Creative Play with Friends!
The rhyming quality of ââ?¬Å"We Were All Togetherââ?¬Â? by K.T. Williams is delightful. But thatââ?¬â?¢s just the beginning of the fun in this charming childrenââ?¬â?¢s book designed for children aged 3 to 8 years. At 84, this is Mr. Williamsââ?¬â?¢ first book, and itââ?¬â?¢s a delightful blend of challenge and promise, with a big touch of whimsy.
All the animals are playing at the park. As they play, they imagine what would happen if they could become something else; something nearly every child can relate to. As the animals start choosing what they would like to be, the magic of fun ensues. Cathy the cat wants to look like a black bat, so she learns to fly. Dougie the dog wants to be a famous fancy frog, so he learns to hop. As it turns out, he�s very good at it.
But an interesting thing happens as the friends imagine what they would be. Not everyone has as positive an outcome as Cathy and Dougie. For instance:
ââ?¬Å"I wanted to look like
Melvin the mighty moose.
So I grew antlers,� said
George the great goose.
George, unfortunately, didnââ?¬â?¢t realize that his rather slender neck wouldnââ?¬â?¢t be able to hold his head up if he wore a heavy pair of moose antlers! Some of the children even think they must have ââ?¬Å"done something wrongââ?¬Â? when their concepts donââ?¬â?¢t turn out as expected- a great area for parents to stop and talk with their children about the fact that something unexpected doesnââ?¬â?¢t necessarily mean it is wrong.
As the animal friends continue their game, some with great success, others with consequences they didn�t expect, they remain positive, simply appreciating the game. For them, the joy is in being together as they imagine. In a world where children are taught they can be anything they want to be, it�s great for them to imagine. Doing it with a playground full of friends? Even better!
Mr. Williams provides a delightful springboard for children to hop into the world of imagination. My favorite part of this entire quirky story is the fact that not everyone�s adventure turned out to be perfect, but all of them were fun and the children (er, animals) had a blast. What these creative critters discovered is the key, as provided by the last rhyme in the book.
The illustrations by Steve Giddings are eye-catching and fun. They have enough additional details for parents and children to want to explore and talk about them, yet they are not too busy or full of detail to be distracting. In other words, they are wonderfully balanced.
ââ?¬Å"We Were All Togetherââ?¬Â? is a fantastic first-time collaboration between author K.T. Williams and illustrator Steve Giddings, and both children and parents will reap the benefits. Itââ?¬â?¢s a simple story full of rhyming fun and creative nonsense, yet it provides a wealth of life lessons to discuss if one wishes. Perhaps the best lesson is that itââ?¬â?¢s great fun simply to be together.
