Reading Rainbow
Updated: Nov 1, 2018
/THROW BACK/
"Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high Take a look, it's in a book, A Reading Rainbow! I can go anywhere Friends to know, and ways to grow A Reading Rainbow! I can be anything Take a look, it's in a book A Reading Rainbow Reading Rainbow!’
In honor of Calgary's new library opening today, I wanted to throw it back to books, libraries, and the show "Rainbow"Reading".
As a child, we didn’t have many books at home, and perhaps that’s why my kids have way too many books now and why we are always at the library. My favorite place in elementary school was the school library and the librarian, Mrs. Valente, was someone I looked up to and loved to visit with (and have been in touch with even as an adult), so shout out to all amazing librarians! Books were a place to dream and escape and imagine a world other then my own, and give insight into all the possibilities that existed in this big beautiful world. It was a magical place to dream and I now get to see that awe and excitement in my own kids eyes while we read together or while they look through and read a book on their own.
As an 80’s kid, the show Reading Rainbow was a huge part of my childhood. I loved how they took you inside of a book and made your imagination come to life. I remember episodes where you saw kids with parents in prison, kids with disabilities, kids of all different races and cultures, and the show really connected people's stories to the stories we were reading. Now, looking back at the show with my own kids, I love how it promotes the power of books AND community.
Here are a few of our favorite episodes. The first is called "Visiting Day" about parents in prison, the 2nd is called "A Chair for my Mother" which happens to be one of my daughters favorite books, and the 3rd "Abiyoyo" featuring Run DMC:) Enjoy (and you're welcome for leaving this great lil tune in your head:)