MembreNoodlenuts

The children’s books promoted by Noodlenuts are chosen according to criteria unique to our purpose of getting kids hooked on books from a young age.

Those criteria include musicality, rhythm, vocabulary and use of language, and are selected in order to help parents create the best possible storytime experiences to share with their kids.

Beyond those basics, I also look for books that are innovative in their themes, that don’t patronize or oversimplify things for children, and that encourage critical thinking. I pay attention to grammar and choice of words, because children hear and remember everything, and there is no reason to start them off early in life with poor grammar or words like "stupid"–which really just indicate sloppiness and a lack of creativity on the part of the author.

Still, while I’m not averse to the occasional "teaching moment," I will never recommend a book wherein narrative takes a backseat to a "lesson" of any sort. Story always comes first.

I also look out for great illustrations. Nothing enhances a story like striking artwork, and again, this is one of the things that helps children grow attached to their favourite books.

I created Noodlenuts to help other parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. do what my family did for me: instill a love of books and reading in children right from infancy, by introducing them to unique, innovative books, and by bringing fantastic but under-publicized kids’ books into the public eye. To this day, I credit my parents for having taken the time to seek out truly special stories to share with my sisters and me, and for the lifelong love of reading that evolved from their efforts.

Unlike many other children’s book programs or web sites, I prefer to leave the teaching of specific reading skills to professional educators–though I do place a strong emphasis on choosing books that enhance early literacy skills within the context of great narrative.

Instead, Noodlenuts is focused on teaching a love of books, believing that that visceral love of books leads naturally to a desire to learn to read as children grow.