Global Literacy Statistics from LitWorld

Happy World Read Aloud Day!  

The following information is featured in LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day Activity Packet.  To learn more about this year's World Read Aloud Day activities and events, please visit www.litworld.org. 

I hope you are able to find extra time in your day today to read aloud to the little ones you love.  

Global Literacy Statistics:

 According to the latest data (2009), 793 million adults – two thirds of them women – lack basic reading and writing skills. Included in this statistic are 127 million youth aged 15-24. (UNESCO)

 Since 1985, the female adult literacy rate has risen 15%, which is about double the growth of the male literacy rate in the same time period. (UNESCO)

 On tests involving 4,500 to 10,000 students in 43 countries, half of the girls said they read for at least thirty minutes a day, compared with less than one-third of the boys. (UNESCO)

 In sub-Saharan Africa, girls have less than a 50% chance of finishing primary school. In some Asian countries, girls also struggle: 41% of girls in Pakistan and 30% in India fail to finish primary school. (results.org)

 Poorly-literate individuals are less likely to participate in democratic processes and have fewer chances to fully exercise their civil rights (UNESCO)

 A child born to a mother who can read is 50 percent more likely to survive past the age of 5 than a child born to an illiterate woman. (UNESCO)

 A literate and educated girl is three times less likely to acquire AIDS, she will earn at least twenty-five percent more income, and she will produce a smaller, healthier family. (UNESCO)

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 

Day 194: The Dot

We're on a big Peter Reynolds kick in our house lately... and loving it!  This is partly due to my son's sudden love of drawing, but also because Reynolds' books are simply fabulous and worthy of reading again and again.  My first encounter with his illustrations was in Someday, written by Alison McGhee, a beautiful book that makes me cry every time I read it.  I discovered The Dot and Ish last year, and they, too, were love at first read.  I've written before about how Ish inspired my son to be more confident about creating his own art, and have been incredibly thankful to have found these books ever since.  A few weeks ago, though, things really clicked and it was as though my son suddenly flipped his artistic switch to "on."  I honestly never thought I'd see the day when he'd want to sit and draw for hours, but now he does.  It's so wonderful to watch.  I got Ish and the Dot out of the library again last week to help keep inspiring his creativity, and was shocked when I realized I hadn't written about the Dot yet!  So without further ado, here's my take on this amazing picture book:

Sitting in her art class, Vashti is convinced she is not an artist.  Frustrated by her blank piece of paper, she isn't afraid to tell her teacher as much: "I just CAN'T draw!"  Smiling sweetly, her teacher gives the perfect, encouraging response:  "Just make a mark and see where it takes you."  Annoyed, Vashti grabs a marker and jabs at her paper, leaving only a dot.  "There!"  Much to her surprise, her teacher asks her to sign it, and Vashti returns to art class the following week to find her dot framed on the wall.  Little does Vashti know how much that one little dot would change her perspective and encourage her to express herself in ways she never thought possible.  

Inspiring and heart-warming, the Dot is an absolutely wonderful story with an even lovelier message.  I just love Reynolds' illustrations, as I do in all of his books, and it's as though I can feel Vashti's creative energy flowing into her work on each page.  I just adore Reynolds' watercolor and pen and ink style and the charming, sweet life it breathes into his illustrations.  He is definitely among our favorite authors and illustrators.

We've all had times in our lives where we're convinced we absolutely can't do something and don't even want to try. The Dot is an empowering, beautiful story that will inspire readers of all ages to believe in themselves, try new things, and see just what they can become if they simply take the chance.   We all have something special to share with the world; we just need to have the courage to make our mark and see where it takes us.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." 

~ Lao Tzu

Day 193: If I Built A House

In honor of World Read Aloud Day this coming Wednesday, I thought I'd feature our current favorite book to read aloud: If I Built a House.  I can't even begin to tell you how excited we were to discover Chris Van Dusen's latest book on the shelf at the library the other day.  I didn't even know there was going to be a follow-up to the amazingly fabulous If I Built a Car, and I knew -- just KNEW! -- that it was going to be awesome.  And let me just tell you:  it is!  In every possible way!

