Q is For Duck by Mary Elting

Q is For Duck by Mary Elting, illustrated by Marcia McClintock Folsom

Rating: 4 stars

This afternoon I taught Ben how to use a shoulder--mine--as a pillow.  It's a necessary skill in the world, I think, especially when I wish for him that snuggling is always on the forefront.  In what seems to be becoming a quiet, sweet little habit, I lay on his bed and read my book ("Mommy, are you going to read Wild?  The one with the red cover and no pictures?"  "Good memory, Ben!  Yes.") and he reads his chapter books.

I say read, but I mean "read."  He flips through as I flip through, impatiently waiting for me to turn the page in my book so he can turn a page in his book.  He flat refuses to turn the page without a turn from me, so I end up faking a turn or two so that his impatience doesn't grow to frustration.

Quiet time is a strict routine in our house--the kids choose something and head up to their rooms to take a break from each other and "quiet their body," usually on their beds.  It usually lasts about 30 minutes, unless my husband is around and then somehow they remain in their rooms for an hour or more.

Today I put my book down when he so sweetly asked me to read him a book.  It did not take much arm-twisting...  My friends would fall over laughing if you asked them if I was a push-over, but we all have our buttons, and I'd drop everything and anything (well, except Kiefer) if they asked me to read to them.

He chose this book, Q is For Duck.  It's an alphabet guessing game--you've got to think about why the chosen letter goes with the chosen thing.  Clearly you realize that Q is for duck because ducks quack, but the answer requires some serious thinking from a 3 or 4 year old.  I like books and games like this, and this game is easily adapted to car rides (as long as you don't have one of those pesky DVD players that spoil conversation and reading and stuff...!).  It is very similar to White is for Blueberry, another logic-building book that twists the norm and makes you change your perspective.

Ben and I lay in his bed, reading this book on our backs with the book up in the air over us, thinking and wondering and laughing at the silly connections.  It was a lazy summer afternoon with just one of my three kids.  One of those hours you just want to freeze.

M is for Afternoon...because a little Memory was made.
S is for Ben...because he too can be sweet, like his big sister.
N is for Kiefer...because Kiefer was napping during this little interlude.
L is for me...because I'm lucky to have these kids, this life.