Reviewer Andrea Coventry: Andrea is a Montessori child - turned educator. An avid reader and writer, she is published on several websites. Click Here to find a listing of Andrea's sites where you can find many of her writing contributions.
Author: Martine Groenveld
Martine Groenveld's upcoming book, Mommy, Draw Stars on My Tummy is a breath of fresh air in the world of children's books.
Author: Martine Groenveld
ISBN:
978-0-0922929-0-8
Publisher: PT Book Publishing
Martine
Groenveld's upcoming book, Mommy, Draw Stars on My Tummy is
a breath of fresh air in the world of children's books. Not only does
it introduce new poetry and rhymes to children, but also encourages
the most intimate play time and connection opportunities between
parent and child.
Groeneveld is a licensed massage therapist
and certified infant massage instructor. She understands the healing
power of touch and introduces it to parents in a natural manner. Each
rhyme in the book is accompanied by a description of the strokes used
for each, as well as the manner of touch to accompany each line. She
adds further tips to most of the rhymes that will create new
experiences every time they are shared.
Beautiful,
calming illustrations by Brad Kunkle complement each rhyme, allowing
for the book to be read while simply cuddling with a child, even
without the touch and massage techniques. Reading aloud to children
has been scientifically proven to benefit children's reading skills.
Rhymes train the child's ear in phonemic awareness skills, which are
essential to the reading process.
Groeneveld provides much
information in the introduction about methods of massage and touch,
as well as appropriate times to perform the activities with the
children. She emphasizes following the lead of the child, such as
directly touching skin or rubbing over clothing. At the end of the
book, she provides a synopsis of studies that support the benefits of
touch on a child's development, as well as a comprehensive list of
resources for further information.
Though the title insinuates
it is a book for mothers to share with their children, fathers,
grandparents, siblings, and other caregivers can use it to create a
deeper relationship with the child. It can be implemented as a
natural part of the daily routine, to be used for several years.
Let's hope Martine Groenveld is inspired to share more of her wisdom
with families again, soon!
