“All the research points to a link between exposure to books at an early age and educational outcomes. So reading to your children is more than great fun – it’s also good for them,” – Alison Lester
Alison Lester is a favourite author/illustrator in our house. Part of the reason why is I enjoy reading her books as much as my children enjoy me reading to them. The first Alison Lester book I read was Imagine, and I was utterly captivated by the book, page by page. Each time my children and I read it, it seems fresh somehow, with new discoveries to be found. I interviewed Alison Lester for Be A Fun Mum and you can find the interview below.
What is your best FunMum tip?
Let your children stay home on rainy days. Try to say no as little as possible.
Why is reading to a child, from birth, so important?
Apart from anything, it’s a time when you STOP and give your child your full attention. It helps kids learn to read and opens a whole other imaginary world, much more powerful, private and subtle than television.
How can parents make reading-aloud time fun?
Always read something you like. There’s nothing worse than wading through some boring rubbish trying to sound interested. Be honest with your kids and tell them if you think a book stinks. Make sure you are comfortable. It’s ok to snooze.
Often, storybooks are read at bedtime. Are there advantages of reading with young children throughout the day?
I have guilty memories of my youngest calling out for a story and finding him asleep when I finally made it to his room. This happened many times, the poor old boy. He’s a strong reader, though. Many houses have a lot going on at bedtime, so daytime reads are wonderful.
Do your children have a favourite Alison Lester book?
I’m not sure.
My daughter (8) asks this question: Did you name the pinnacle dinosaur in Are We There Yet?
No, it’s a no name dinosaur. Good question though!
My Children’s Top 4 Books
My children are past the picture book reading age, and there are a host of new books from Lester that are worth checking out such as the new release, The Very Noisy Baby. However, our favourites, in order, are as follows:
Alison Lester Prints
I only recently realised you can get Alison Lester prints for a range of her books. Below are some of the prints available from Imagine. Check out more prints over on her website.
Can you spot Are We There Yet? in my daughter’s bedroom book stash. You can read more about the relationship my children have with books here: Fostering A LOVE for Books, Even If Kids Struggle to Read.
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Santa's Letter Elf
November 13, 2019 at 10:07 pmWe were lucky enough to meet Alison when we dropped in at her shop one day on our way home from a holiday. It was lovely to chat to her (and get her to autograph some books!) but also to see some of the artwork available as well as learning about more of her books.
Kissed by the Moon is my 9 year old daughter’s favourite, slightly ahead of Noni the Pony, My son has really enjoyed one small island which is about Antarctica.