COLOR MY WORLD

Color My World!

By Debbie Mancini-Wilson

This is the best interactive children's book I think I have ever seen. I do realize that there are hundreds of wonderful books that encourage children to write, play, read and build their creativity.

Many have prizes, or stickers, magnets, markers and other means of being interactive with the book and/or it's characters.

But, Color My World is different, original. It enables children to open their minds to a more organic way of thinking. The pages are filled with little poems and stories for the children to read, or complete, illustrate and even write their own. They take your child on an adventure within their mind.

Such as this one:

Inflimus Redumius

Inflimus Redumius.

What do these two words mean?

Inflimus Redumius,

Depends on how they're seen.

My one friend thinks

They are angry words.

Another says it's

A species of birds.

My teacher says they are

More intellectual than that.

My bus partner says it's

The name of a bat.

Instructions: In your mind's eye, what does Inflimus Redumius create? Finish the poem and draw a picture to relate. (There is space in the book itself, for each of these activities)

Here's another one I really like:

The Colors Within

I really don't care

'Bout the color of your hair.

I'm not concerned with the color of your skin,

I'd really rather know your colors within.

Here is my desire, if you want to hear it...

I want you to show me the color of your spirit.

Quite simple is my goal...

I want to see the rainbow of your soul.

Next to this poem is a picture box with the instructions: draw a picture using all the colors of your soul.

Creative play and organic thinking assist children in learning and academics. While critical thinking involves skills such as cause/effect, reasoning, sequencing and hypothesizing; creative thinking involves brainstorming, flexibility, imagery, originality and metaphorical thinking.

"The aim of creative thinking is to stimulate curiosity and promote divergence." (Quote from Teacher's Tap).

The book is hard covered and spiral bound. The design is patterned so that a child can lay it out open and flat, making it easier to color the pages and write creatively. Printed in black and white, the words that fill the pages appear hand printed and the pictures appear hand sketched, both lending to encouraging a creative urge.

I, myself, feel drawn to fill in the blanks, draw the pictures and make my own stories within the pages. And, the stories and poems and activities lend themselves to children of all ages.

Something else I really like about this book is that it encourages it's readers/participants, in a somewhat subliminal way, to be comfortable with themselves, to be themselves, and to like themselves just the way they are. Like the poems Chair, Different and Flowers, Morsels and Muck.

Additionally, there are more projects on the Color My World website. The character from the book, Stoch, encourages children to read, write and illustrate their own stories. These pages can be printed and even emailed to Stoch. What child wouldn't want to share his artwork and poetry with the character from the book?

This book currently retails for $15.59 at Amazon.com/Color My World.

It would make a wonderful gift for your child's teacher as well. They would love to duplicate the pages for use in the classroom. Color My World, truly is an interactive poetry book. This book just might be the new birthday gift we give to my children's friends and a Christmas gift for my niece and nephews. ;-)

COLOR MY WORLD