2012 National Year of Reading

Amanda and Kerrie Whittaker Photo Courtesy of R Sharpe.

Last week I was invited to read to pre schooler's to mark reading week as part of  Year of Reading celebrations. Of course I really looked forward to reading to the small ones- its been a while since my girls have enjoyed mum's tales.

I was supposed to be reading a book from my childhood that had an impact, but I just couldn't think of one that would suit pre-schoolers, so I choose a book that my girls really liked, the Dr Seuss tale of The Lorax.

Tannar especially loved Seuss- I cant remember how many times I read, Green Eggs and Ham, I wish that I had duck feet, The Lorax, Bears Picnic, the fun rhyming and corny words all with some accent of course.

When I was part of Landcare we ended up gifting several copies of The Lorax to Shoalhaven Libraries, that was a while ago long before big Hollywood got its hands on the tale.

I think the preschoolers enjoyed the reading- they were quiet and attentive, and to me they were a welcome break from campaigning and a good reminder why I started on a political journey in the first place.

Reading has changed a lot since Tom and Jane readers. Fabulous picture books and graphic novels mean that reading isn't just about words. The non-word reader can now enjoy reading as much as old fashioned book worms can. Check out the Shoalhaven Libraries for graphic books by Sean Tan and Jeanie Baker and others- they may look like kids books but they are packed with multiple layers of meaning and await your quiet contemplation.