Tag: learning

Visual Storytelling: Fun Books and Shows

Westley loves electronics, they are easy, they are visual, they don’t demand conversation.

In addition to building on his narrative play, we’ve been trying to encourage Westley with the stories and shows he enjoys!

I have also noticed that he likes characters like himself….those who talk minimally.

Here’s the List (off the top of my head)

Books
1. Dinosaur’s Binkit by Sandra Boynton Review: Oh No! The Binkit is missing, its hard to look for things, esp. when you can’t tell anyone where you had it last

2. Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems Full Review Here: Lost Bunny, again frustrating (wonder how often this situation happens for my child that he wishes he can talk and he can’t)

3. Pete the Cat and His Brand New Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin Review: Going with the flow (which West does) the Cat keeps singing his groovy Song

4. Songs as Books/Nursery Rhymes: probably because the sound is still enjoyable even if you don’t get the words

5. Jack and the Beanstalk: Probably partially because big brother likes it, but also because you get to Stomp around yelling FEE! FIE! FO! FUM!

6. Beauty and the Beast (Disney) the Comic Book because a. we are familiar with the story b. lots and lots of pictures

Shows

1. Pingo: Penguins speaking another language? No problem, Westley gets it

2. Curious George: Curious and PHYSICAL little monkey gets into trouble, esp. when he misunderstands/has to guess at the grownups rules

3. Live 101 Dalmatians (I know, I like the original better, although Glen Close is AWESOME) a. there’s cute live dogs b. the dogs SHOW what they do instead of talking about it

4. The Nutcracker Ballet conceptualized by Maurice Sendek : Dancing, very little words (only a bit of narration), plus you can dance along! (I still can’t believe he’ll watch the close to two hrs)

5. The Cat in the Hat THEATER PLAY (note: not the movie). Rhyming words (which I think helps) and LOTS of PHYSICALITY, that is both easy and fun to copy

6. Most musicals, again because we can enjoy the music even when we don’t follow the plot, BUT there has to be enough music to stay interesting….

…why I now love Cat in the Hat

My almost 5year old has started a loving obsession of Dr. Suess. It all started when we saw a play version on Netflix. Now the first movie Franklin ever, ever loved was The Grinch that Stole Christmas (we saw it everyday for almost a year) so it makes sense that my “more mature” child now likes Cat in the Hat.

It was sort of a perfect storm of events though.

I had just done a play version of Charlie Brown Christmas (live) at my church, Franklin learned he loved plays, the play version of Cat in the Hat appeared. He then decided to act it out via paper props (which he made new ones every day complete with a skinny belt as a tail and at least 3 paper striped hats). Our house was full of crafty scraps for literally a month! He would spread out to make all his props–appropriately referencing the book of course (that’s our librarian’s child). Double, Plus Dr. Suess’s birthday was upcoming, and he re-found his book version of Cat in the Hat.

I have never been too big on Cat in the Hat. I’m more on the anxiety end of life (my family and I have a theory that you react to stress either with depression or anxiety–if your really luck you get both). Like I said, anxiety end–so when the cat appeared in the house, it worried me. And the character of the fish totally voiced all of my worries….which didn’t help..

However, Franklin, and the actor in Cat in the Hat, made me realize that the Cat in the Hat is just a mischevious child. It isn’t that he “isn’t listening” its that “he isn’t able to listen because he is having so much fun” and to me that is the essence of child.

My grandmother was a little more concerned with propriety than my parents (heck the whole world is probably more concerned with propriety than me and my family). But, she love, love, Loved Kids–so if you told her that a child “just couldn’t resist……” she could be So forgiving.

My parents were out of town when our whole front lawn had to be redone due to some town plumbing issue (YAY for free new plumbing and free new front yard). After they dug everything up and before they planted the new yard, it rained…so naturally my brother and I ages 10 and 8year old had a glorious mud fight 🙂

(not my bro or me)

My grandmother thought it was messy and gross…but we were like the Cat in the Hat, we couldn’t resist (besides I knew they would be replanting it anyway, but you know it was still mess and gross)….That and a snowball fight I started in 7th grade all contributed to my own Cat in the Hat moments. And you know what? They were great.

Yay Cat in the Hat!!

Here’s the Play-Movie if you want to start an obsession in your household

(by the by currently he’s starting in on Horten Hears a Who which does not have such a great version…but the story is awesome can’t beat  “A Person’s a Person, no matter how small!!!)