The Book That Almost Rhymed: Sharing Reading with Picture Books at Home

Sharing reading with picture books at home is a great way to foster a love of reading for your child. The pressure of reading the book is taken off, and enjoying a fun conversation about a great book can ignite a love of literacy.

In The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed, we are introduced to a lively brother and sister pair. The brother narrates a story about a book he authored, using rhymes and poetry throughout. However, his sister has a completely different vision for his tale.

If you are a parent or caregiver of siblings or multiple children, reading this book aloud can offer a rich vocabulary and an entertaining story that encourages predictions and language play through rhyming.

Did you know that rhyming is an essential early literacy skill for reading success? Introducing rhyming through shared reading books can help your child (and their brain) recognize sounds and manipulate word parts. This practice enables young readers to apply their sound recognition skills to reading words on the page later on.

No matter your child's age, reading a picture book together is a low-pressure way to engage readers of any level in book discussions. You can examine the illustrations or ask, "How do you think the character feels?" to encourage your child to think and talk about the book. This helps their brain practice processing texts. Sharing a picture book is a great goal to put into your weekly schedule, even if it's only once a week to start!

Find a copy of The Book That Almost Rhymed here to add this beautifully illustrated book to your home bookshelf today!

More ways to use this book:

• Why do you think the boy was so frustrated by his sister’s contributions to his story at the beginning of the book?

• How would you continue the story after the book? Where do you think the new treasure map would send the characters?

• What were you expecting the characters to find in the treasure chest? Draw a picture, write, or tell a story about what you think they will find.