From: PritchWitt
Date: Sat, 2 May 1998 14:44:07 EDT

Just a few thoughts on talky picture books. I was a children's librarian for a number of years and led many story hours for both pre-kindergarden and toddler groups. I noticed that over the years there were fewer kids in the pre-K groups (presumably because they were more likely to be in pre-school by then) and MORE kids in the toddler groups, where moms were desperate for something to do outside of the house, esp. in the winter. And it was always a struggle to come up with new and different picture books that would keep this age group moderately quiet and engaged. Talky books wouldn't do it. ROSIE'S WALK was a winner for us in the category, as were Rosemary Wells' MAX books and a many others. Still, as a librarian, you're always looking to expand your repertoire; maybe this is why the search for the low-word-count humorous book is neverending.

Ellen Wittlinger PritchWitt at aol.com
Received on Sat 02 May 1998 01:44:07 PM CDT