There will always be a special corner of my heart reserved for Biscuit the dog.  He’s a furry yellow puppy who has many adventures, such as going to the farm, winning a prize, and spending the day at school.  He also has a fellow dog friend named Sam and says “Woof” all the time.  Oh, did I mention that he lives in the pages of an early reader written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli?

I will forever remember the look of pride on my daughter’s face the first time she opened a Biscuit book and realized that she could read it.  Really read it. Not stumble through it, but read the book cover to cover with little effort.  She had spent months sounding her way through Bob books, but she didn’t consider those books to be “real books.”

This book was different, it was from a library.  It was hardback book.  She had seen Biscuit books on sale at Target and her mind it was a real book.  The look on her face as she read through it will always remain in my heart. Pride, amazement and a bit of a shock that she was really reading.

As she closed the book, I became excited for her.  Of course, I was excited because she was on her way to mastering the important academic skill of reading.  But more importantly, I was excited because I knew what being able to read would open up to her. As an avid reader, books have always played an important role in my life and one of my greatest hopes has always been that my kids feel the same way.  I thought about all the times in her life that she would learn something from book, escape to a different reality, think of something from a new angle, or just laugh hysterically at something she read.  

My daughter has now graduated to reading chapter books (the Pet Fairy series by Daisy Meadows is her current obsession) and now I have pulled the Biscuit books for my son to read. As I sat with him while he read about Biscuit meeting the baby, I felt the same feelings I had two years before when I sat with my daughter. As Trevor closed the book, I jumped up and yelled “Hip Hip Hurray” loudly (a silly ritual we do in our house when some has a big accomplishment).  He smiled at me and then carefully put the book back into the basket (in contrast to my daughter who is known to shove things under beds).

I know that Biscuit the dog will soon left on the bookshelf as Trevor moves on to more exciting books.  However, the yellow sweet dog will always hold a special place in my heart because he is the one who opened the door to reading for both of my kids.  

Do you have any memories of when your children first learned to read?  If you child hasn’t started reading, tell us about the first book that you read to them that they loved.

Jennifer appears Mondays on TriangleMom2Mom.