I haven't been reading to Ana enough...

[conuly]

Just before naps. So I'm going to schedule in a book-reading-time in between getting dressed and getting out the door in the morning, and always keep a book in the bag in case she gets bored on the bus (unlikely).

I'm also going to read a very simple, one-word style book to the baby during Ana's nap, since they don't sleep at the same time anymore (gorram it!)

I'm rather a fan of both Roger Priddy's books (they're full of these bright pictures) and Dana Simson's (they're virtually indestructable) when it comes to one-word books, so I think I'll start building up a collection of their books for the baby. A small one - the sooner she knows enough words to be shifted onto real books (and only have those for toys), the better. When she learns to talk, I fully intend to be there to take all the credit, y'know :)

Anyway, I got the baby this book, and it's the weirdest thing. On one page, they have Birds. And they have a flamingo, and an eagle, and a toucan, and a macaw. They don't have the more familiar exotic birds: peacocks, parrots, ostriches. And they don't have the more familiar birds the baby might see in her everyday life, either: pigeons, starlings, sparrows, seagulls, hummingbirds, crows, cardinals. What they *do* have is a kookaburra. A kookaburra? We're not Australian. I honestly never heard of a kookaburra until Ana got a CD featuring that round. I can only imagine they stuck kookaburra in there because it's a funny word.

Honestly, though, sometimes I think we should just make our own word books. Get some heavy-duty cardboard, ask somebody to laminate it later, and make our book using pictures from the house (and other things, if necessary). Hm... Actually, that's not a half-bad idea. How hard would this be, do you think?

Comments

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Hmm, how would you bind them? Perhaps if you drilled through the pages you could bind them with string. Or if the cardboard's thick enough I guess highly adhesive tape could make a spine.

I learnt to read with a series of books Mum made for me (and I made with her.) "Here is Emma. Emma is here. Is Adam here? Adam is here. Is Daddy here? Daddy is not here. Mummy is here. Emma is here." And so on. Some have my own illustrations, with each person having a huge belly button (which I had apparently just discovered.) And there were flaps (behind which you looked for Emma and co.)

Later books had a character on a ribbon/cord attached which you could place into pockets on each page. So in Spot's Day you could put Spot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spot_the_Dog) in his basket and such. My cuddly (http://shop.abc.net.au/multimediaitems/images/product_images/4/463548.jpg)Spot was so lovely. There was another which had Emma, she could sit in the trolley at the supermarket. And so on.

They were stiff paper folded and then Mum sewed the spine with wool.

I want to read my books now :0P

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

Um no, it's because kookaburras do 'laugh'. The round I'm fairly sure I know you're talking about is one every Australian child learns.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I think she means it's only in the book in question because it sounds funny.

[conuly]

What our dear Auntie Em said :) I know kookaburra's laugh (I found that out after hearing that round!), but it's an unusual bird to mention in a book targeted for American children. So I think they included it only because the word is a silly-sounding word.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

I parsed wrong, sorry.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

I parsed wrong.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

*Muttermuttermutterstabkillmutter*

[rachelkachel]

We have some coasters featuring kookaburras, but I think they're from when my parents went to Australia. And I've known that song since I was in about second grade, so it's not as unfamiliar to me.

[conuly]

Sorry. I should've said Auntie Leek, right? What about Aunt Beast, like in Wrinkle in Time?

[beetlebomb.livejournal.com]

SQUEEE! We saw a kookaburra on Letterman the other night! THey make the most amazing noises!

[conuly]

Hole punches would make a good "let's tie it together!" method.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

I have been wanting to make a book with Kira but haven't gotten around to it yet. I wasn't going to use cardboard; just stick pictures on some paper and laminate the pages before binding them together. I think the laminate will make them indestructible enough. You could also just buy one of those cheap photo albums that hold 20 photos or so, and make pages that slip in. It'd probably be a fun activity for Ana.

[conuly]

I find cardboard is easier for babies to turn. Don't know why.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Hmm, how would you bind them? Perhaps if you drilled through the pages you could bind them with string. Or if the cardboard's thick enough I guess highly adhesive tape could make a spine.

I learnt to read with a series of books Mum made for me (and I made with her.) "Here is Emma. Emma is here. Is Adam here? Adam is here. Is Daddy here? Daddy is not here. Mummy is here. Emma is here." And so on. Some have my own illustrations, with each person having a huge belly button (which I had apparently just discovered.) And there were flaps (behind which you looked for Emma and co.)

Later books had a character on a ribbon/cord attached which you could place into pockets on each page. So in Spot's Day you could put Spot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spot_the_Dog) in his basket and such. My cuddly (http://shop.abc.net.au/multimediaitems/images/product_images/4/463548.jpg)Spot was so lovely. There was another which had Emma, she could sit in the trolley at the supermarket. And so on.

They were stiff paper folded and then Mum sewed the spine with wool.

I want to read my books now :0P

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

Um no, it's because kookaburras do 'laugh'. The round I'm fairly sure I know you're talking about is one every Australian child learns.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I think she means it's only in the book in question because it sounds funny.

[conuly]

What our dear Auntie Em said :) I know kookaburra's laugh (I found that out after hearing that round!), but it's an unusual bird to mention in a book targeted for American children. So I think they included it only because the word is a silly-sounding word.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

I parsed wrong, sorry.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

I parsed wrong.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

*Muttermuttermutterstabkillmutter*

[rachelkachel]

We have some coasters featuring kookaburras, but I think they're from when my parents went to Australia. And I've known that song since I was in about second grade, so it's not as unfamiliar to me.

[conuly]

Sorry. I should've said Auntie Leek, right? What about Aunt Beast, like in Wrinkle in Time?

[beetlebomb.livejournal.com]

SQUEEE! We saw a kookaburra on Letterman the other night! THey make the most amazing noises!

[conuly]

Hole punches would make a good "let's tie it together!" method.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

I have been wanting to make a book with Kira but haven't gotten around to it yet. I wasn't going to use cardboard; just stick pictures on some paper and laminate the pages before binding them together. I think the laminate will make them indestructible enough. You could also just buy one of those cheap photo albums that hold 20 photos or so, and make pages that slip in. It'd probably be a fun activity for Ana.

[conuly]

I find cardboard is easier for babies to turn. Don't know why.