Any recommendation for reading material for pre-school children [3-4 yr]?

post by df fd (df-fd) · 2021-08-21T05:48:09.930Z · LW · GW · No comments

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  Answers
    5 Yoav Ravid
    4 weft
    2 weft
    2 Nick R
    2 Viliam
    0 Teerth Aloke
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Hi all, I have a 3 yr old niece who recently really got into reading stories, is there any recommendation for good children stories that you guys would recommend?

I had the usual fairy tales and Disney stuff, just wondering if there is something that is rationality leaning and age appropriate.

Thanks in advance

Answers

answer by Yoav Ravid · 2021-08-22T14:51:28.189Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Related: Brainstorming: children's stories [LW · GW]

Personally I really like The Emperor's New Clothes.

Tiger-Tiger Is It True? is also nice, though I would couple that with a more nuanced discussion of truth, to not teach the kid that truth requires absolute certainty. Or if you're feeling more creative, modify the section about being absolutely sure to just being sure, have tiger give an example why he can be sure, and have turtle point out that that example isn't really enough to be sure because of a possibility tiger hasn't thought about.

answer by weft · 2021-08-22T16:55:31.087Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

The Existential Giraffe is a pretty amusing primer on Cartesian doubt, but I don't know how much a young kid actually "gets" of it. (But I've still had kids who particularly enjoy it as a book).

It has such entertaining lines as "The possibility of not really existing made Sammy very, very sad."

https://youtu.be/e0AwVbfau8s

The same author also wrote the Moribund Mouse (a mouse learns he is going to die and so finally starts "living" but then goes back to his boring cubicle life when he learns the doctor was lying) and the Perspicacious Penguin (a penguin really likes green even though God himself has proclaimed that blue is superior)

answer by weft · 2021-08-22T16:38:29.322Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Frog and Toad books are among my favorites.

https://daily.jstor.org/frog-and-toad-attend-a-philosophy-class/

↑ comment by df fd (df-fd) · 2021-08-23T02:39:48.139Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

oh thanks, this looks like what I was looking for

answer by Nick R · 2021-08-21T19:28:42.389Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Why not Aesop's fables? They could be not only engaging and though-provoking, but start filling in important cultural background.

↑ comment by df fd (df-fd) · 2021-08-22T11:01:08.661Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

thanks, I've forgotten that these exist. much oblige.

answer by Viliam · 2021-08-21T15:43:37.842Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

If there is such a thing as rationality literature for 3 years old, I have not heard about it.

The closest thing could be stories without supernatural (or otherwise illogical) things. I was thinking about this book, but can't find whether an English version exists. (It is a short story about how a bunny lives in a forest; and there are similar books with other animals.)

I'd say don't worry about this, just mention that some things do not exist in real life.

↑ comment by df fd (df-fd) · 2021-08-22T11:00:24.119Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I was mainly inspired by jefftk [LW · GW] series on raising his children.

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/DoHcgTvyxdorAMquE/bets-bonds-and-kindergarteners [LW · GW]

I do believe that he is using techniques not usually employed by other groups. [heck his post frequently got to the front page and hundreds of upvote on https://www.lesswrong.com/ so I assume it has something to do with the rationality culture]

I also believe that children's literature reflects the culture that creates it. Their value and beliefs. I am not content with just Disney culture and I am trying to find an alternative.

answer by Teerth Aloke · 2021-08-21T06:46:53.437Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I don't think that will be necessary.

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