I\u2019m dedicating this post to my two Ms, because before them no one had ever devoted such full attention to me and with such enthusiasm. Here goes\u2026<\/p>\n
Our reading time before going to sleep is one of the most wonderful moments I share with my daughters Manuela and Maria. It has become a routine that they really look forward to and that we start to talk about while we\u2019re having our dinner, choosing the books<\/strong> they want to read that night, and negotiating the number. I can\u2019t help but get excited about storing up these moments with them, although Manuela is beginning to steal my role of reader\u2026 she still isn\u2019t able to read, but she knows the stories by heart and she recites them as we turn the pages. The surprising thing is Maria does the same!<\/p>\n Transmitting good habits through example at home is the best way, and reading<\/strong> is one of them. In children\u2019s books<\/strong> I don\u2019t only find the opportunity to introduce my daughters to reading, but they also help me as a tool to manage the different phases children go through, to teach them to appreciate creativity through the aesthetics of these books, etc. I\u2019d like to also remind you of the post I shared about other books that we have at home.<\/p>\n And what better excuse to share the books that we read every night before bed but the month of April? April 23rd <\/sup>is the feast day of Sant Jordi in Catalonia. It is our book festival, and the streets of Barcelona fill up with bookstands where you can buy books and the traditional roses. I hope this post gives you a few ideas of what books to buy as gifts this year.<\/p>\n Elmer the Elephant. <\/strong>This is my daughters\u2019 favourite book. This description of the book published in The Guardian<\/em> describes the book perfectly: \u201cA childhood classic praised for inspiring children about the differences of others, highlighting the importance of being oneself\u201d.<\/p>\n Cuentos de \u00c9douard Manceau.<\/em><\/strong> (”Stories by \u00c9douard Manceau”). <\/strong>In these short stories, the author uses humour and simple language to explain why animals are the way they are.<\/p>\n Matisse\u2019s Garden. <\/strong>My daughters are still too young to appreciate art in their own right, but I like to think that it\u2019s never too early to educate their eye in the beauty of works such as those of Matisse. The language of colour used so well by this artist is easy for a child to enjoy.<\/p>\n Juguemos a hacer yoga. <\/em><\/strong>(”Let\u2019s play at doing yoga”). <\/strong>Although this is not part of our night-time reading, I really want to share it. I use it as a guide which my daughters enjoy; they choose the nice pictures representing the yoga asanas\/postures and do the posture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To finish this post, I\u2019m sharing a brief summary of the legend of Sant Jordi:<\/p>\n According to the legend, once upon a time a dragon lived in the town of Montblanc; it was so hungry that it was devastating the town. The king decided to choose an inhabitant from the town at random every day and to sacrifice them to satisfy the dragon\u2019s hunger. Destiny decided that the first person would be the princess, the king\u2019s daughter. The king accepted this fate and gave his daughter to the dragon. It was then that the knight George appeared to save the princess and finish with the dragon. A red rose grew out of the blood, and the knight gave it to the princess.<\/em><\/p>\n V<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019m dedicating this post to my two Ms, because before them no one had ever devoted such full attention to me and with such enthusiasm. 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