The Cat in the Hat

My son absolutely loves this book.  I must have read it at least a hundred times.  Every time I read it I think about something new.  The rhyming and repetition are great for little ones.  But what I think makes my toddler really interested in the book is the fact that he can add new words to his expanding vocabulary.  I read the book in English and we talk about it in Portuguese.  Every time I read it, he finds something new to point to and says the new word he learned.  He is so proud of himself when he succeeds. 

My daughter also loves reading the book, but for different reasons.  I get to test her comprehension of the story in English.  But, she also gets a chance to practice saying some sentences in Portuguese.  The Cat in the Hat is not just about learning new words or reading comprehension.  It gets the kids thinking about when their room and house are messy and what is the right thing to do when mom is not home.  I am not sure how I feel about the sense of fear the Fish instills in the children by constantly asking about what would Mother do if she knew.  That is another aspect of parenting I am still trying to work out.  But for now, we will keep reading this classic almost every night!