Archive for January 28th, 2009

Where Have You Gone, Poky Little Puppy?

Published by Robert Pondiscio on January 28, 2009 in No category. 7 Comments

A request from her son for a family collection of picture books to read to his toddler son set writer Donna Scofield to wondering: What ever happened to Little Golden Books, the series of simple stories that used to be a ubiquitous part of childhood for generations of young readers? 

Little Golden Books came out in 1942, with the object of making children’s books available for even low-income families. They cost only a quarter. One of the early books, “The Poky Little Puppy,” still holds the record as the highest-selling children’s book in history. There used to be racks of them in grocery stores, drug stores, and anyplace else a mom might happen to have her purse out. They were so cheap that I usually returned from any errand with one.

The books are still around, and still in print, Scofield notes, but they’re mostly available online. “Now, that’s a shame. It was great when you could go into any grocery store and pick up a book for a quarter, or even the 49 cents they cost when my children finally outgrew them.”  Today, she says, there are Little Golden Book DVDs, and CD-Roms with interactive games for parent and child. But that’s no substitute:

Neither the DVD nor the game is going to personalize the story by asking, ‘What kind of sound does the Poky Little Puppy make when he’s hungry?’ Nor will they say, “Show me the puppy’s nose. Now show me YOUR nose.” No, Moms will never be replaced by technology.

It seems odd that we know so much more about the benefits of reading to toddlers than we did 60 years ago, yet a resource to make it happen — cheap, ubiquitous picture books — has all but disappeared.

“Mr. President, Don’t Forget Catholic Schools”

Published by Robert Pondiscio on January 28, 2009 in Educational Policy and Opinion. 2 Comments

If President Obama wants to address the crisis in America’s urban schools, he could start by acknowledging the contributions of Catholic schools.  In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, William McGurn notes America’s Catholic schools are in the midst of a crisis, with enrollment less than half what it was at its peak. Though doing a heroic job, he notes, they are closing their doors at an alarming rate.

Catholic schools are not for everyone, and they are not the answer for all that plagues our cities. But they are an answer — one answer that is real, less costly, and working for many families desperate for the opportunities these schools provide. With a little imagination, these schools could reach many more such children.

McGurn notes the President spent more time in Catholic school as a child than JFK.  “Simply by acknowledging Catholic schools as a national treasure that should be preserved,” he writes, “Mr. Obama would give them a badly needed shot in the arm.”

The Fordham Foundation weighed in on this issue last year with their report, “Who Will Save America’s Urban Catholic Schools?”