Hedgie World Tour '06

Last month my wife and daughter traveled with some friends to Springfield, Missouri, to meet children's author Jan Brett and the Hedgie Blasts Off Tour. Jan Brett has over thirty-one million books in print and is known worldwide. My wife's friend is an instructor at our local community college and works with an organization to bring children's authors to Missouri in October for the Children's Literature Festival of the Ozarks. I noticed on Jan Brett's website that she incorporates a short audio book.

One of my graduate school classmates made me aware of a web site that was different in the way it conveyed literature to children. The site BookPals Storyline Online is made possible through corporate sponsorship and The Screen Actors Guild Foundation. I read the viewer's comments section and was surprised at the variety of uses for website. The website is accessed by viewers around the world. Many people seem to utilize the site to learn English. Teachers utilize the site as part of their education. Others, including special education teachers, felt it was beneficial to improve reading skills. The site uses Flash Player (version 8) at Macromedia.com. Actors read books to children. Many viewers like the human element of reading to children and the video pans back and forth from illustrations to actor. I am going to pass the information along to a friend who is a speech therapist and get her opinion about it's merits in that discipline.

My five year old was attentive throughout the reading of the story she chose. We plan to email Jan Brett through her website to see if her books are featured on BookPals Storyline Online. We'll let you know if she responds.