When a character - whatever her age - expresses a love of chocolate cake, I would most likely love that character. When she proclaims, "I want to marry chocolate cake!", I recognize a rival in my love of chocolate cake. That would be Michael Kaplan's character Betty Bunny, introduced in 2011. Though I did not follow her thinking in her second book, Betty Bunny Wants Everything, I did find it humorous. Thus, I was anxious to read Betty Bunny Didn't Do It (released a month ago) to the school children.
They love that the book begins the same as the previous books: "Betty Bunny was a handful." They all laugh, knowing her definition of "a handful" is quite the opposite of theirs. That laughter continues, sometimes erupting into uncontrollable giggles and guffaws, as the young rabbit denies breaking a lamp (claiming the Tooth Fairy did it), denies lying to her mom about breaking the lamp (saying she is telling an "honest lie"), and proceeds to get herself into more trouble as the story progresses.
The time spent reading aloud is my favorite part of the day. I love children's delight in stories, their insights, their ways of relating to characters, and their laughter. I carry those giggles with me in the rest of my work.
*sighs* Every time you describe a reading session with your students, I want to be curled up in the corner of the library, listening too.
ReplyDeletelaughter is every bit as tasty and satisfying as good chocolate. especially when it's a child's laugh.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to look up Betty Bunny today! Just her name makes me laugh. I will mention her to Kim at my library.
ReplyDeleteOh how I would love to hear you read aloud to the children!
Chocolate, I can't eat it, but I still love to look at it & inhale the scent...Happy Holiday weekend, if it is indeed one for you...