Me circa 1978. That looks more like a magazine than a children’s book…

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” — Frederick Douglass

The first time I read this quote, I read it, “Once THEY learn to read, you will be forever free.” Both are true I guess. I used to spend a lot of evenings doing flashcards and reading to the kids. It was great for them, AND for me. They got a great foundation for learning to read, and I enjoyed spending time with them.

My favorite books to read to the kids were books from my childhood like, Where the Wild Things Are, and Where the Sidewalk Ends, because they took me back to a familiar place in my youth, and I was able to take my children back there with me to experience it.

Once they learned to read, not only were they forever free – to choose their own books from the shelf, read at any time, and learn whenever, wherever, and whatever they wanted (within limits) – but I was free to say things like, “go read a book,” and eventually the three of them would take turn reading bedtime stories to each other. I got my evenings back, and was able to do a little reading of my own.

Here are some Caribbean children’s books to read with your kids, and to add to their bookshelves so that they can enjoy them on their own when they are reading independently.

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