I bought four items from The Home Library Online last week and it arrived on Thursday delivered by the courier.

It was a pleasant experience ordering from Angie as she helped me get a book I wanted pretty fast.  She had an overstock sale recently which was finished but I noticed one of the titles seemed interesting and asked whether she could still offer me a discount on it and she did. She also gave me a 5% discount as a SAHM. (no proof, just by your word.) Plus, she ONLY wants us to pay after we have received the books in our hand.  Wow, she actually places her trust in us to make the payment. I didn’t disappoint her for I paid immediately after I received it through interbank. ^^

What a breeze to sit in my home ordering books online, having it delivered to the doorstep and just pay through interbank transfer!  ^^ And new books just smell so heavenly and so nice to hold.

I bought:

1) The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie-The-Pooh: It is a 75th anniversary collectors ‘edition as it consists of 4 book written by A.A.Milne. The poetry books, ‘When we were very young’ and ‘Now We are Six’ will be my main focus on now. To read poetry to Darius as part of our lessons. You can borrow the audio readings of these books from our library itself and burned them into cds.

2) The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers: Have been thinking how to introduce the bible to Darius and rhyming stories will be a good start since children like it.

3) Sandra Boynton’s Greatest Hits: A collection of 4 simple storybooks that teach about colours, numbers, alphabets and animals in funny stories. He hasn’t warmed up to it though since he did not show as much interest as when looking at Dr Seuss’s books. Boynton is a famous children author and I always see her books in big bookstores. She is highly recommended by Angie too.

4) I’m a Manatee: I found this interesting since it comes with an audio cd. When I got it, I realised the book is sang instead of read, as a very catchy song and even have a music score to play on a piano. The illustrations are good and the story is interesting about a little boy dreaming that he’s a Manatee, showing how a manatee looks like, what they eat and what they do through the story. This was the one that she offered me a discount though the sale was over.

I remembered when I was in primary school and we were made to write this composition on our three wishes when we grow up, one of the wish I had was, to buy lots and lots of books so they fill up my whole room! haha.. That’s because my parents have never once bought a storybook for me. “If it can be borrowed, why buy? Storybooks are a waste of time, read your textbooks.” Thus my books were usually borrowed or given or read at shopping centres.

Probably because of this deprivation, books are constantly the number one thing that I’ll buy for Darius. Clothes usually second and toys last…haha. I want to create a reading atmosphere at home where books are in abundance for Darius. Books that he grows up with and not all from the library which he can only come into contact for a while. If he’s constantly surrounded by familiar books and read to, he will probably be able to start reading it himself through remembering the sound of it. Many kids actually read by remembering how the story sound first before even knowing the words. If he sees us reading as an example, he will also naturally read for himself. I even requested my relatives to give him books as gifts instead of toys.

Now his favourite activity throughout the day is to walk over to the bookshelf to pull out books so they land on the floor, then sit down and flip through some of them. Or he’ll hold a book and walk around the house, sometimes bringing it to me, sitting down beside me if I’m busy at the computer and flips through it.

I have started the learning activity on the 17th of Aug 09, where I’ll read one English and Chinese book for a week in the morning. He really enjoys these sessions and always complains after I close the book when I’m done reading.

A few days ago, after his night feed before bed, he walked to the bookshelf to take a book and we just naturally sat him down to read with him. From then on, it has suddenly became a routine as he’ll do that every night and Daddy will read to him. He lets Darius choose which book he wants to read by touch and then also read one same storybook regularly.

I’ll blog about his learning activities in another post.

No related posts.