Things People Do

I have read this book to my children over and over and over – and we enjoyed it every time.  Now my children are enjoying reading it themselves, even though they are elementary school age, and a bit past the information in it.

Things People Do is an oversize hardcover book from Usborne Publishing Company.  The illustrations (by Steven Cartwright) are delightful, full of interesting and funny detail, plus there’s a duck for your children to search out on every two-page spread.

We start out by learning about the island of Banilla (one day my son said to me, “That sounds an awfully lot like vanilla.”  “That’s the point,” I said.  He didn’t quite get it.)  Throughout the rest of the book, we meet the people who live and work on Banilla and the jobs they do.

For example, we meet:

• Manuel Labor, a builder.
• Lotta Light, an electrician
• Les Chatter, a teacher
• Carmen Stay, the hotel manager
• Gus O’Lean, the owner of the “biggest and busiest garage in Banilla.”

If you’re not chuckling right now, say the sames out loud…  This book is full of fun names to keep older children and adults chuckling.  Younger children find the book  fascinating.

Each two-page spread is a wealth of information, so please do not rush your child through this book.  It’s best to prepare them before you start that you’ll read only a few pages each time you sit down.  That will give you time to read everything on the page and your child time to pour over the pictures (maybe even find the rubber duck!) without feeling rushed.

Recommended for ages 3 through 8.