WHY Children's books?

"WHY?" It's perhaps my favourite question in the world!

Growing up I tired my parents and sisters with my questions of "WHY?". I probably still do!

I sometimes think to myself - why the incessant need to ask “WHY?”. Can I not make an inference? Can I not read between the lines?

I realised it was because I didn't want to infer or assume, just in case my reasoning, in fact, because surely my reasoning would be coloured by my own life experiences, my version of the truth based on how my brain understood the situation, my perspective. And..... in my head I already knew what those answers were. What I wanted to validate was, was what I thought about the situation actually true? And this exercise led me to slowly build confidence in my view of the world.

I digress....

Going back to the question "Why Children's books?"

Many, many reasons.

Here are 7, because 7's a magic number....days of the week, colours of the rainbow, my son's age as I write this!

1. Nostalgia - They take me back to my childhood where some of the favourite parts of my day involved listening to my mum’s imaginative stories narrated in English or Gujarati or being read bedtime stories to by my dad, who I didn't often see during the day. I remember a thick book titled "100 bedtime stories" featured nightly. What I can't remember though is whether we got through all 100.

2. Art - Marrying words with pictures to create the most beautiful visual experience and transport a young mind to somewhere magical is a GREAT way to spend my days. Plus I secretly always wanted to be an artist, so now I get to work with some of the best and hopefully make my own art again someday.

3. Rhymes - Rhymes are fun to write and even more fun to read and can even turn into song! Children's books are so much fun to read when there's a rhyme involved. Imagine a child hunched over a colouring book, or building some lego, singing a rhyme from a book so loved!

4. Impacting the Future - There's always a good lesson in a children's book. It’s a small but significant way to plant values and lessons into the generation that will shape our futures; without being too serious, with plenty of giggles and an opportunity for theatrics for those wannabe actors amongst us!

5. Conversation starters - Ever had a kid that might not want to open up about his or her inner world, day at school, friends or just about anything? Well, then a good children's book can help to do just that.

6. Spark Ideas - Many a lego model, pet-name, painting or make-believe play has been inspired by the words in a children's book; or from the artwork within it.

7. My children - They have a love for stories, pictures and imaginary worlds. They form impressions about the world around them and develop an understanding of the world inside and outside of themselves through the words, images and emotions conjured up by a children's book. Reading with them made me realise, whether you're 1 or 700 (hey, it could happen in this lifetime!), a children's book can be enjoyed by everyone; especially if it’s one that contains pictures.