In class, this week, we read two children’s books that included letters: The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and The Jolly Postman by Allan Ahlberg.
The Day the Crayons Quit, published in 2013, includes letters written by each crayon to the child who uses them communicating to the child how the crayon is feeling. For example, the blue crayon says that he enjoys being the child’s favorite color but needs a break every now and then. The book’s use of letters brought each crayon to life. Furthermore, it encourages children to use their imagination and pretend the crayon is actually writing to them. On top of all of this, the book even has the possibility of inspiring the child to use more colors and be more creative when engaging in artistic activities.
The Jolly Postman, published in 1986, is a story about a postman delivering letters to characters from famous fairy tales. For example, the postman delivers letters to characters from the renowned fairy tales Cinderella, Goldilocks, the Big Bad Wolf, and more. What I found most interesting about this book is how it was interactive with the reader. Several of the book’s pages included envelopes. By the author including this interactive element, children will be more intrigued to learn about letters.
Regardless of whether or not the child is particularly interested in the subject matter of the book, they are still being exposed to different perspectives. Perhaps, these two books–along with other books that include unique elements such as letters–will lead to the readers becoming more open-minded.
