Friday, November 13, 2015

Roxaboxen

Today I want to talk about a very special book.


Title: Roxaboxen

Author: Alice McLerran

Illustrator: Barbara Cooney

Ages: 4-7

Opening: Marion called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.)

What it's About: A group of kids discover a piece of land covered in rocks, cactus, and old wooden boxes and then turn it in to their own magical world.

Why I LOVE this Book: Some of my fondest memories from when I was a little girl include exploring outside, finding a special place, and making it my own. My friends and I used to gather juniper berries, Strip bark from the trees for bacon, and create little campfire pits. We would spend full afternoons in these places, pretending to be orphans, pioneers, native americans, etc. It was bliss. So when I discovered this book that captured so well that magical world of untethered childhood play I was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. I couldn't wait to go home and read it to my own 4 year old son.

Create Your Own Roxaboxen
1. Hook up with a buddy or group of friends. These sorts of adventures are far more fun if you have a team to share them with. Each child bring new ideas to the table and it's wonderful to watch them learn to work together.

2. Find a special place, it could be in your very own back yard, or where you can immerse yourself in nature and let creativity run uninterrupted.

3. It's okay to bring supplies from your house. Empty flower pots, yarn, boxes, cloth, all these things can be useful when creating your own special place.

4. Utilize nature's resources! Gather sticks to make fences. Collect wild berries, leaves, and bark for food. Nature is full of potential tools and elements for pretend.

5. Step back and allow the kids to do the work. As parents I know it's tempting at times to take over, but it's so important to allow the kids the freedom to come up with their own ideas and carry them out themselves. Help them if they ask for it, and throw out ideas if they are having trouble coming up with their own, but let this be their place, not yours.

6. Have fun!




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15 comments:

  1. Leslie Leibhardt GoodmanNovember 13, 2015 at 8:18 AM

    Heather, it sounds like we enjoyed very similar childhoods. I,too, used to find a place in the woods near my home to explore with my sister. We would poke sticks in the ground to create a fence, weave vines around them, and pretend this place was our home. Once, a great fallen Oak tree became our sailing vessel and we were co captains on a long voyage out to sea. Thank you for sharing this wonderful picture book. I have a feeling I'm going to love it.

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    1. heatherdent56November 13, 2015 at 9:44 AM

      Oh wow! What awesome memories you have! I bet you and I would have gotten along swimmingly as kids. I'm sure this book would truly resonate with a past time like that!

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  2. Patricia T.November 13, 2015 at 8:23 AM

    Yes, I remember those days of imagining tree logs into airplanes and clover into hamburgers. This sounds like a lovely book for children. I haven't seen it, but will check it out. I love books that encourage imagination. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. heatherdent56November 13, 2015 at 9:45 AM

      You are most welcome! Imagination is a beautiful thing.

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  3. Joanne RobertsNovember 13, 2015 at 9:09 AM

    Thanks for sharing your memories . . . and I'm always up for a Barbara Cooney book!

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    1. heatherdent56November 13, 2015 at 9:46 AM

      Yes! She has such a wonderful style that really captures the imagination.

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  4. Julie Rowan-ZochNovember 13, 2015 at 10:47 AM

    Love this book with all my heart!

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  5. JoannaNovember 13, 2015 at 1:46 PM

    That title and opening are brilliant. Any kid that I allowed to play outside does this (and even inside with blanket tents etc). It makes me think about BRIDGE OVER TEREBITHA.

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    1. heatherdent56November 14, 2015 at 5:12 AM

      Yes! It's a totally natural state of play and it's beautiful to see it at work .

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  6. Keila V. DawsonNovember 13, 2015 at 4:07 PM

    Lovely tribute to enjoying the outdoors. Put it on my lisy. Thanks for the review.

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  7. Keila V. DawsonNovember 13, 2015 at 4:08 PM

    Lovely tribute to enjoying the outdoors. Put it on my lisy. Thanks for the review.

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  8. Lindsey McDivitt at A is for AgingNovember 18, 2015 at 8:34 AM

    Bark strips as bacon! I love it! This book sounds so lovely, I must find it! Great memories you stimulated--endless hours outdoors and making "cheese" from mud squished through a dishtowel after reading Little House on the Prairie. :-)

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    1. heatherdent56November 19, 2015 at 6:28 AM

      Haha! That's brilliant! I also grew up loving little house on the prairie.

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