See hear: a beginner's book of senses by Tania McCartney
Ill. by Jess Racklyeft. EK Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925335675
"If I stop and look around, I can see so many things."
In this sequel to Smile cry, Piglet, Bunny and Cat are
looking closely at the world around them and then using their words
to describe what they see - the crawling spots on the ladybird; the
squiggly rain down the window, the heavenly horses in the clouds.
Then flip the book over and they explore the world through its sounds
- baby birds tweeting in the nest, a page being turned, the sizzling
of carrot chips in the pan. And then the two sides meet in the
perfect observation - the endless stars and the endless quiet of
outer space.
Young children find out so much of what they know about the world
around them through their senses - they're not yet old enough to
consult books, watch David Attenborough or search Google - so
teaching them to really look and listen is such an essential skill.
But also essential, and what Tania McCartney does so well, is to
teach them to express what they see in words that create pictures
and memories, to use all their senses to evoke and provoke emotions.
Will you ever hear thunder again and not think "calamitous clouds"?
While on the surface this looks like a book for the preschooler,
imagine how it could be used to encourage young writers to bring
depth and richness to their words, to explore the world of metaphor
and simile, to really look and listen and feel and taste and then
share that with their readers. Start by having each contribute a new
page for the book, making the common uncommon; the stereotype
original; the banal beautiful. Watch their writing grow!
Such riches in an exquisite combination of author and illustrator
that goes so far beyond the usual 'eyes see, ears hear' books for this
age group.
Barbara Braxton