January 29, 2010
Family Literacy Recommendations from a Literary Mom: Carrie Snyder
In between mothering her four children, writing fiction, a blog and a parenting column, and all the other things that people do, Carrie Snyder found a few spare moments to write this beautiful piece about reading with her children. Carrie Snyder is the author of Hair Hat (which is currently competing in Canada Reads: Independently). Her most recent publication was three stories in The New Quarterly 112).
My favourite picture book of all time is A Day with Nellie, by Marthe Jocelyn (the original version, not the board book, which cuts some of my favourite sections.) This book has been with our family since my eldest was a toddler. He and I read it so often that we had it memorized. Both of my daughters loved it, too, and my youngest is now 22 months and “Nellie!” is far and away the first book he goes looking for on our shelves.
The charm of this book is in its simplicity. A preschool-aged child goes about her day: from waking to getting dressed, greeting her friends (mostly stuffed animals), eating breakfast, and so on. She plays indoors in daddy’s shoes. She plays teacher in the backyard–her students include the neighbours’ cat. She makes mud, slips and falls, gets dirty, takes a bath. Each page subtly illustrates a new concept: textures on the breakfast page, emotions on the naptime page, numbers on the picnic lunch page, et cetera.
But what elevates this book to greatness is Jocelyn’s original fabric artwork. It looks touchable. 
Each page is beautiful and colourful, and we could look at it for hours (and we have, and we do!). The pictures are full of narrative all on their own, which makes them perfect for the pre-reader. There is so much to point to and talk about in each picture. Nellie pouring water on her head. Nellie watching the big kids come home from school. (Particularly poignant for me, now, as I remember reading it with my eldest and watching out the window as the big kids walked home from school–and now he is one of those big kids walking home from school). I’ve never yet gotten bored of the book. And that’s high praise indeed.
The second book in the series is the best known and perhaps also the best place to start: Little House on the Prairie. The television series based on the books bears little relationship to them: there is no superficiality. This is the real thing. The writing is quite astonishing. It is straightforward, classic, and true. It amazes me every time I read it (I was about seven when my mother first read the series to us, and I’ve re-read it many times since). There is little to no analysis in her writing, no self-consciousness, just pure storytelling. That leaves room for questions, for interpretation, and it means that the experience of reading the books as an adult changes them: my perspective as a parent added new flavours and nuances to the story. Best of all, all of my children were drawn into her writing, even my eldest who is a boy. And it lead to many imaginary games of Laura and Mary and baby Carrie.
How lovely that Carrie is contributing, too! Kerry your Literacy Week posts are pure delight.
You know something else about Marthe Jocelyn? She is FUNNY. I'm talking freakin' hilarious. She gave a presentation last year for our monthly CANSCAIP meeting, and she talked about her work, how she got started, etc. Her sense of humour is sharp and dry and self-deprecating, and of course her talent is enormous. It was an amazing evening.
I can't wait to read the Little House on the Prairie books with my kids. I got the set for Christmas when I was 8 and I distinctly remember how excited I was. I climbed into a chair and started reading. Of course I picked the shortest book (which is the last one in the series) to start with, and my mom had to intervene and get me going again with #1. I've read them time and time again.
hmmm, good thing I have a google alert on my own name, or I would otherwise have missed these two enormous brain-swellers – Carrie's thoughtful and loving review of A Day with Nellie (using more words than the book itself), and Patricia's applause for a presentation…
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! you've made my day
Great post! I hope to someday be a Mama who won't read Dora and other things! 🙂
I agree with Carrie – I love Marthe Jocelyn's work – from picture books to ya novels. Such a nice person too.
Thanks again, Carrie. That was great. I look forward to reading Little House.. when Harriet is bigger. I never read it myself, though I remember devouring the ones where Laura is married to Almanzo.
And glad we made your day, Marthe Jocelyn. Your work appears to be well-loved.