In case you haven’t heard, May is Get Caught Reading month. Sponsored by the Association of American Publishers since 1999, Get Caught Reading month is “a nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read.” You can find out more, including how to order the celebrity posters, here.
To celebrate, here is Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Picture-Books in Winter,” a reminder that books allow us to experience any adventure imaginable, no matter what the season.
Picture-Books In Winter
Summer fading, winter comes–
Frosty mornings, tingling thumbs,
Window robins, winter rooks,
And the picture story-books.
Water now is turned to stone
Nurse and I can walk upon;
Still we find the flowing brooks
In the picture story-books.
All the pretty things put by,
Wait upon the children’s eye,
Sheep and shepherds, trees and crooks,
In the picture story-books.
We may see how all things are
Seas and cities, near and far,
And the flying fairies looks,
In the picture story-books.
How am I to sing your praise,
Happy chimney-corner days,
Sitting safe in nursery nooks,
Reading picture story-books?
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Pick up a book and have an adventure today!
You can learn more about Robert Louis Stevenson and read other poems from A Child’s Garden of Verses at Poets.org. Also, be sure to visit Liz Steinglass at her lovely blog for the round up of poems.
[…] National Poetry Month is over, it’s time for Get Caught Reading! Kick off this next celebration At Reading to the Core with Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Picture-books in […]
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Yay for picture books in winter, spring, summer or fall! And poetry! Thanks for sharing Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem. =)
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I used picture books in my read aloud all through the month of April. My 5th graders were chomping at the bit for a long novel, but it seems to me that once they leave elementary school, it might be a long time before they read a picture book again…and there are so many great ones!!
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There is nothing like a picture storybook. Mary Lee, I completely agree. Let them read picture books as long as possible.
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