4 Kids | Reading Magic

Today is Mem Fox's birthday. She is the author of a whole bunch of wonderful children's books (and a really wonderful book for parents, too!). I thought it would be cool to honor her birthday by looking at a few of her books that happen to be on my list of all-time favorites.

One book that I love to read over and over is Boo To a Goose! It's a funny rhyming book that asks questions such as: "Would you feed your pajamas to giant piranhas or walk on your knees past a hive full of bees?" And for younger kids, it's fun to predict the rhymes on each page. It's fun and the pictures are absolutely awesome!

Another picture book by Mem Fox which I absolutely adore is Let's Count Goats! It's another great rhyming -- and counting -- book, but this time, stars some pretty funny goats in all kinds of crazy situations. One of my favorite parts is this: "Here we see an airport goat looking for her cases. But can we count the pilot goats with goggles on their faces?" 

One of my all-time favorite books just happens to be another written by our birthday honoree, Mem Fox. It's called Whoever You Are. While it's a lovely poetic tribute to the ways children all over the world may be different, it's also a beautiful reminder of our common humanity. And even though it's a lovely children's book, it's also a really great reminder for all of us -- no matter our age.

And finally, for you parents who may have chanced upon this blog, here's one for you: Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever. Fox's message is really simple (but really, really true): Reading aloud every day to our children will help them become readers when they are developmentally ready. And since reading well is really the ticket to success in all academic areas, why not give our children this head start? Read aloud. Every day. Older children can read to younger children. It's one of the most important gifts we can give our children.

So Happy Birthday, Mem Fox -- and thank you for the wonderful books!