Who is Bobby? Bobby Shaftoe, of course, my very first crush. I met him in my big red book of Mother Goose Rhymes, edited by Watty Piper, and illustrated by Margot Austin, New York, The Platt & Munk Co. Inc., copyright MCMXL. That's 1940 for the Roman numerially challenged.
I called the big red book my "Bobby Book", and so it stayed through siblings and three sons. Now the "Bobby Book" is in real bad shape having been loved to smithereens like a Velveteen Rabbit. The Shutterfly Bobby Book is one of my efforts to pass on a little bit of this love.
"Watty Piper" was the pen name of Arnold Munk, owner of the publishing company. You probably recognize it if you ever read The Little Engine That Could aloud a thousand times, sometimes three times in a row. Three times was always my limit, and Mr. Short Stack's father pushed me to the limit many times.
Few things could be more delightful than cuddling with a child and reading Mother Goose rhymes. For the young child, few things could be more important and beneficial:
- Feeling loved and safe
- Hearing the magic of words, rhymes, and rhythms
- Marrying the sounds to clear, simple, timeless illustrations
- Seeing the power of the turned page
Mr. Short Stack is not a child at risk for lack of these experiences any more than he is in danger of a pancake shortage. Many children are not so lucky. Click either of these last two links for powerful speeches by the author/illustrator Rosemary Wells on reading aloud to young children. And always keep at least one sock on!
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