Our
founder, Randy Houk, who was a reading curriculum
specialist, believes that different children
learn to read utilizing a combination of
three senses: auditory, kinaesthetic, and
visual. Some children rely much more on
one of the senses, but almost all children
learn through some combination of all three.
We
have therefore provided additional components
available with every storybook we produce.
The expressive narration on audiocassette
by Emmy and Peabody winning musician, Tom
Chapin, enhanced with his original music
and authentic animal sound effects, plunges
a child into the world
of each animal. Younger children can follow
along in their books, listening to the narration,
and have the same warm, parental experience
of being read to that is missing in so many
homes in these busy, busy times.
The
lifelike plush toy goes a step further to
bring each
story 'to life' for a child. It has the
additional dimension of engaging a child's
heart: it softens the experience, and makes
that featured animal real. (Didn't we all
think our stuffed toys came to life when
we were children?)
Finally,
we've added even another dimension with
our videos. Along with nearly 100 additional
illustrations to animate the adaptation
of the book for video, we have between ten
and fifteen minutes of live footage of the
actual animals featured in the stories.
Children are invariably fascinated when
they discover each story really is true
- that the featured animal really does exist.
Watching the wolf pups receive their first
vaccinations in Yellowstone National Park,
while the black mother wolf paces in a holding
pen, can go a step farther to making the
story - and the entire history of how gray
wolves became endangered in Yellowstone
- come to life for a child.
Suggested
Curriculum inclusion: reading, science,
nature, animals
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