After this week’s new releases being children’s books, I thought it only fitting to talk about this little poem I found a while ago. Jane Yolen is an American author of mostly fantasy, science fiction and children’s books. She has written more than 300 books and won several awards, including a World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010. Besides writing books, she’s also a poet, journalist, songwriter, storyteller and folklorist. In fact, as a teenager, she started by writing for a newspaper that she created herself. In college, she wrote a book of poetry besides her other, mostly singing and acting, activities.
Her proclivity and love for the fantasy genre is clear even from this short little poem. I am a big fan of reading to children because it’s the best way to get them interested in stories and it’s great to develop their imaginations. That is why I immediately loved this poem when I stumbled upon it. I can’t imagine many better evenings than those spent curled up on the sofa, reading to my nieces and nephews and watching as they get swept up into the story and play out the events as a private movie in their heads. And of course, I still cherish those fond memories of my parents reading to me when I was young!
Read to Me
By Jane Yolen
Read to me riddles and read to me rhymes
Read to me stories of magical times
Read to me tales about castles and kings
Read to me stories of fabulous things
Read to me pirates and read to me knights
Read to me dragons and dragon-book fights
Read to me spaceships and cowboys and then
When you are finished- please read them again.
Happy reading,
Loes M.