Here’s to hoping that one day T-Rex and Tuck might be a childhood favorite, that when asked about the best books someone remembers from being a little kid, they list it and think of it fondly. Until then, I thought I might tell you about some of my childhood favorites…

            When I was a little girl, I received an Easter package in the mail. One of the items included in the box was Shel Silverstein’s, Where the Sidewalk Ends. If you haven’t heard of it, maybe you live at the end of that sidewalk. Kidding. Either way, you need your own copy! I read that book over and over and I would recite the passages, laughing, and wanting anyone I was reading it to, to laugh right along with me. I would walk around to my family, “sister for sale, sister for sale…” I could actually say the whole thing out loud right now from memory, but no one is around, and my dogs might look at me funny. And boy, did I think the spoiled king who kept eating peanut butter sandwiches until his mouth stuck shut was a silly guy. I read that one so much, the book binding is actually coming apart in that section.

            I vividly remember my mom reading a BIG Peter Pan book to me before bed and being very impressed when I could tell her the next passage of the story before she read it. Of course, it was just from memory, and I wasn’t actually reading yet, but I loved the story and I felt like a reader. When I did start reading on my own, I drove my grandma crazy with how many times I read The Teeny Tiny Woman and The Woman with the Alligator Purse to her. I still have all three of those books and when I look through them it brings a smile to face; reading them to my own kids now brings extra joy to my heart!

            I guess the purpose of describing my personal childhood favorites to you is to reiterate the importance of books on little kids and how imagination weaves through memories.  Just how scents can bring you to a certain place and time in your life, so can remembering the title of a good book.  Never underestimate the power a book can bring to a child. Books are the vehicles in which to transport a little mind to a secret island full of pirate treasure or a garden full of flowers brought to life by fairies. Keep reading and loving the gift of words! Keep exploring. T-Rex and Tuck can’t wait to bring you on their next adventure. What are some of your favorites?