– even on an overnight trip to Adelaide,
capital city of our beautiful South Australia,
– even in the ‘alien-to-us’ surrounds of a motel room,
– still I wake for different reasons, and the ideas start to flow, and as usual, I find a certain clarity of thought after 4-5 hours sleep (this night the exhaustion of travel and an emotional day produced a restful 6 hours straight… a small miracle!)
My serendipitous mind turns to a question I answered a few years ago, in an attempt to improve the input to my blog/website, to create a writer’s platform (“Huh? What on earth is that?” I asked myself at that time.) A timely moment to re-assess, I decided the other night. And I wrote… and wrote… and edited a time or two (and I’m still editing as I type this). I thought the new, improved (and awfully lengthy version compared to the original answer) worth sharing. The question was –
Define your ‘why’. Define your central philosophy. How do you want to be known, what makes you different and what is the message you feel you must share with the world?
And already this time, I found the necessity to separate my two loves – my small children’s eBooks and my farming memoirs. They each have a different ‘why’ because of different stories/age group readership/interest level/personal aims. And so I have started with the kiddy book angle –
I want to be known as the author of quirky books for young children, fantasising the characters of toys and small animals so the children see their own toys with fresh eyes and a deeper love for them. (You can check my kids’ business home on the internet – ceedee4kids)
I want to help create the next generation of besotted bookworms.
I want parents to learn that sharing an eBook with a child on their lap is just as precious as sharing a paper edition – it’s the love that is shared that really matters. The book, in whatever form, is a wonderful excuse for the sweetest and most valuable bonding. I wish this storytelling would start even before birth – IF parents can put aside their inhibitions and see it as private as their own love-making that created this life. This is simply more love-making – to the foetus this time… simply more nurturing of that new and precious life.
I want my stories to be subtly educating young minds to be more compassionate and caring, especially for those who are vulnerable to Life’s downturns (is that maybe ALL of us?)
I want to impart the values of stepping back from all that ‘busyness’ and making time to dream, to contemplate, to imagine… and to find the ultimate gift of love and contentment that lurks deep within every heart and soul. Can you think of something more important in parenting?
My oldest child is 11 and I never read anything to him other than printed books. I mostly read printed books myself. Wonder if he was born this year if I would end up reading eBooks to him? I guess you could also call it an orientation to electronic devices.
Well… this surely is the digital age Ken, like it or not. Saw a pre-schooler immediately inside the entrance to our local (country-town) supermarket yesterday complete with miniature shopping trolley, and a pretend plastic mobile phone pressed to her ear, babbling to nobody there, and holding her other hand up in ‘shh… I’m on the phone’ signal to her mother. Reading an eBook to this little miss, whilst cuddling her, would seem SO preferable.
How nice to know and understand your why. There is something magical about sharing a book (paper or e-version) with a young child. Still some of my best memories of my daughter’s childhood. (of course it was all paper versions at the time)
I had a sister 10 years older than me who would go to bed with me to read me a story most nights, except she would fall asleep and I’d have to wake her with an indignant dig in the ribs. See how memorable being read to can be? Even in these somewhat sleepy circumstances.
Christine, I really picked up on the sentence “I want to help create the next generation of besotted bookworms.” If we can give children that, then they will be open to learning, to new ideas and they will never be bored. That is a pretty priceless gift and I wish you they best of luck with that. I’m sure your books go a long way to doing just that.
How I wish Lenie! There are so many chuckles in my tongue-in-cheek stories and so many reasons for small readers to love and cherish their best small pals even more. Glad you like the ‘besotted bookworms’ title, too.
Simply lovely, Christine!
Recently I heard about a person who asked someone, “What’s your story?” Answer: “I did this and then I did that and so and so did such and such to me and I..yadda yadda, yadda, etc”
The asker of the question then said, “Okay, now tell me your story” [the real one]. Made me think of all the “woundology” [a la Caroline Myss] we carry around and tell over and over again as though it’s “the story” of who we are and what our lives are really about.
For myself, when I stop to remember magical times from my childhood, I re-presence myself to the innocence of my inner self whose heart is full of love. (If I was into being
“victim,” it vanishes!) Many of those magical times involved my mom or my “most favourite teacher in the whole world” (Mrs. Lindquist, grade 5) reading me a story.
You are so right about the specialness, the preciousness that can be a part of sharing a book with a child–for the adult and for the child. These days, my 3 year old granddaughter and I have our cosy times with a story or two. Those times are the best part of my day!
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Ahh… enjoy those precious ‘cosy times’ with your grandie. I envy you her 3yo status. My grand-daughter is a teenager now and lives far away. How I treasure and miss those moments.
