Preschoolers have a sense of discovery and creativity that is blossoming. For example, my daughter recently went through both a baby duck and a baby jaguar phase. She would take on the physical movements and sounds of these animals and only respond if I called her by the names she chose.
Picture books generally nurture imagination because kids have to put themselves in a story outside of the “here and now.” However, there are some books that do a particularly good job of featuring creativity. Here are a few of my favorite books that show how imagination builds a story:
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
This book is a classic for a reason. I loved it as a child, but obviously so did many others. I believe that the reason for this popularity is that the quest Harold undertakes as he travels through a world literally of his creation-- one drawn by his purple crayon-- empowers children to delve into any universe their imaginations allow.
Go to Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing
A little girl uses basic geometric shapes to form a very strong-willed and independent-minded monster. The girl draws objects to amuse and comfort the monster. She proves her resourcefulness in meeting his needs. The monster is definitely more cute than scary and helps reflect in a non-threatening way the fears that might overwhelm creative youngsters.
This book is a classic for a reason. I loved it as a child, but obviously so did many others. I believe that the reason for this popularity is that the quest Harold undertakes as he travels through a world literally of his creation-- one drawn by his purple crayon-- empowers children to delve into any universe their imaginations allow.
Go to Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing
A little girl uses basic geometric shapes to form a very strong-willed and independent-minded monster. The girl draws objects to amuse and comfort the monster. She proves her resourcefulness in meeting his needs. The monster is definitely more cute than scary and helps reflect in a non-threatening way the fears that might overwhelm creative youngsters.
I have been impressed by how well this book works as a read-aloud in large groups, although it is also perfectly well-suited for one-on-one sharing. Two voices argue over whether an ambiguous shape is a duck or a rabbit. The humorous take on perspective is as enjoyable a read for grown-ups as for the youngsters to whom the book is officially geared.
This is another classic where children identify what objects different blobs appear to be. It is a great introduction to the concept of shape in addition to promoting imagination.
Not a Box by Antionette Portis
Whenever a critical voice asks a rabbit, who is drawn with charming simplicity, why he is playing with a box, he responds that "It's not a box!" The things he imagine the box to be are illustrated in red, while the things that actually exist are drawn in black. After seeing the elephant, building fire, hot-air balloon, and rocket (among others), it is likely that one will be tempted to seek his or her own box for playtime. This delightful book also has a follow-up: Not a Stick.
Whenever a critical voice asks a rabbit, who is drawn with charming simplicity, why he is playing with a box, he responds that "It's not a box!" The things he imagine the box to be are illustrated in red, while the things that actually exist are drawn in black. After seeing the elephant, building fire, hot-air balloon, and rocket (among others), it is likely that one will be tempted to seek his or her own box for playtime. This delightful book also has a follow-up: Not a Stick.
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