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(WestSide Books, Dec 2011; Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Feb 2012)
SkinWalkers: 
Picture books can inspire fantasy play
One thing I love about books is how they can inspire fantasy play and the use of imagination in children. Books help children dream and think in a way that’s different than TV.
I remember wishing and wishing for the power of telepathy after I’d read and loved several Lois Duncan books with characters who had that power, as well as Cora Taylor’s Julie. And Anne of Green Gables always made me dream.
Charlotte over at Charlotte’s Library has a two great, short posts about this, where Traction Man by Mini Grey has inspired her child to see the scrubbing brush as a Brave Little Pet, and now says it’s scrubbing brush’s birthday. I love that! And to me, it’s just more proof that books inspire creativity and imagination. Though it’s causing some friction….
Do you have a story about how a children’s or teen book made you or a child you know soar into imagination? Let me know; I’d love to read about it.
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:25 am
Thanks for the link! The friction worsens–now he wants to hide Scrubbing Brush so that we can never use him to scrub vegetables ever again….:)
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:30 am
You’re very welcome, Charlotte; I really enjoyed your posts.
(laughing) Perhaps you need two scrubbing brushes? One for you and one for your son?
At least it’s a very inexpensive toy.
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
After reading The Little Mermaid (pre-Disney) I decided I wanted to be a mermaid. Whenever we went to the beach I would lay half in the water and half out, hoping the in half would become mermaid.
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Ms S, that’s lovely! I can just picture a little girl doing that. What a great flight of imagination.