When We Were Young

The encouragement and strength of imagination that picture books offer to young children is a significant boon to development. These stories assure children that their active sense of humor and need for fun is a normal part of a healthy life. In a way that television can never mimic; the relationship between writer and reader, artist and audience, adult and child is bolstered by storytime dynamics. Today, everyone is concerned about how the media our children are engaged by affects them. Well intentioned parents, teachers and caregivers often take this concern to a level that is didactically aggressive. I think it is folly to continually force lessons at a child, to always assess exposure based on some kind of 'building a better person' paradigm. Young children learn more in an hour of laughter and play than they do in 5 hours of most any curriculum. These books are FUN!  The authors I've selected for this list really get this concept I think, even though the best of them may have an educational trick or two up their sleeve (which I'll try to clarify in the list). Here are some classic books for early childhood that are memorable and excellent. The list is compiled from the dusty shelves of my own childhood memories, plus some more I enjoyed in my years as a preschool teacher. As with all of my lists, I'm just selecting some highlights from a subject that could be expounded upon indefinitely.  I also want to note that many modern writers are following in the footsteps of the great artists listed below (hmmmm....next list topic?).  Thanks for reading.