WOW! First blog gitters! I’m sure all bloggers began with these!
“TalesForTheYoung” ..I enjoy writing for young children. My present book,Kieran the Pirate (http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000000639859), is about a 3 year old boy who loves to play dress up. He discovers a pirate hat. He doesn’t have any other part to his costume, but believes he is a scary pirate anyway. His extended family help him with the items he needs. This act boosts his confidence!
I wrote this book, inspired by my eldest grandson, who moved across the country and I missed him so much. I tried to keep a relationship by telephone (no skype back then), but a 3 year old would rather go play. To keep his interest, I would tell him made up stories or read him easy reader books. If any character had a name, I substituted his. And thus began my writing career!
I tried to keep in mind the reading and enjoyment level of 2 to 5 year old children. Sometimes it is difficult to keep the complexity of the words down to their level. I aimed for some repetition as it helps this age group participate in the telling. As well, when introducing the items of the pirate costume, I used the illustrations to help them with the identification the item.
An underlying theme for adults is that DIY costumes are fairly easy to accomplish with items from home. Dress up is fun!
I also want adults to use the format of this book to help children with prediction skills. What does a pirate wear or what else does he need?
For the 2 and 3 years old, it can be used to identify titles to family members. Adults can ask, “Do you have an Auntie?”and “What is her name?” Other titles in the book are Grandfather, Brother, Uncle, Great-Grandfather, Grandmother, Mother, and cousin.
more on writing for young children soon…
TalesForTheYoung 