What Is Your Child’s Favorite Book?

Every child should have a favorite book. I remember reading Dr. Seuss’s The Foot Book to my son and sharing laugh after laugh, but our favorite was The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. While this is a 72-year-old book and once sold for $.60, its message is as significant today as it was in 1945. While some books are just fun to read, others are didactic and teach children lifelong lessons. What we liked about The Carrot Seed was that the little boy was tenacious. Even though his mother said she was afraid his seed wouldn't come up, he held on to his faith. His daddy said he was afraid it wouldn't grow, but the little boy was undeterred. The big brother, following the lead of his parents, also said he was afraid the seed wouldn't come up, but grit allowed the little boy to stay focused on his dream.

Though all of the little boy’s family members were older and perhaps wiser than the little boy, he didn’t allow their negative voices to counter what he knew could be true. He had a dream in his heart that he would not let go of, even if it meant he had no family support. He continued to water the seed even when he didn't see anything. He had faith beyond what his parents or his brother had, and I do believe that that perseverance and determination influenced my son and his perseverance to grow his hair. He failed more times than he could count, but he never gave up and eventually became successful. The common theme is whatever it is you want you may not always see the result when you begin, but just keep on going. Keep on pressing on. One day you'll realize the fruit of your labor. No victory is achieved overnight; no dream takes place in a short amount of time, at least not a real dream worth having. This is a very important concept for children to learn, that everything they desire and dream doesn't happen overnight. Dreams take time, but you must start early and have a plan. You must stick with that plan in order to execute your dream. I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Carrot Seed. While you're at it, pick up a copy of BJ's Big Dream, available on Amazon.com.