I Can Make a Rhyme Any Old Time

While reading my books to a kindergarten class last week, one of the children blurted out with amazement, "Hey! That rhymes!" "Yes" I said, "All of my books rhyme." At the end of the visit, another child wanted to know just why I make my stories rhyme. I really had to think about that. My thoughts took me back to my favorite childhood books, with Dr. Seuss leading the pack. I have to credit him with my love for rhyming books.

Rhymes make stories easy for young children to remember and repeat, which helps them with their reading and language skills. Rhymes also keep the reader’s attention. One activity that children love is when you read one line, then pause at the end of the next line to allow the children to fill in the rhyming word.

I'm not sure what this says about me, however I often find myself thinking in rhyme. Does this mean that I have the mentality of a child? I hope so. Children are wondrously imaginative. Yes, when I do grow up, I want to be just like a child!

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Stop! Don’t Throw That Book Away!

Last weekend I witnessed something that I didn’t know could really happen. Someone was actually about to throw a stack of perfectly good books into the (gulp) trash. As a children's author, this was a total shock to my system. To back up the story a bit, my husband is a certified appraiser who is often called upon to help people downsize and liquidate their estates. Since I am an avid lover of “junque” I accompany him as often as I can. We arrived at the house of a couple of empty nesters, ready to offer them advice about their estate. While eyeballing their “stuff” I noticed a large pile of children’s books by the back door. The pile included about 15 Dr. Seuss Books, a few Richard Scary books, 2 Eric Carle books, and an assortment of other very desirable children’s titles. I admired the books and (luckily) asked where the pile was headed. I almost fainted dead on the floor when these otherwise intelligent people announced that no one in their family wanted the books, so they were going into the trash. Expletive! Expletive! Expletive!

Here’s what I can’t understand. Aren’t we all aware of the high rate of illiteracy in this country? Don’t we want better education for our children? Don’t we realize that any education has to begin with the ability to read? Don’t we realize that many children in this country have never owned a book?

Don’t worry. The books that were destined for the trash are now safe with me. I’ll make sure they make it into the right (little) hands. There are literacy groups all over the country and probably right near where you live. For a start, just Google the word “literacy” along with the name of your city. There are also homeless shelters that would love to have your books. And there are daycare centers for homeless children in most large cities. There are pre-schools, elementary schools and libraries that would welcome you with open arms. You can even advertise for free on Craig’s List and people will come to your house to pick up the books.

If your children have outgrown their books, donate them. If you purchase a book for a birthday gift, purchase a second one to donate. If you are an author or publisher, donate your slightly damaged books.

C’mon people. Tell all your friends. Together we CAN make a difference.

Bobbie Hinman
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