Wednesday Book Club

Frequently, I read to my daughter as she is finishing her dinner. While she is still in her high chair, snacking on her treats, I'll read from a book with paper pages because she can't reach out and tear them. Lately, we have been working our way through Just So Stories. We don't always make it through an entire story in one evening, but we are now three-quarters through the book.

The stories are parables that "explain" how the world became "just so." I think my favorite stories involve Taffimai Mettalumai and her parents. Taffy's attempt to have a wandering stranger retrieve her father's spear has hilarious and, for the stranger, unfortunate consequences. Currently, we are working our way through the story of the King of the Crabs, Pau Amma, who did not receive his instructions from the Elder Magician when the other animals did at the Very Beginning.

I love the sense of wonder in the stories. They are truly perfect for reading aloud to a child, but I am greatful that I'm reading them to my baby. The style and sentence structure is, of course, a bit out dated and I frequently stumble through some of the phrases. If I continue reading before she fully understands the words, maybe the stories will flow more easily when does comprehend them!

You can find an on-line version of the stories using this link.

Enjoy!