Decoda’s Office Administrator, Natasha Loh, shares books that bridge the age gap. 

We will soon have a 3^rd grader in our household in addition to a three year old which means 1) sometimes we can agree on things, 2) sometimes we can’t and 3) sometimes we work to find a harmonious middle ground. For instance, newly built Lego cars pieced together by the oldest can drive through the Duplo town created by the younger one. Drawings created by the older one are often given the Jackson Pollock touch by the younger one. And the list goes on.

The very last decision of the day always ends up the one being made in bed: What are we going to read tonight? Ah the buffet of books to devour: levelled readers, comic books, non-fiction and the list goes on. And this marks the last struggle of the night. One toddler has discovered the love of all things classic: Where the Wild Things Are, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Giving Tree. The older one of course is tired of these titles and is craving topics pertaining to social-emotional learning, culture and social justice. So what is a bleary-eyed parent to do when the day is almost done and the last struggle of the day is still to be conquered? Get help of course!

So we now have the older one read to the younger one. One gets to flex his newly found reading skills and the other gets to indulge in his favourite books.  However, many  times the story goes sideways because names get changed, a toilet somehow manifests out of nowhere and some innocent character always befalls their fate in a horrible manner. Yet sometimes the story stays on topic and one gets to  witness a truly remarkable experience. An emerging reader sounding out words as he goes without any judgement or embarrassment and a toddler fully engrossed in the plot.

Here are some books that Quinn read to both Ty and I this past year which we loved and we hope you do too!

Copy Dog: Ever have a younger sibling that copies your every move? Doesn’t it make you mad? This book was a lovely reminder that copying an older sibling means many things in addition to copying appearance, creativity and friendships. Often when they’re watching you, they’re also watching how sympathetic you are to others. A lovely book about what it means to be a role model.

The Story Factory: A machine at the Story Factory has malfunctioned! Now how will the townspeople get their predictable, cookie cutter books with the same plots and characters? In the age of AI and the conversations we have between ourselves and our kids over its usage, this book celebrates the importance of creativity, imagination and originality.

Sundays are for Feasts: Being little doesn’t mean you can’t help in the kitchen. But when you’re making hummus for the Sunday feast and angry Ammo Farouk is coming, you definitely don’t want that responsibility. With her Dad by her side, Yasmine figures out how much of this and that to add to the hummus. A savoury tale of confidence, family and culture.