Why am I passionate about this?
I began my career with children as a preschool teacher and then as a pediatric nurse. In retirement, my love for kids and children's literature has led me to write stories that make kids laugh, feel loved, and inspire a sense of joy and wonder in the world. I especially love stories where animals, especially dogs, birds, and even fireflies are the main characters and tell the story. And, I believe that part of appreciating the world and making it a better place is celebrating cultural diversity. That's the theme of City Market! There's just no substitute for reading to children. The benefits are truly endless and will last their whole life long.
Jill's book list on celebrating cultural diversity for young children
Why did Jill love this book?
This is another classic tale, originally published in 1933. Despite its publication decades ago, the story remains relevant which puts it in the classic category. It was read to me in kindergarten and when choosing what books to read to my preschool classes seventeen years later I fondly remembered Ping. Ten years after that, I was reading Ping to my kids. Its main characters are Ping, a young duck, and a Chinese boy who wants to save Ping from becoming the family's dinner. The plot occurs on the family's fishing boat as the boy is faced with a difficult dilemma that will save the duck's life. I think it's important that kids hear stories about children making difficult decisions who live in other cultures. The universality of such experiences unites children everywhere.
1 author picked The Story about Ping as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.
"Kurt Wiese and Majorie Flack have created in Ping a duckling of great individuality against a background (the Yangtze River) that has both accuracy and charm." -- The New York Times