I love that you found your “why” Christine:) I too wish that parents would start reading to their children before they are born,,, I hope they are your quirky children’s stories, too:_)
I’m trying to think of which film I saw a ‘to-be’ Dad talking to his ‘to be’ child through Mum’s great tummy. Loved it. Could it have been John Travolta in ‘Look Who’s Talking Too’, maybe? Adore the concept. If beautiful music and calm and beautiful experiences and thoughts have such amazing effects – wouldn’t sweet reading, too?
Lovely. I remember with love the many, many hours of reading to and with my children. They learned to love reading too, just as I did and still do. It is great that you are writing books for children and of course ebooks are fine to share.
I’ve taught every child I’ve known that everything in this world is possible to be learned IF first you can read, and enquire and embrace the dreams the words engender.
I think your idea of stepping back and taking the time to dream and contemplate is important in all aspects of our lives, not just with children. But Id not thought about ebooks and children. I don’t see a reason why they can’t enjoy them too. Intersting post!
I figure A.K., the vehicle really doesn’t matter, it’s the driver that can make or break the journey. I’m thinking of a most talented reader I have heard in our local library, with a large group of kids hanging on her every word. It really wouldn’t matter where she was reading from. She has great presence and imagination to make the most mundane story – ‘sing’.
I love this: “I want parents to learn that sharing an eBook with a child on their lap is just as precious as sharing a paper edition – it’s the love that is shared that really matters.”
I appreciate the emphasis of just spending time – that’s all it matters whatever medium it is.
Mmm Mahal… not just trying to find time, but make it and spending it. What an important investment… with unimaginable dividends.
Love this Christine! These are the kinds of things I want when I read to my kids. Even though they are 10 and 7 now, we still read together because I believe it’s good for the soul. For all of us! 🙂
Absolutely! The kind of goodness and wealth nothing else but love can buy. If that’s not the greatest nourishment for the soul – well…
I don’t have kids, but I loved being read to as a little kids. I still remember some of my books almost word for word. I think I would have enjoyed an e-book as much as a paper book. It was the story and the pictures that mattered. I love the cast of characters in your picture!
‘Characters’ are right, Erica. It’s near impossible to pass them by without returning that type of grin. Having created four of these beauties myself, I appreciate how very much effort goes into them. Beats me how anyone can ever discard them (as I say, ‘on the scrap-heap of life).
In this hectic paced world it is nice to look inwards sometimes, to view those things that mean so much to us. Doing that will help us prioritize the things that truly are important in our lives.
Wonder how many truly important things are missed in the ‘busyness’ of today’s world, William?
This is lovely Christine. I used to love to share the joy of reading with the kids when I taught Elementary school.
It’s SO special, Susan. Hoping more and more come to understand this.
Christine, in spite of the digital world my family has embraced I live in mortal fear of young children tapping the front cover of a library book, wondering why the digital page doesn’t turn.
Have to share a YouTube link with you Kire about a previous reading breakthrough – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pyjRj3UMRM
Once upon a time there was a beautiful young duck named Ping. Ping lived with his mother and his father and two sisters and three brothers and eleven aunts and seven uncles and forty-two cousins.
Their home was a boat with two wise eyes on the Yangtze river.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist… 🙂
Speechless… but laughing!
Inspiring post Christine! I’m not a parent but I am passionate about reading and getting books (in whatever format) into the hands of children. I admit it, I used to be a book snob and even after I published my first digital book I held out for “traditional” books for my personal reading. Then Borders went under and it was the only bookstore on the Island where I live and so reluctantly I purchased a Kindle and it didn’t take long to become hooked on the ease of downloading a book in seconds and now I read more than ever. I admire your purpose and mission and wish you all the best as you continue your journey!
I’m constantly torn about paper books Marquita. Have loved them for so long, and until I can afford an illustrator (IF, actually), much of my clipart won’t translate into paperback versions. Ahh well…
I remember the feeling of my children leaning against me as I read them stories, I believe it was the closest sensation to what Heaven feels like. That memory is one of my, “go to” images when I want my mind to settle after a hectic day. I love reading and getting caught up in a story. Authors of children’s books are a special breed of people who introduce our children to their imagination. You’re providing a special gift! Thank you
I have a photo somewhere (must dig it out) of reading to our two sons as we snuggled in my rocking chair, after their bath, in their PJ’s and dressing gowns, smelling and feeling like Heaven. Oh what a feeling, indeed!
When you have grown up with paper books, it takes a while to change and read books electronically. I have just been introduced to ebooks and am enjoying them and hope that when I do have grandchildren – that’s what we will be reading at bedtime.
Mina I have just responded to a comment on a group I belong to on LinkedIn about reading ‘out loud’ and the wonderful emphasis you can put on the important parts of your words or dialogue. All I dream of is a melodic voice to record publicly – alas, those were the days! When I’m reading out loud to my husband to ‘hear’ the rhythm of my words, it seems to matter little that this old voice croaks along – at least I know where to pause, sigh, sniffle, giggle – whatever. We pair of antiques forgive all things at this stage.