My Princesses came to the 7 Acre Wood this week. They are Woodsy Princesses and love to go walking through the wilderness here. They also are Booksy Princesses and love to read books and tell stories. We found a great little book that tied it all together!
by Paul Showers
illustrated by Aliki
Published by Harper Collins, originally in 1961 and again in 1991
Theme – Fathers and daughters, nature, using your senses
Suitable for ages 3 and up
It begins –
“I like to take walks.
I take walks with my father and our dog.
Our dog is called Major.
He is an old dog and he does not walk very fast.”
“We go down the street and we do not talk.
My father puts his hands in his pockets and thinks.
Major walks ahead and sniffs.
I keep still and listen.”
The narrator, a little girl, calls this a Listening Walk. They listen to all the sounds and don’t talk. And she tells us about the sounds that she hears. Major’s toenails scratching on the sidewalk — twick, twick, twick. Her father’s shoes. Noisy lawnmowers.Whispering sprinklers. Cars going by. Bicycles, jets overhead and a baby crying. They go into a quiet park and there are different sounds of birds and bugs and leaves blowing in the trees.
It’s a lovely little book. The Princesses liked it alot. We didn’t hear all of the same sounds on our walk. It was a cold, quiet day in the 7 Acre Wood. The Guineas walked with us and they are real chatterboxes. They do not believe in being quiet and listening. The goats were calling to us – they wanted to come along, but we left them behind in their pen. We heard lots of different birds, and the wind, and the river down the hill. The Princesses shoes crunched on the dry grass. The Guineas scratched in the leaves.
Listening is a good thing. You can have a listening walk in the country or in the city. It would be fun to compare the sounds from different places. Or the differences between day and night sounds. You don’t even have to go on a walk to have a Listening Adventure! You can just sit and be quiet and notice what sounds you hear. How would you write the sounds that you hear? Could you draw pictures to go with the sounds?
You could also go on walks using your other senses. My favorite walks are Sniffing Walks. Can I find any new smells along a trail? Who’s been through these woods before me? You could do a Seeing Walk and even a Touching Walk.
Before you go out walking, you might want to visit Susanna Hill’s Blog to see the list she has compiled of Perfect Picture Books.
Kermit the Frog likes Listening Walks –
What kind of walks do you like? What will you notice today?
I wish good sounds and smells for you!
Your sniffing, listening friend
Rhythm
Oh Rhythm dear you would have enjoyed our walk today – no trees to pee against but salt water spray on our faces from the beach and the noisy wild wind blowing us about. ‘The Listening Walk’ sounds wonderful. I love how it talks about the joy that is walking an older dog, Major, who ‘does not walk very fast’ – the slowness, the noticing, it’s very peaceful. Wishing you good smells and sounds on your next walk too Rhythm.
Ahhh! I LOVE the beach. Now there are some fine sounds and smells! But I don’t get to go there very often. Only in my dreams. I liked that they included old Major. Being a senior citizen myself, i can appreciate those slow walks!
Rhythm, we love listening games with our grandblessings! I think living in the city we tend to shut out noise—but when we seriously listen it is amazing all the things you can hear. Going outside right now at minus 11 you can hear the crackling of ice and tree bark splitting. This sounds like an awesome book I will definitely check out for our grands. I love the pictures of you and the princesses…it’s always fun to see them – they are certainly growing.
Thanks for noticing my Princesses. I LOVE those girls and don’t get to see them very often. They live far away. It’s always a special treat to have them for a visit. I think your grands would like this book. It’s a good one!
Great post, Rhythm! Listening is the greatest gift you can give someone.
That’s about right Ms Johnson!!
I like to walk, and love your idea about using different senses for different walks. This sounds like a wonderful book.
This is a fine book that encourages you to slow down and notice the world around you. That’s hard for folks to do sometimes.
What a beautiful, quiet book. I love stories that emphasize silence and being present in the moment. So important to cultivate this trait at an early age.
I agree Ms Tilton! Especially in this day. Kids seem to be in constant overdrive.
I go on listening walks too – and I wish I had a four-legged pal to walk with me. But then I guess I wouldn’t hear the squirrels talking…
haha! I hear those pesky squirrels all the time! Our trees are full of them!
Ah, this one sounds really sweet. Thanks for telling me about it.
It is a fine little book. Stop, look, and listen.
That title says it all!
Exactly.
Sniffing walks are my favorite! I sniff out pee mails from all my friends, and even Toby, the little dog who is visiting upstairs.
Love and licks and sniffs,
Cupcake
You can’t beat a good sniffing walk! We sometimes get some mysterious pee mail in our woods and down by the river. Sometimes I wonder if it might be spam. Ahh! That makes me think of Spam. That makes a pretty good treat!
OK Rhythm … now you’ve done it … picked a book born in the same year as I was! My walks used to be power walks through the neighborhood but lately I prefer strolls through a pretty place, perhaps a nature hike through the forest or by a creek. I’ll bet that’s heaven to you!
You know Ms Gruener, I think we are much alike! I used to do power walks too! But these days slow and easy is more to my liking.
What a lovely idea for a busy world. I think so many kids forget how to be observers, since they are surrounded by constant entertainment — TVs and iPods, cell phones and video games. Just watching, listening, and smelling are so important. A person just needs time to think for sure.
That is so true Ms Larson! Learning how to be still and quiet is an important lesson.
The 7 Acre Wood sounds like the baby brother of the 100 Acre Wood, or perhaps historical text of the same wood…
I guess you could say that. I keep a lookout for Pooh and Piglet and Eeyore, but they have yet to show up here. We do have quite a few Poohs and Piglets that live in the house. And an Eeyore wannabe who lives next door.
The video is hilarious! I love the ending! “That’s the loudest ‘quiet’ I’ve ever heard!” š Great book choice! I am glad you and your Princesses had fun on your walk! š
We had a fun walk indeed! Do you like to go on walks Erik? Listening or sniffing?
Today we are going to have a snowy walk – but that is a bit of a treat, because we don’t get much snow here. It’s fun to see who has been on the walk before us by looking at their footprints.
We don’t often get snowy walks here either. Usually once a year. I like to make footprints in the snow!
Love the quiet and the listening.. Such an important part of life. Guinea hens would definitely disrupt that though! Thanks for telling us about this book.
Those Guineas are certainly obnoxious! They do not understand being quiet. Even when they sleep.
I love a good sniff on a walk, you can’t beat it!
That’s the truth Misaki!!
‘Sounds like a classic with much to offer today. Thanks.
That it is Ms Roberts!