Read It Wrong: One Tip to Make Reading Aloud Even More Fun

Hello friends! And Happy Father's Day weekend to you. Today I have another post for you from Bethany. You'll remember that she recommended some picture books about cleaning close to Mother's Day. Today, Bethany shares a story about her dad, (which translates into a great tip for us) and some good book recommendations.

When I was a little girl, whenever my Dad read stories to me and my siblings he always did it wrong. He would mix up the words, use a funny voice or just change the story completely. We loved it!

Now that my Dad is Grandpa, he reads to my kids the same way. One of their favorites is, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems. Now this is a very funny book all by itself, but when my dad read it with a German accent it sounded like, the pigeon wants a "poopy." Oh, did my children roar with laughter.

Here are more picture books that are all about charismatic reading:

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak  

I was not sure about a picture book without pictures. Illustrations are usually my favorite part.

"Well, at least it has words," said my five-year old. That is pretty lucky and it's lucky that the words are entertaining, but you have to read all of them (also, this book is a little bit bossy). Sometimes the print is small, straight and black, other times it's large, colorful and bubbly. Even though there are no pictures, this book communicates graphically..

My kids love this book. I first read it to my daughter who was four at the time. This is my interpretation of her reaction to it:

That was a good try Mommy. You did a great job with the voices and the little song in there, but I think this book is broken. All the drawings are missing. Now here's a book with a pink princess on it. Put that pile of printed words down and read me something I can look at.

When my older kids came home from school (ages ten and seven) they read it together. They giggled and whooped. My youngest was intrigued. The next time we read stories, this was the book she picked and she knew all the right places to laugh. So unless you have someone to help out the younger kids, this book is probably for ages six and up.

I Stink! by Kate McMullan and Jim McMullan

My boys loved this book so much they had it memorized. Take a big breath before reading. This book needs gusto. The words are big because this monster garbage truck has a lot to do. It is also a great alphabet book.

The Sword in the Stove by Frank W. Dormer

This book was just released, but I got to read it before it hit the shelves. The author brought an early copy to share at my writer’s group. It is not a retelling of the classic tale of King Arthur, but instead a mystery of who would put a sword in a stove...and a helmet and a shield. The art enhances the silliness of this story and I especially like his exclamations...Holy Haddock! Add to the fun and read it Britishly.

Parents, I know your tale of woe. A child latches on to a favorite story, which must be read over and over and over again lest ye be punished with no sleep for a hundred years. It's exhausting!

So, if you can't stand to read Pinkalicious one more time, try reading Stinkalicous (all in good fun) and see if it's just a little more enjoyable.

Bethany lives in Connecticut with her brilliant husband and four creative children. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Brigham Young University and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.