Bea is a quirky and warm book to read with children. It has a reassuring message that being yourself, no matter how different you are from the crowd, is okay. In fact, it’s more than okay; it’s worth celebrating.

Bea is a bird, although you wouldn’t know it based on her interests, actions and dreams. She doesn’t like to peck at ants, fluff feathers or build nests like the rest of her flock. Instead, she enjoys baking biscuits and dancing to disco beats. But more importantly, Bea has a special friend who loves her and her unusual tastes.

Bea may have unique interests and dreams, but most empowering of all is her attitude. She is confident and enthusiastic about life. And I dream that all children could feel that way about themselves.

I admire Christine Sharpe for capturing the qualities of early childhood in her debut character. My daughter Cam, like many toddlers and pre-schoolers, is much like Bea – with quirky interests, a thirst for learning and without inhibitions. I just hope she doesn’t lose that passion for life, which is why Bea has become one of my favourite books to read to her.

Christine has created multi-media illustrations, using layers of landscape photography with various fabrics and foil. She has teamed the collages with sweet watercolour and coloured-pencil illustrations. When collage is done well readers are treated to a visual feast, and that is just what Christine has created with her first picture book.

Bea likes to dress up and dance to disco beats, while the other birds flock together and fluff their feathers.

Our favourite feature in this book is the beautiful use of alliteration, which is typeset beautifully across the pages. The words just roll off your tongue as you read the story aloud. It does make for a highly enjoyable read but it is also a wonderful language feature for children. It subtly assists in their recognition of letters and sounds.

For some fun word and letter hunting, take a look at our Book Detective activity. You might just see a few sneaky peeks of Bea.

Book Details:

Author and Illustrator: Christine Sharp

ISBN: 978-0702249617

Format: Hardback

Publisher: University of Queensland Press, March 2013

RRP: $24.95 (aud)

Suitable for ages: 3+

Using a magnifying glass turns this simple letter recognition activity into a fun game for children.

You will need:

• A magnifying glass

• A selection of books

How to play:

There are many ways you can play the letter hunt game, depending on a child’s age or ability.

a) By using a magnifying glass, ask your child to search through the words in the book to find:

• Particular letters of the alphabet: These could be chosen by you or your child. You could focus on letters your child already recognises or  letters they are just  beginning to recognise

• Sounds: Children can look for the letters or letter combinations (digraphs, trigraphs) that make a particular sound (For example, kite, cat, duck, Christmas)

• Particular words of choice: For example, you could ask your child to find words of interest, new vocabulary, sight words or words that appear on their spelling lists

• Small words within larger words

b) Or you could simple leave an invitation for your child to explore the book in their own way.

Who knows what they will explore- letters, words, illustrations or endpapers???????????????

Choosing books

You don’t have to put a lot of effort into choosing which books to use. But if you want to be selective look for:

• Books that feature alliteration: This will give your child many opportunities to see and begin to recognise letters.
• Books that feature high frequency words

I am passionate about helping children to develop a love for reading. I believe that a love of reading is a stepping stone to becoming an enthusiastic learner and a confident reader, writer and speaker.  With confidence and enthusiasm, children can enjoy a wonderful world of learning and exploration.

This list is not exhaustive, and I’d love for you to add to it, but it is a snapshot of how important books and stories are for children.

• Sitting down with a book provides children with a time for quiet and calmness in their busy lives

• Stories can stimulate  imagination and play
  

• Reading provides parents with more opportunities to bond with their children

• Stories provoke curiosity and discussion

• Books provides inspiration, thought and reflection

• Picture books help readers to develop an appreciation for art and writing

• Reading a variety of books exposes children to a wide range of language features and vocabulary

• Listening to stories assists in the development of  literacy skills and language development

• Exposure to books contributes to the understanding of print concepts (eg. left to right, top to bottom)

• Books and stories fill a child’s mind with knowledge

Let’s not stop at 10 reasons. What other benefits do books provide for children?