Feeding Friendsies by Suzanne Bloom
Why Picture Books Are Important
One of my first books was Mr. Dog by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Garth Williams. As I withdrew it from an old trunk in my father’s garage, it felt like a wave of electricity was running up and down my arms. The memory was visceral and visual at the same time.
Being read to is a physical, emotional and intellectual experience. Wrapped in the arms of a beloved grown up, breathing together, feeling the vibration of the voice, scanning the page for colors or cars or kangaroos, a book is more than a book. It’s an engagement with each other and the page.
To a baby everything is a toy: spoons, key rings, shoeboxes – are all means of exploration and discovery. The picture book lets baby travel much further and much faster than little legs can run. It’s a guided tour to a bigger world. Before reading, even before words, baby can pick out the book from the basket that means the most at the moment.
Books foster independence. The four year old sitting on the library floor walking his fingers across the page of horses, making clip-clop sounds is on the road to reading. So is the tucked-in toddler who says, “Daddy, you missed a word.”
I remember when letters stopped wriggling around and became words. I was sitting in the living room, in the ugliest chair in the world, sobbing when the pony in Marguerite Henry’s book died, and again decades later, crying into my coffee after reading Patricia Polacco’s Pink and Say. I left the window open a crack, in case The Borrowers happened by.
As kids, my brother and I had lots of books and we used them all the time. The World Book Encyclopedia was indispensible for building ziggurats. My brother and I still have lots of books; our own libraries, in fact. And we both became illustrators.
DARE TO READ!
- Suzanne Bloom
Suzanne Bloom
About Suzanne Bloom
Drawing, painting, making things, reading and writing have always been the stepping stones of my life. But somewhere around the age of 40, Suzanne declared herself an artist. She claimed the messiness, the devotion, the magpie eye, all in service to the creation of beautiful art that would end up in the hands of children. After 14 books, it still feels like the beginning of the expedition, with many more ideas and characters to explore. In addition to the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, the PA One Book, the Texas 2X2 (twice), one of Suzanne’s favorite tributes comes from a 3rd grader in Texas who said to her, “Ma’am, you were born to draw.”
Purchase Feeding Friendsies from Better World Books. You are “doing good” with every book you buy from Better World Books.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Suzanne Rocks!!! She was also born with a loving heart that is reflected in every child she draws. The diversity found in her books is heartwarming because children are able to see themselves in the stories she creates. Feeding Frenzies has become a favorite at our library story times, along with The Bus for Us. Suzanne Bloom was an inspiration to the many children and adults she met in our community last year. As a librarian, mother, grandmother, and citizen—I am grateful for her insight, creativity and ingenuity. Her contributions to children’s literature are making the world a better place for us all.
I love Suzanne Bloom and her books! She’s a treasure. Thanks for this featured post.
CONGRATULATIONS, SUZANNE on your beautiful new picture book. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
Love your thoughts, love you!
I love this post; the sentiments about picture books are perfect! In fact I love the whole idea of picture book month and wish I knew about it sooner. Nov. also happens to be National Adoption Month and my daughter and I created a picture book about international adoption when she was just 6 (The Mommy Orphanage). I will definitely spread the word and hope this movement really takes off!
Dear Cheryl,
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. It is so interesting how books shape our lives and how our lives shape books. Like you, I felt compelled to share the story of our family in, “A Family for Jamie”. Back in ’91 there were few books on adoption. Now, thanks mostly to adoptive parents we have a wealth and variety of stories to share. Thank you for sharing.
Suzanne
What a wonderful essay, thanks for putting into words the wonder of picture books – that sage third grader had it right – born to draw indeed!
You said it beautifully, Suzanne. And I agree.
How cool that you remember the moment you learned to read. That is a memory I wish I had!
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I am another MR.DOG fan–I was just referring to it the other day! Yay for MR.DOG–
“Once upon a time there was a funny dog named Crispin’s Crispian. He was named Crispin’s Crispian because he belonged to himself…”
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