[Surf's Up, as published in the St. John's Telegram on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007. Click here to read more columns.]
In October, our family joined hundreds of other parents and children for one of two readings by Robert Munsch, the acclaimed Canadian author who has written dozens and dozens of books beloved all over the world. Seeing such a large crowd made me realize what an impact Munsch has had, at bedtimes and day-cares and playgroups all over.
I was among those who got a kick out listening to Munsch deliver the stories himself, in his own voice.
If you’ve read stories like Alligator Baby or the Paper Bag Princess to your kids, do make a point of checking out Munsch’s terrific website.
Robert Munsch 
The site offers a treasure chest of material – including recordings of Munsch reading many of his works. You can download them and play them back when you want, and hearing him read them is a great insight into how Munsch wrote them, crafting the lines over and over, getting them just right for kids to enjoy.
There’s plenty else to see and do; the “what’s new” section includes photos and notes from his travels, and a selection of unpublished stories (he apparently has dozens) comes as a treat to those who’ve worn their own copies down.
Storybook England
From Mary Poppins and Enid Blyton’s Famous Five to Harry Potter and the His Dark Materials books, fans from around the world have long had English storybooks … so much so, perhaps, that tourists expect to find characters right out of their favourite childhood novels when they go to visit. (I guess, sometimes, that they do.) This site offers reading resources to young readers who’ve fallen for stories from across the pond; click on the title, the author or the geographic area to find out more. The site may also offer some additional reading ideas for parents and children alike.
Fairy Tales Collection
Fairy tales come in many packages, as this site suggests. It features work by Hans Christian Andersen, Aesop and Mark Twain … so far. Other sources (the Grimms, for instance) have been identified, but this site is still obviously a work in progress, and hopefully more content will be added over time.
Eric Carle
Our son loves Eric Carle’s bright, inventive books, which combine collage-inspired art with words that fly right off the tongue. The companion site is a fine way to learn more about the beloved children’s author.
Just One More Book
Many tired parents will know the exclamation “just one more book!” from evenings when the couch calls, but the siren call for another book is too tempting to ignore. It’s also the title of a podcast for parents looking for new material; the tone is loose and fun, which makes sense, as it’s recorded in a coffee shop. You can play more than 250 episodes from your web browser, or subscribe to have new shows downloaded to your desktop.
Granny Bates
The little store for kids (and their parents) on Bates Hill in downtown St. John’s offers its catalogue online, as well as shelf pics. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the store personally, try out the online offering.
DAWCL search engine
DAWCL stands for Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature, and that accent on quality makes this search engine a useful tool for parents, teachers, librarians … and kids who know how to use a search engine! Select criteria (genre, age range, historical period, etc.), sort out the years of publication, and see what comes back.
John Gushue is a news writer for CBCNews.ca in St. John's. Site suggestions always welcome at surf at thetelegram.com. John is on Facebook right here.
Great suggestions thanks. Our little guy likes Eric Carle as well.
Posted by: Nadine | Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 11:26