Our country’s literacy initiative, Read Across America Day, is being celebrated on Thursday, March 2nd. In conjunction with this event, The Little Golden Books is celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout 2017.  In addition to honoring the importance of Read Across America, Mast associates share stories about lessons we learned from our favorite Little Golden Books.

Led by the National Education Association (NEA), the Read Across America campaign features a familiar face loved by people the world over: “The Cat in the Hat.” In fact, when the Read Across America event was first founded in 1998, the NEA chose a most apropos day for the annual celebration, the birthday of Theodore Geisel, better known as the beloved children’s author, Dr. Seuss. He was a major advocate of childhood reading, saying, “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child.”

According to USA Today, “Forty-five million readers, young and old, participated in last year’s celebration, and even more are anticipated to take part this year. Reading to your child, even when they are babies, helps increase their vocabulary, and stimulate brains to grow stronger and smarter. Studies show kids whose parents read to them frequently have much larger vocabularies by the time they go to school than children who have not been read to on a regular basis. Reading to your young children also builds a lifelong appreciation for books and reading, expands their knowledge base about the world, and most importantly, promotes a bond and closeness.”

Fifteen years before Dr. Suess books swept the nation, The Little Golden Books could be found in homes, libraries, and classrooms across the nation. “The Poky Little Puppy” is the eighth book in the series and the top-selling children’s book of all time. We asked Mast Store associates about their favorite Little Golden Book:

My favorite Little Golden Books were The Little Engine that Could and The Ugly Duckling. Both are important lessons for youngsters and applicable later in life, too. Each of us face daunting challenges every day. The Little Engine that Could's mantra of "I think I can; I think I can" should be replayed over and over as each day passes and each milestone in a big project is achieved. Indeed, each of us can accomplish more than we think possible; we just need to try and to keep it up daily. The Ugly Duckling asks us to look beyond the visible surface. That's an important idea for everyone to remember.
- Sheri, Mast Store Marketing Department


My favorite Little Golden Book when I was a kid was The Monster at the End of This Book. It was so fun to read because it is interactive, silly, and completely different from anything else I had read up to that point. Grover tells his reader that there is a monster at the end of this book and to not keep turning pages – or else. It’s cool to defy Grover and keep turning the pages as you witness the hilarity of his breakdown. Children learn several good lessons from this adorable story. First, the importance of getting to the end of a story is made very clear. Also, the idea that our fears are often not based in reality is explored. And, finally, they are introduced to the classic literary theme of man versus himself. That last one may be a stretch… but, still, great book!
- Teresa, Mast Store Buying Department

I believe my love for the outdoors was further cemented by one of my favorite Little Golden Books, Wonders of Nature. Sweet poetry accompanied by beautiful illustrations captured my imagination and also taught me a great deal about understanding what I observed outside. Each illustration is clearly labeled to help identify familiar items in the outdoors: from milkweed growing in the school playground to spotting sea cucumbers at the beach. Thirty-five years after my grandma gave me this book, I’m still reading my original childhood copy to my own daughters. I hope they’ll share this book with their own children some day and learn to appreciate the many gifts of nature like we do.
- Alaina, Mast Store Marketing Department
 

What did you learn as a child from your favorite book in The Little Golden Book series? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below. Pick up a copy of your favorite classics or check out new offerings from the collection by clicking here. And for more about the history of The Little Golden Books’ and “The Poky Little Puppy’s” 75th Anniversary, check out this fascinating piece by NPR here.