One of the perks of having a website is the interesting people that I meet, responding to something that I have written.

Last week I posted an article on “Cool Picks for Hot Summer Reading–Building Language and Literacy.” I shared new children’s picture books that encourage language and vocabulary development. After each review, I gave tips on how to build pre-emergent literary skills (those skills that precede the ability to read).

One of the books that I discovered and reviewed was the Pout-Pout Fish by first-time author, Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna. Read this story in rhyme to your child and the beat just goes on in your head. Today I read it to a 5 year-old and he pointed to the repeated “Blub, Bluuub, Bluuuuub,” read it out loud and told his mom he was a real reader! Check out my tips to build language and literacy in the above article.

Anyways, yesterday I got a letter in the mail from the author, Deborah Diesen, thanking me for my article and giving me a little bit of her story. It is important for our children to have models. Go to Deborah’s website and see her story of writing, revising, and trying again until she got her first book published. Share it with your child how a “professional” writer sets aside time to write and goes back to a story and makes another draft. These are all things that your child is learning to do in school.

Also, Deborah’s website has a “Kids Click Here” which takes you to several free downloads related to the book as well as lists of other rhyming books. Take a look and introduce your child to an author.