Kids' Bedtime Story Hour at Wild Rumpus Books
Address: 2720 West 43rd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55410
Phone: 612-920-5005
Web: www.wildrumpusbooks.com
*Marti will be reading aloud one of her favorite bedtime books "What?" Cried Granny. Parents and kids are encouraged to do a reading or just come and enjoy listening to the readers. For every 15 minutes of reading aloud, Wild Rumpus will donate five books to Books for Africa. Gently used books will be available for $1 if your family would also like to donate a book to Books for Africa. Also, milk and cookies will be provided!*
Mother-daughter co-hosts Marti and Erin Erickson are interested in the many facets of motherhood in today’s world, and invite you to join the conversation as part of their weekly podcasts on their website, www.goodenoughmoms.com. They want to hear your thoughts and stories.
In a long career at the University of Minnesota (U of M), Dr. Marti Erickson served as the founding Director of the Children, Youth & Family Consortium and, more recently, as director of the Irving B. Harris Programs and co-chair of the U of M President’s Initiative on Children, Youth & Families. Marti specializes in linking research, practice and policy in the areas of parent-child attachment, child abuse prevention, and children’s mental health. Since retiring from the University in 2008, Marti continues to speak and consult extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad, with an emphasis on strategies for addressing the needs of young children and families in high-risk circumstances. Currently she is co-leading a child rights training initiative in Tanzania. She has a son, Ryan, in addition to her daughter, and is the proud grandmother of four young children.
Some of Marti's favorite read-alouds:
Two favorite bedtime stories now with all 4 of my grandchildren (who range from 2 to 6 years):
"What?" Cried Granny by Kate Lum -- a perfect "putting off bedtime" story that the kids really get involved in. One grandson loves to have me substitute his name (McKinley) and mine (Grandma Marti) for the main characters, Patrick and Granny. As many times as we've read this delightful book, all four kids laugh every time.
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn -- a classic "leaving mom and going off to school" story, the grandkids have found many other applications of the core message about holding the ones we love close to our hearts even when we can't be together physically
Other longtime favorites in our family:
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak -- a favorite in the 1970s when my kids were little and just as loved by today's generation of children
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein -- another from the 70s that is delighting yet another generation of children; a wonderful collection of poems for reading aloud
Susan and The Rain by Madye Lee Chastain - a 1947 book, now out of print, which my mom read to me 100s of times in the 40s and 50s (and which changed my view of rainy days forever!) I just tracked down an old copy of this book online and have been reading it to the grandchildren (and to my elderly mom over the phone!). Its message fits beautifully with my work on reconnecting children to nature, echoing one of our mantras that "there's no such thing as bad weather -- just the wrong clothes." Susan learned that lesson well in the story!
Erin Erickson is a specialist in Maternal-Child Health and has extensive experience speaking on issues related to maternal-child health and parenting. She writes on related topics for several magazines and websites. Previously, Erin wrote for Humanities Magazine at the National Endowment for Humanities in Washington, DC, and, upon her return to Minnesota, she continued freelance writing for several local publications before entering graduate school in the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. After completing her Master of Public Health (MPH) in Maternal Child Health - Epidemiology, Erin entered the graduate certificate program in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices - Health Coaching at the U of M's Center for Spirituality and Healing. She is focusing on the mind-body connection and using mindfulness-based skills to help people connect more deeply with the impact their lives have on their bodies. She hopes to use these skills to help parents become more mindful in their parenting and in their lives – an important step in leading more healthful and balanced lives. Erin is in the thick of everything the Good Enough Moms™ show addresses – and she’s glad her mom lives close enough to help and support her in her journey as a single mother to Clara and McKinley.
Some of Erin's favorite read-alouds:
The Little Store on the Corner by Alice P. Miller - this was my favorite book as a child and now it has become a favorite of my children.
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems - my kids adore these books. Both of these books deal with a child's attachment to a security object and what happens when Knuffle Bunny is left behind (as in Knuffle Bunny) or mixed up with someone else's Knuffle Bunny (as in Knuffle Bunny Too). The illustrations are especially great in these books. All of the illustrations are a combination of black and white photos and cartoon characters.