If you've never read one of Chris Van Dusen's stories, you are seriously missing out!  Pack up the kids and head to your nearest library as soon as you finish reading this to try and track one down.  The Circus Ship, all of the Mr. Magee books (we've already featured Down to the Sea With Mr. Magee and A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee), If I Built a Car, and If I Built a House are some of the absolute BEST stories to read aloud, and I know they are books that my kids will remember fondly and want to read with their own children someday.  Van Dusen's illustrations are incredible -- I just love his bold, unique, retro style -- the story lines are clever, and oh, the rhymes! They are seamlessly crafted, brimming with creativity, and ridiculously fun to read.  If I do say so myself -- and I do -- Van Dusen belongs right alongside Seuss when it comes to brilliant rhyme design.  He's really one of the best there is.

One of my favorite things about If I Built a House (and If I Built a Car) is the way it encourages and captivates children's imaginations.  Now that he's designed his dream car, our favorite young inventor Jack is back, this time, to design the coolest, most amazing house on the block!  I wish I had been able to take pictures of my son's expressions when we read this book for the first time, for each time we turned the page, he beamed with amazement and excitement about what he was seeing. A gravity-free flying room, racetrack room, giant aquarium/water-filled room, living room with trampolines in the floor that lead to a giant ball pit, a bedroom in a tower that's accessible by elevator and giant twisty slide... this house has it all!  My favorite might just be the art room:  "You know how I constantly like to create?  Well, this is my art room.  Isn't it great?  You draw on the wall.  Don't worry, it's cool.  Hung way up high, on a big giant spool, is a huge roll of paper that hangs to the floor.  Just draw till you're done, then pull down some more!"  How incredible would that be?! The self-cooking, dish-cleaning kitchen is pretty amazing, too.  Whenever we read the lines that say, "It makes all the meals and the food is deeelish, Then it washes and puts away every last dish," my son looks at me and says, "That would be your favorite part!"  (Guess it's no secret how much I loathe doing the dishes.)

Be sure to check out the sketches on the inner covers of the book, too.  They show Jack's design from a slightly different point of view, complete with all of the fabulous features and notes on what he wants his house to be like.  This story can't help but spark young (and old!) imaginations, and we always love talking about which cool features and rooms we'd have in our dream house.  I can't wait to read this to my son's preschool class this coming Friday when it's my turn to be the surprise parent "mystery reader."  It's Lego week at his school this week, too, so I can't wait to see what cool creations he and his friends can dream up after reading this story!

Usually, when we discover a book that we really love, I add it to my Amazon wish list or keep a note of it to suggest to family as a gift idea when my kids' birthdays roll around.  Sometimes, though, as is the case with this story, I simply can't wait for a special occasion.  I grab my gift cards and put that book in my Barnes and Noble shopping cart faster than my kids race around the house after dinner.  I'm sure you're well aware of how much I love this book by now, but believe me:  it's one you simply cannot miss.

Day 192: Jack and the Beanstalk

We all remember some of the classic fairy tales from our childhood:  Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk.  It's funny, though, because for some reason, I don't remember how I actually learned these stories.  Did my mom sit and read them to me?  I don't think we had them as actual books, but maybe I'm just forgetting.  Or maybe she just told them to me.  Did my teachers read them to me in school?  I honestly can't remember.  Somehow, though, I grew up knowing all of these traditional tales.  In a way, it's essential childhood knowledge, don't you think?  Growing up not knowing these classics would be like growing up not knowing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star or Mary Had a Little Lamb.  It's part of our childhood vernacular.  When I began reading to my children, I knew these tales would be on our reading list someday.  The trick was going to be finding versions of some of them that were slightly less graphic than the originals.  Call me over-protective, but some of these stories are really kind of horrifying.  I mean, I'm okay with the wolf swallowing Granny whole and all, but the woodcutter slashing him open with an axe?  That seems a bit gory for three year old, if you ask me.  I know some people would disagree, but if I can minimize the violence, tragedy, and death a bit for now by reading a slightly less graphic version, I will.   But I digress...  

