Some Thoughts About Reading When I Was Young

My parents always had books available for me to read. My dad started reading to me when I was just a few months old. When I was about a year and a half old, we took a road trip to Florida. My parents had not traveled with a baby for some time, as my sister and I are 14 years apart, and they forgot to bring a goody bag of things for me to do while riding. While driving on I-95 they saw signs for a bookstore in South Carolina, so they stopped. They bought several board books and puffy vinyl books for me and one of them was The Big Red Barn. I loved that book. My parents would read that book over and over to me throughout my toddler years. I’m not quite sure what happened to that book, but it was well-loved and read.

Another book my Dad would read to me over and over was Go Dog Go.   He would make the book come alive for me. He would read the story using different animated voices for the dogs and make them seem so funny. My favorite part of the book was when the lady dog asked the man dog how he liked her hat; the expression that my Dad used in his voice for those two dogs was unforgettable. As I was growing up I can remember my parents telling me “go dog go” when I needed to move along quicker. I have heard them tell my niece that on more than one occasion. Funny how books will influence your life for generations. My Dad now reads Go Dog Go to my niece.