Not Just Pooh, Pan, And Potter: Issue 08
Raising a reader? Nudge, don't push, what is Tsundoku, the perfect book series for the festival season, and why Horton Hears a Who is perfect for family movie night.
This newsletter might seem a little ambitious but I am banking on the fact that I love talking about (and have opinions on), children’s literature and stuff today’s children should read and watch. What makes me an expert? That’s just it, I am not an expert. I am a mom of two boys (9 & 5), and constantly treading the thin line between telling them what they should read and watch and letting them make those choices for themselves.
In a nutshell, Not Just Pooh, Pan, and Potter will deal with children’s books that are beyond the usual suspects, links to interesting book-related articles I’ve read, a glimpse into some children’s shows I would like to recommend for your kids, and tons of helpful tips to raising readers.
What Does ‘Not Just Pooh, Pan, And Potter’ Even Mean?
We have a few new signups to this party and some of you have asked me why this title, so I thought, let’s begin Issue 08 with a little backgrounder.
As newsletter titles go, this one is rather long, isn’t it? I hear you! But let me explain.
When you talk of children’s literature, there are the usual suspects. Everyone knows them, everyone wants their children to read them. Among the front runners are Winnie-the-Pooh, Peter Pan, and Harry Potter. There will come a time in your parenting life when you will inevitably get asked if your child has finished reading Harry Potter and if they simply ‘loved it!”. Now I love the bespectacled wizard as the next person, but here is the truth - Your child can go through their entire childhood without reading Harry Potter. There, I said it. It is out there!
Not Just Pooh, Pan, and Potter is an attempt to look at books, characters, authors, and reading lists beyond the usual suspects. Let’s laugh along with Charlie and Lola and give Hungry Caterpillar a break. Let’s reach for Toto the Auto and see our cities drawn in those books. Let our kids find their own favourite characters and let’s try not to force our favourites onto them. Sounds fun? Let’s do it!
Nudge, Don’t Push Your Child To Read Books
Pic courtesy: Montessori comics
If you have been around for a bit, you know by now that raising a reader is a very tricky business. It is a tight rope walk, it is extremely delicate business, and there are many ways to do it right. As with all things parenting, we tend to get frustrated if our child is not meeting a particular milestone. When it comes to reading, that could mean many things. You may have heard : At 3, your child should try to read independently. At 6, they should graduate to early-chapter books. At 8, they should be half-way through Harry Potter. At 15, they should be writing their own Great American novel. ALL WRONG. Could I have emphasised that enough?
Don’t we all want to raise readers who think reading is fun? Here are a few things you can do to nudge them and not force them.
Nudge by modelling the activity, so they can emulate you. Don’t push by handing them a book and forcing them to read.
Keep age/language-appropriate books within their reach. But don’t choose a book for them to read.
Offer them a variety of genres to read but do not get swayed by those saying reading comic books or graphic novels is bad.
Ask them if they are interested in reading the really trendy book everyone is talking about but don’t force if they show no interest. They will get to it eventually.
Always ask them what they would like to buy or borrow when you go to a bookstore or library. They will feel in control of what they are reading and you will know what is on their wishlist so you can understand their reading ability and the genre they are interested in.
We Are All Guilty Of It Anyway, Why Not Normalise Tsundoku?
I know the word Tsundoku was first heard around the world sometime around late 2017, but I have been hearing it quite a bit over the past few weeks. Almost like it was calling out to me! So what is Tsundoku?
Pic courtesy: Daughter of Redditor Wemedge
Tsundoku is the habit of buying books and letting them pile up without reading them.
Doesn’t the word itself sound lovely? For me, it evokes an Avatar Pandora-esque world where there are tall towers and spires of books so there is always a book when you want to read one. Simply reach for it!
I must admit, I am guilty of this too. I buy books because of any one of the following reasons:
There is a book sale too good to pass up
What if this amazing book goes out of print?
Oh look! A gorgeous new cover art of my favourite book! (I have five copies of The Little Prince. True story)
My kids will eventually want to read this book and we must have it in our home library.
Books to read when we retire
But there is hope. Eventually, maybe one day, in the distant future the husband and I may read everything we own. Until then, these gorgeous books sit on our bookshelf and on our nightstand, and in room corners growing into silent, slightly shaky towers calling out to us as we pass them by, too busy to throw them a look.
If you are still intrigued, here is a good selection of articles on Tsundoku.
Here’s one from the Hindu that says Tsundoku takes away the guillt of hoarding and not reading books.
Here is one from the BBC, that details the difference between Bibliomania and Tsundoku, lest you use them interchangeably.
And my personal favourite from the New York Times with this gem of a line - A person’s library is often a symbolic representation of his or her mind. Also how Tsundoku only talks about books that are read and unread, when there is a third group - the partially read. Check this one out here!
The Perfect Book Series To Introduce Your Child To This Festive Season : Amma Tell me Series
Pic courtesy: Anjana Publishers
Festive season in India is long and filled with sweets, treats, and lovely gifts. But along with it come the questions. Oh! The questions!
“Ma, why do we offer grass to Ganpati?”
“Ma, why is Diwali celebrated with so many lamps?”
When you have your hands full with work leaving you with no time to deal with these questions, I find the best way to answer all of them and keep them curious and willing to learn is to offer a reading list at the start of the season. And what better series to start with than the Amma Tell Me series?
Amma Tell Me is a series of books written by Bhakti Mathur — banker, mom, author. She self-published her first book in 2010 and the series has now grown to include 12 books! The series introduces Indian festivals and celebrations to young readers in a relatable, easy way. It revolves around Amma and her two sons - Klaka and Kiki - who ask a lot of questions about celebrations and want to know the stories behind why we celebrate each festival. Each book is filled with beautiful illustrations and introduces Indian festivals to children by highlighting the rituals in a manner that is easy to understand.
These books are a very good way to get young kids interested in mythology. They make lovely gifts and will be treasured for years to come. Click on the links below to the readalouds on YouTube.
Amma Tell Me About Rakshabandhan
Must Watch: Horton Hears A Who!
Where to watch: Disney Hotstar
Cast: Jim Carrey, Amy Poehler, Steve Carell
One of Dr Seuss’ most popular books, this book was made into a very successful movie in 2008. The book can be read (and has been read) on many different levels. The basic story revolves around Horton the elephant who tries desperately to save a speck of dust because it holds the entire planet of Whoville. The speck of dust is at risk of being burnt and destroyed by mean animals in the jungle. These animals also mock and tease Horton mercilessly. Horton tries to explain to the Jungle of Nool that, “a person’s a person, no matter how small.”
This is such a fun movie to watch with young kids. It will have them laughing and grooving to the music. The voice artists are the best in the business and really make the characters come alive! Read the book before you watch the movie and compare the two. We did this recently and I can’t recommend it enough!
I would love your feedback on this newsletter. If you like what you read, please share it with your family and friends. Help a mom out and tell her about Mother Of Readers, the curated book recommendation service. You will be blessed with good book karma for life!
See you in two weeks!
Rati Girish
Blog: mumofreaders.blogspot.com
Instagram: @Mother_of_readers
Didi Super! Congrats and wish you best of luck in your endeavor. How n where do I sign up for my news letter and how can I ask my friends to join?? Advise. MRR