Inspiring Children’s Books: Kristin Joy Pratt

Prior to bedtime, my toddler always selects new reading material for the night——along with a few favorite books that roll off our tongues in rhyme! Last night when Sophia pulled out Kristin Joy Pratt’s A Swim through the Sea, I was reminded of the importance of non-fictional reading material in a child’s life. Through reading, children can experience the world around them——places near and far, known and unknown. Questions arise from reading and viewing beautifully written and illustrated books.

At only 14 years old, Kristin Joy Pratt wrote and illustrated, A Walk in the Rainforest. She was published again as a high school student with her book A Swim through the Sea that beautifully takes Seamore the Seahorse through a journey beneath the sea! The first sentence of the book appealed to me as a reader because I personally love language—alliteration, personification, etc. However, as I read to my little sea creature tucked in bed, I fell in love again with Pratt’s illustrations and facts about each alphabetical animal that Seamore met in the sea!

This morning, I set out to rediscover Kristin Joy Pratt. I was elated to discover that she has continued to write and illustrate a multitude of books beyond the 1990s when I had first discovered her at a Science Conference in New Orleans. Her website XyzAnt.com lists her published books. Additionally, Amazon.com sells her books at an affordable price tag for you to start a collection of colorful, educational books for your child, his/her school library, and/or just to buy a few for birthday gifts.

Beyond reading with your child, you can encourage them to follow their dreams as Kristin did when she started out writing her first book for an English assignment.

“So, swimming back home on a bright sunny day, Seamore the seahorse would certainly say…………it’s going to take me, to keep it a beautiful, colorful sea.”

As Dr. Suess Read Across America Day (March 2^nd) and Earth Day 2012 (April 22^nd) draw near, read with your child and teach them how to keep their world a greener, more beautiful place to live with books like The Forever Forest.

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Litsa @How to Have it All

Litsa is a stay at home mom to a beautiful little girl. She is a native of Greece and now resides in Tennessee. As a former teacher, Litsa wears many hats that it takes to make a home a functioning home!