Books that Stretch Children's Thinking
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Young children learn to think in new ways when they imagine, guess, describe, and wonder. Try these books to engage your child鈥檚 curiosity and to inspire her to see different views of the world.
(Note: Many of these books are available in Spanish, and can be purchased as a hardcover, paperback, or board book.)
Round Like a Ball, by Lisa Campbell Ernst. 2008.
The book begins with a familiar guessing game: "I鈥檓 thinking of something that鈥檚 round like a ball.鈥� Each page offers a new clue. The paper cutout shape in each illustration is a visual hint to the answer. What鈥檚 round like a ball? It鈥檚 the Earth! Although this book introduces many facts about Planet Earth, you can also use it to spark a conversation about color, shape, and size.
Available in English. Can be purchased as a hardcover and paperback.
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Not a Box听(2006) and听Not a Stick听(2007), by Antoinette Portis.
These books feature simple line drawings that will spark your child鈥檚 imagination. When asked, 鈥淲hy are you sitting on that box?鈥� a rabbit replies, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a box,鈥� then demonstrates that it鈥檚 a racecar, a mountain, and a robot. In听Not a Stick, a pig imagines his stick becoming a sword, a horse, and more. These books will inspire your child to consider many different ways to imagine and pretend.
Available in English and Spanish. Can be purchased as a hardcover, paperback, and board book.
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Just How Long Can a Long String Be?!听by Keith Baker. 2009.
In this story, a bird and an ant discuss all the uses for a piece of simple white string. The examples are imaginative and each contains a sense of purpose or fun, such as 鈥淸hanging] a picture on a wall鈥� and 鈥淸helping] the sweet pea vines grow tall.鈥� As the string winds its way from page to page, the book imparts a feeling of connectedness among all things in the world, and will encourage your child to think about the many uses of simple things.
Available in English. Can be purchased as a hardcover and paperback.
Duck! Rabbit!听by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. 2009.
In this funny book, two unseen characters disagree on what kind of animal stands before them. Is the creature a duck with a bill? A rabbit with tall ears? The answer is that it all depends on how you look at things. This clever book reveals that sometimes there really is more than one right answer.
Available in English and Spanish. Can be purchased as a hardcover and paperback.
Try this:
- Play the game, 鈥淚鈥檓 Thinking of Something.鈥�听Use words that describe shape, color, and size to give clues about a familiar household object (鈥淚鈥檓 thinking of something brown. It has four legs. It鈥檚 made of wood.鈥�) You and your child can take turns leading the game. You can also ask your younger child to think of the different uses of household objects. We use spoons, for example, to stir, eat, give medicine, and鈥攊n a child鈥檚 world鈥攄ig!
- Break out the boxes. Collect cardboard boxes of all sizes and watch how your child plays with them. He may imagine the box is many things other than just a box鈥攁 car, a cave, or even a bed!
- Talk about it. Discuss how sometimes there is more than one way to see the world. The unseen characters in听Duck! Rabbit!听are each certain that their interpretation is the right one, but both are right. There is more than one way to read the illustration. It鈥檚 an optical illusion. Helping your child see this is a great transition into a conversation about what happens when two people see something differently and how there鈥檚 not always just one right answer.
Source: Adapted from S. Friedman, 2010, "Stretch Children's Thinking," Now Read This!,听Teaching Young Children听3 (4): 3.