To the Moon and Back on Valentine’s Day
Friday, February 11, 2011
A Book to Love All Year Round
We’ve read some Valentine stories about giving and receiving cards, about parties and gifts, about making friends and showing affection. We’ve also read some informative Valentine books about the origin and history of the holiday. Both types were enjoyed by B, and they continue to be requested reads as the (early) preschool party and the actual holiday approach. The book I chose to share with you in honor of Valentine’s Day is probably familiar, and it is not really a Valentine themed book at all, but perhaps you haven’t considered its potential for developmental growth…
How Big is Big?
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| B practices measuring skills. |
, by Sam McBratney. The child uses similes (as big as, as high as, etc) to express his love for his father, and the father redefines and expands upon the comparisons emphasize his love and entertain his little boy. Many a parent and child have enjoyed the playful competition as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare try to out-do one another. As parents, we can all appreciate that there is truly no measure of our love for our children, but hopefully, that doesn’t stop us from trying to tell them. 
The Art of Comparison
Comparing and generating similes are pretty complex cognitive skills, but using the playful examples found in Guess How Much I Love You
may help you and your child begin to consider other comparisons as well. - You might enjoy more concrete comparisons (the slide is as tall as my dad).
- You could get creative while staying literal (the plate is as round as a tire).
- Or you could take a cue from the Nutbrowns and play with the abstract (a smile as pretty as a blooming flower).
Comparative language and simile are hard to teach in isolation, but will come naturally to children who hear them in everyday language and enjoy them in literature. Share a little love and bolster your sprout’s vocabulary at the same time this Valentine’s Day!
Appropriate for: everyone!
Do you have a favorite comparison for “I love you as ( ) as ( )? I’d love to hear it!
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