12/04/2010 Reading with Dad

My husband Raj travels on work often. But he tries to be home on weekends and when he does ...Abhay gets to spend all his time with his appa. Raj loves reading to his son too….Yesterday I picked out a book from the library that is ideal for a father-son’s time together. ( Trust me to do that!!!!)

The book is “Building with Dad” by Carol Nevius and illustrated by Bill Thomson. A father takes his son to a site where a school building is being constructed and the little one is fascinated to see bulldozers, giant graders, steamrollers, dump trucks and cranes at work. There is a construction site close to where we live and Abhay is always delighted to see excavators and earth movers in action. The illustrations of a construction site are realistic and specifically the picture of a locker room in the school reminded him of the same in Portland Children’s museum. So Building with Dad was an instant hit with Abhay.

Another book that Raj read to Abhay was “ When I grow up” by Leonid Gore in which a child wonders what he’ll be when he grows up……drawing inspiration from the world around him. The colorful imagery in the book can be stimulating for a child as he flips through the pages. Abhay loved the die cut images on each page of the rain drops, leaves, caterpillar, shadow and many more.

On a personal note to my parents, I’d like to make a mention that the rooster in the book reminded Abhay of waking up to the sound of a rooster at “Shrishti”, my dad’s farm house in India.

Both the books though have clichéd endings based on the typical boyhood dream of growing up to be like Dad!!! As usual Abhay too declared that he wants to be “just like his appa”!!! Hmm…..I pick out the books and it is dad who’s the Hero!!! :-)

I have not read many books where a son says he wants to be like his mom!!! Will update when I lay my hands on one!