What I really want to talk about here is how much I love this version of Jack and the Beanstalk!  If you've followed this blog for a while, you know how much I love the publishing company Barefoot Books.  Their stories are always beautiful, both in message and illustration.  More than anything, I love the comfort of knowing that I can pick up any book from this publisher and know that it's going to be of the highest quality.  They feature many original stories, as well as traditional fables and fairy tales from cultures around the world.  I was thrilled to add their rendition of Jack and the Beanstalk to our home library, particularly because it also came with a fabulous audio version that quickly took up residence in our permanent car rotation.  My kids and I both adore this story, and while we do read it aloud ourselves from time to time, I find we listen to the audio version more.  (Mostly, this is because they love reading along with the cd so much, the book is always in the car.)  The classic elements of the tale are all here, with just the right amount of humor mixed in to keep things from being too violent or scary.  Rather than being killed in the end, for example, the giant gets flung far off into space, never to be seen again.  (The "BOING!!!" that happens then is always my kids' favorite part of the story.)  There's no talk about the giant having Jack's bones to grind his bread, which I find kind of nice, and while he still says the famed, "Fee, fi, fo fum!," it is followed by, "I smell the blood of a stinky man!" (which my daughter finds particularly hilarious.)  If you're looking to introduce your little one to this traditional fairy tale, we highly recommend this version.  Thanks, Barefoot Books, for bringing us another great childhood classic!  

Day 191: Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Mo Willems might just be our household's favorite children's author.  Whether it's Gerald and Piggie, the beloved bus-obsessed Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny and Trixie, or Leonardo the Terrible Monster, we just can't get enough of Mo's characters.  I thought about saving this book until we're having more ice cream friendly weather, but we've been loving this story so much lately that I just couldn't wait!  

If you know Elephant and Piggie, you know how fabulous and funny their books are.  If you don't, you need to go to the library and get some of them immediately.  Seriously.  They are an absolute must for any preschooler's collection.  Mo Willems has the amazing ability to draw simple, yet wonderfully expressive characters while telling fabulously funny stories with easy-to-read text.  These were some of the very first books my son ever read on his own, and while we loved these books long before he could read, I appreciate their brilliance even more now.  We love all of the tales in the Elephant and Piggie series, but this is among our favorites.  It's one of my daughter's most requested stories at the moment, despite the fact that it's silliness always gets her more excited than sleepy at bedtime and naptime.  On second thought, maybe that's why she likes it so much...  

Gerald loves ice cream, and in this fantastically fun story, he is trying to decide whether to share his delicious treat with his best friend, Piggie.  It's so yummy, Piggie will be sure to love it, too... But wait!  Piggie is not there!  She'll never know he had the ice cream... But it would make her so happy to have some.  Should Gerald share his ice cream with her??  We've all been there before, haven't we?  I know my kids can certainly relate.  They know it's nice and polite to share with others, but as we all know, sometimes that's easier said than done... especially when it comes to something as delicious as ice cream!  The silly series of events throughout this story is bound to make your little ones laugh out loud, and my guess is you'll think this book is pretty hilarious, too.  And don't be afraid to get silly and carried away while you read it aloud.  It's much more fun that way!  While the ensuing giggle-fests might not be the most conducive to sleep at bedtime, this story is an all-around awesome read at any time of day.  

Day 190: Splat the Cat

We recently discovered Splat the Cat on the shelf of new arrivals at our local library. I instantly recognized the artistic style of author and illustrator Rob Scotton, and the silly title in itself made my kids want to bring it home.  We did, and we've been reading it just about every day since.  My daughter is particularly enamored by Splat, and it never fails to make her and my son laugh with delight.  

