68 • FamilyFun • February 2015
crazy about
Parents, authors, illustrators, and other
experts offer their tips for encouraging a
love of books and share their suggestions
for titles kids just can’t resist.
BY ALICIA POTTER • PHOTOGRAPHS BY HEATH ROBBINS
reading!

69
#CatchThemReading
Is it just our kids, or do yours also read in the darndest positions:
hanging off the couch, sprawled on the floor, draped across chairs?
Snap a pic next time they’re reading like a contortionist and post it
on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter with #CatchThemReading.
STYLINGBYJANINEMAGGIORE;GROOMINGBYCOCOGRACE.UGGSLIPPERS;IKEAWHITESHAGRUG
start a family
book talk
What gets kids jazzed about
books? For Cole and Owen
Steinmetz, ages 9 and 6, of Yuma,
Arizona, it’s the weekly family
discussion that takes reading out
of the classroom and puts it on
the family
couch. “The
boys get excited about sharing
their books,” says mom Eliana,
who joins in the discussion with
husband Todd. Recently, Cole
has talked about The Underland
Chronicles series, by Suzanne
Collins, while Owen has discussed
the Magic Tree House books, by
Mary Pope Osborne. Hearing what
his brother, mom, and dad are
reading “makes me smarter,” says
Cole. And there are laughs, adds
Owen: “I like telling about the
funny parts in my books.”
SUCCESS STORY

70 • FamilyFun • February 2015
What are your kids
crazy about?
Whether it’s exotic fish
or space travel, lacrosse
or origami, your local
library is a great resource
for nurturing kids’
curiosity about their
latest passions.
how to read
wordless books
Aaron Becker, the Caldecott Honor–
winning author-illustrator of the picture
books Journey and Quest, offers these
tips for sharing books without words.
• Before you begin, remind yourself
that the goal is not to tell your kids a
story, it’s to discover
one—together.
• As you and your kids look at the first
page, start with this basic question:
What do you see? Get the obvious out
of the way. Then ask, What else do you
see? Get the kids hunting for clues.
• Encourage them to become active
participants. Ask questions, such as
How do you think (a character) is
feeling? At moments of tension, ask,
What would you do?
• Take your time. Without a script to
follow, it’s easy to rush, but don’t!
You’ll miss out on the most rewarding
part of sharing a wordless book:
allowing your child to discover a story
of her very own.
EXPERT TIPS

71
The New Kid on
the Block
Former children’s
poet laureate Jack
Prelutsky adds all kinds
of irresistibly wacky
details—including an
animated likeness of
himself—to this 17-poem
digital adaptation of his
anthology. In addition
to meeting such funny
characters as 40 dancing
bananas and chili-eating
Tillie, kids can see visual
representations of
words and their meaning
(tapping “steaming”
causes vapor to rise from
Tillie’s ears, for example).
Ages 6 to 10 $4.99, iOS
Piccadilly’s Circus
Step right up and
behold the outstanding
animation in this
storybook app about a
tent full of circus animals
vying to fill in for their
sick ringmaster. Kids can
have a hand in the hilarity
by tapping on the screen
to trigger animations
(monkeys making mischief
in the concession stand)
and sound effects (the
ringmaster’s exuberant
sneezing). Ages 3 to 7
$2.99, iOS
Nosy Crow Fairy Tales
Four classics—Little
Red Riding Hood, The
Three Little Pigs, Jack
and the Beanstalk,
and Cinderella—get a
modern makeover. Crisp
animation and sumptuous
backgrounds distinguish
the art, while dialogue
balloons and games
enliven the text. Ages 6
to 10 $4.99 each, iOS
favorite digital books
set a reading
incentive
As part of her son Rowan’s pre-K program,
Heather Olesheski of Johnsburg, New
York, tracked his reading in a notebook.
Rowan, now age 6, loved seeing the list
of books grow longer, and as he and his
brother, Ryder, 4, became avid readers, they
asked Heather and her husband, Peter, to
set a reading goal for
them for 2014. “We
challenged them to read 1,000 books,”
says Heather. The Olesheskis also threw
in an incentive: they would contribute one
penny for every book that the boys read,
to be donated to a cause that encourages
reading. The boys picked their local library.
After hearing about the challenge on
Facebook or from the boys, nine other
sponsors—family and friends—joined in,
with a few donating a nickel per book.
Each night, the Olesheskis read five or six
books together and recorded the title and
author in the notebook. The motivation to
hit 1,000 books, says Heather, inspired the
boys to seek out new authors and genres,
including lots of nonfiction. “Every book
was different!” says Rowan. At the end of
August, Rowan and Ryder reached their
goal and presented a check for $230 to the
library. Their reading record won’t last for
long: Heather reports that for 2015, they’re
shooting for 2,000 books!
PAGE70:EXPERTTIPS©2014BYAARONBECKER.MOM’SCARDIGAN,JEANSBYJ.CREW;GIRL’SSWEATERBYMINIBODEN,JEANSBYCREWCUTS.THISPAGE:NEWBALANCESNEAKERS,CREWCUTSJEANS
SUCCESS STORY

