mostly in Vancouver. According to his biography he was raised in the midst of the province’s tree-planting sub-culture, which was founded in the 1970s by his parents and their friends.  Baba planted trees for ten years, from the age of 15-24, and personally sowed over one million seedlings. The views and values of this culture – tribal, environmentally conscious, self-reliant, and pro-active -  all continue to inform his life and art. He writes and produces Lit-Hop music that can be heard on local radio stations and holds a Master of Arts in Medieval and Renaissance English Literature. His research focussed on parallels between hip hop music and literary poetry.  Brinkman is currently touring with his show The Rap Guide to Human Nature.

Brinkman’s song Social Contract is available for download online. In this Lit-Hop song he challenges some of the comfortable places and spaces where you can find Vancouverites and other socially conscious individuals.

The following is an excerpt from the lyrics:

This may sound ridiculous from a kid with hippie parents
But sometimes it’s just hilarious how addicted we are
To the idea that we should never be restricted at all
But if freedom means drivin’ and S.U.V.
And never havin’ to clean up the mess you leave
Then I say we need to be less free
I don’t expect you to agree, but you did listen at least
So now you’re free to take this lesson or leave it
Peace

The full lyrics for the song Social Contract will resonate with many Vancouverites.  When you have a moment, check out Baba’s work online, his songs and The Rap Canterbury Tales, Brinkman’s latest book of hip hop poetry.  You and your children will appreciate his intelligent and informed approach.

Social Contract

You think I haven’t gone through any hardships
‘Cause I was raised in communes instead of projects?
That’s why I’ve always had problems with the opposite sex
‘Cause I was taught never to treat women as objects
And never to treat anything simple as complex
And vice versa, but I can’t remember what I was taught next
See, that’s the problem with hippie kids
They stop listenin’ when you teach ‘em not to listen to hypocrites
But most of us still can’t appreciate the differences
Between civil disobedience and criminal deviance
It’s the difference between fixin’ a system and pimpin’ it
‘Cause corruption ain’t the same as honest work
I try to separate the pigs from police officers
And I can see nuances, ‘cause I was raised by philosophers
But nuance isn’t popular, and neither am I
My whole life I’ve been tryin’ to read between the lines
And I’ve never been penalized for speakin’ my mind
So freedom is mine; I’m a Scorpion
And a Libra combined, with a fist and a peace sign
On either side, and I’m just tryin’ to equalize

Sometimes freedom is violent; it gets derailed
The system fails whenever freedom tips the scales
When a sadistic freak is freed from a prison cell
Or a big business victimizes people with its sales
Some say we need chaos, but when a government falls
Another one pops up; it’s like juggling rubber balls
We don’t need more freedom; we need tougher laws
Electricity should be double the cost
With subsidies involved for those with no money
It’s gonna be pretty hard to keep this show running
If nobody believes there’s any room for change
We need fewer cars and more commuter trains
And new laws to make sure polluters pay
For what they do to our food chains; these are the changes
Institutions can make, if we just use our brains
Instead of TVs and computer games

See, I’m all about change, but I’m not about the counter-culture
Standin’ around with just a frown and a stomach ulcer
Makin’ the occasional ethical purchase
While dismissin’ politics as nothin’ but a nest of serpents
As soon as you’re done talkin’, try runnin’ for office
Try becoming part of something positive
There’s really nothing stopping us; it’s just a problem of optics
In the absence of reason; there’s no illusion of freedom
The illusion is a lack of freedom, and we’re losin’ to these illusions
But we can’t join ‘em; we have to beat ‘em
And just because I’m gettin’ disillusioned with libertarians
Doesn’t make me a disciplinarian
We need different solutions for different areas
From over-fishing the oceans to carbon emission tariffs
From the Arab militiamen to the American Michigan Aryans
We need some significant barriers
This may sound ridiculous from a kid with hippie parents
But sometimes it’s just hilarious how addicted we are
To the idea that we should never be restricted at all
But if freedom means drivin’ an SUV
And never havin’ to clean up the mess you leave
Then I say we need to be less free
I don’t expect you to agree, but you did listen at least
So now you’re free to take this lesson or leave it
Peace

May 2006

Related:

Darwin’s got it going on. (New York Times)

Babasword.com