It is Splat's first day of Cat School, and he is nervous. He can't stop his tail from wiggling wildly with worry.  He tries every excuse he can think of to put off going until tomorrow, but to no avail.  "If I hide from the day, maybe it'll go away, he thought.  It didn't."  He doesn't have any clean socks (even though he doesn't wear socks), he's having a bad hair day, the front door won't let him out, the gate won't let go of his fingers... even the lamppost won't get out of his way.  (That page always evokes the most giggles.)  Knowing he'll need a friend, he packs his pet mouse Seymour into his lunchbox and heads reluctantly to school.  His classmates and teacher are more than welcoming, and after a silly series of events, Splat returns home at the end of the day excited and eager to go back.  While there are a few quick jumps from one thing to another in the story, my kids never question them.  The story itself is cute and a great back-to-school read, but the illustrations are really what make it for me.  Scotton has such a unique style, and I love all of the little things in his illustrations that really bring a clever humor to the book:  Splat's mouse slippers, the books on his shelf (such as Dogs are from Mars, Cats are from Venus), his alarm clock that points to "too early," Seymour's eyes peeking out of Splat's lunch bag.  Splat the Cat was first published in 2008, and now there are several sequels in the Splat series.  We'll definitely be looking for them at our next library visit!

Book inspired art

Much to my surprise and delight, my son has really taken to art lately.  It's as though a switch flipped and now, all of a sudden, he'll spend hours coloring and drawing.  It's awesome.  I've always exposed him to different kinds of art projects and creative endeavors, and while he has enjoyed doing them, he's usually ready to move on to something else after about 5 minutes.  Not anymore!  One of his favorite activities at the moment is drawing animals from different places around the world.  We've learned about so many kinds of animals together, especially from his much-loved Animal Atlas.  I love any way to take learning and a love of reading beyond the pages of a book itself, and our Animal Atlas inspired art has been one of our favorite activities lately.

With the hope it might inspire your little ones, too, here's what we've been up to:

Cover your table with butcher paper and let your kids go to town with their crayons!  Seriously, if you've never done this before, you've got to try it!  It's SO much fun and has provided us with hours of entertainment recently.  This is my little guy starting on his "African Animals picture."  

A monkey runs away from a leopard in a tree while a rhino looks on.

(He's so funny about wanting me to label everything in his picture.)

The peregrine falcon -- my son's favorite, cut off on the top right -- was the first animal he drew.  Next came his sister's favorite:  the cheetah.  I just love his bat-eared fox eating the termite!  The aardwolf is trying to break open the termite mound, too.

A flamingo and crowned crane by the river

 When he had drawn every African animal he could think of, he turned to -- you guessed it! -- his Animal Atlas.  He decided to leave out the Saharan animals and stick to the ones of the savanna and rainforest, instead.  He had already drawn every one on the savanna page except the one he is pointing to here -- the red headed weaver bird. 

The final masterpiece! 

My son has decided that he wants to do a different big drawing every day, so today, we took Africa down and started over with the rainforest.  Tomorrow, he says, he'll do "Antarctica, then a bug's world,  and then desert creatures." 

Here's what I think is so cool about this whole thing and how it relates to literacy.  It might seem like a reach, but I still think it is relevant.  My son loves animals.  He found the Animal Atlas at the library on his own and fell in love with it.  I can't tell you how many days we've sat down to read and he has declared, "I want to read the whole thing!" (which we've never actually done in one sitting, because it would probably take us about 4 to 5 hours.)  He's always been a hesitant artist, but he has taken something he loves and has learned a lot about from books (animals), and made that his artistic hook.  His enthusiasm for animals and his favorite book about creatures around the world has inspired him not just to draw, but to love creating art.  That certainly works for me.  

There are all kinds of fabulous story-inspired art activities out there, and hopefully I'll share some of our other favorites with you soon.  In the meantime, check out the Mommy and Me Book Club for more inspiration.  It is one of my favorite blogs when it comes to story-related arts and crafts.  And please, if you have a favorite book related activity, share it in the comments below!