9 picks
from 3
experts
Spectacular
Picture Books
By Alexandra Kennedy,
executive director of
the Eric Carle Museum
of Picture Book Art and
mom of two boys
The Wall: Growing Up
Behind the Iron Curtain,
written and illustrated
by Peter Sís Part picture
book, part graphic
novel, The Wall presents
Sís’s riveting account
of growing up in Cold
War–era Czechoslovakia,
telling the tale through
his distinctive, detailed
drawings, as well as
journals, a map, and
photography. Ages 8 and
up $18.99, mackids.com
The Garden of Abdul
Gasazi, written and
illustrated by Chris Van
Allsburg The ground-
breaking first title from
the creator of Jumanji
and The Polar Express
tells the story of a boy,
a dog, and a magician,
rendered in pencil
drawings so detailed,
you can’t help but be
pulled into their world.
Ages 4 to 9 $18.95,
hmhco.com
The Lion & the Mouse,
illustrated by Jerry
Pinkney Master artist
Jerry Pinkney reimagines
this iconic fable in pencil
and watercolor, creating
a book as stunning as the
Serengeti plains where
it’s set. Ages 3 to 8 $18,
hachettebookgroup.com
Great Graphic
Novels
By Jarrett Krosoczka,
author and illustrator of
the Lunch Lady graphic
novel series and dad of
two daughters
Bake Sale, written and
illustrated by Sara Varon
In this world, the
characters are food:
a cupcake who runs
a bakery, and his best
friend, Eggplant. Cute
and funny, the book offers
recipes in the back that
can lead later to kitchen
fun. Ages 8 and up
$16.99, amazon.com
Sidekicks, written and
illustrated by Dan Santat
This may be a superhero
tale (an aging Captain
Amazing decides to hold
auditions for a sidekick),
but it’s also about sibling
rivalry and the meaning
of family. The strong
characters, action, and
humor are evocative of a
Pixar movie. Ages 8 and
up $12.99, amazon.com
Babymouse series,
written by Jennifer L.
Holm and Matthew Holm
The plucky heroine always
seems to come up short
in life, so kids relate to
her. The books are quick
reads (under 100 pages),
but with 18 in the series,
the adventures keep
coming. Ages 7 and up
$6.99, randomhouse.com
Knockout
Nonfiction Books
By Ellen Harter Wall,
FamilyFun senior
associate editor, former
children’s librarian, and
mom of three boys
Information Graphics
series, including Human
Body, written by Simon
Rogers The modern,
bold graphics of these
books will grab kids
right from the cover;
the fascinating facts
inside will keep them
hooked (for instance:
your face is made up of
14 bones, including the
jawbone, the hardest in
your body). Ages 6 to 10
$17.99 each, amazon.com
Shipwreck at the
Bottom of the World:
The Extraordinary True
Story of Shackleton and
the Endurance, written
by Jennifer Armstrong
This epic retelling of
Shackleton’s Antarctic
voyage has all the page-
turning, nail-biting,
edge-of-the-seat intrigue
of a good novel. But it’s a
true story, and for some
kids, that’s all they want
to read. Ages 8 and up
$12.99, amazon.com
Animalium, written
by Jenny Broom,
illustrated by Katie Scott
Reminiscent of classic
Audubon volumes, this
oversize book pairs
gorgeous pen-and-
ink illustrations with
intriguing facts about
exotic birds, primates,
insects, and more.
Ages 6 and up $35,
amazon.com
72 • FamilyFun • February 2015
Check out
Jarrett’s tips
for encouraging
reluctant young
readers at youtube.
com/familyfunmag.