Reading Barbara Bockman’s award-winning Fantastic Flight afforded me a trip back to memory lane. The book reminded me of one very important period in my life, raising three children and allowing them to engage in constructive make-believe play.
Barbara’s book brought a huge smile to my face because it chronicles the importance of make-believe play. After spending one night at Grandma and Grandpa, little Jessica becomes homesick. Grandma suggests that Grandpa takes Jessica on an outing. What follows is a fantastic outing that will help Jessica forget about being homesick.
Having minored in child psychology, I learned that make-believe play is essential for all children. Pretend play has many cognitive advantages. Constructive playtime may include cognitive skills such as decision-making, and problem solving. More importantly, imaginative play helps children develop their imagination and motor skills.
One very important thing for all parents to understand is a child can’t develop motor skills by being sedentary. Getting up and moving around and actively engaging in play is the only way a child will be able to develop motor skills.
Some experts believe child obesity is on the rise because too many kids spend too much time watching TV and playing video games. Pretend play is very healthy and it is risk-free allowing children to venture out in a creative way.
The vivid illustrations by Jack Foster drew me in right away. Fantastic Flight is a great book that both adults and children will enjoy reading. The book can be a great resource for parents and teachers to teach children about the endless possibilities of pretend play.
To learn more about Barbara Bockman please visit her website.
To check out more about her award-winning book please visit here.
Great post, Nicole, about Barbara’s fun book! I reviewed it, too. Make-believe is wonderful creative play.
I LOVE that cover! Magical and fun. Thanks for the fun review.
That book sounds like fun. I remember pretending things all the time when I was a kid.
Often parents don’t see reading books as creative play but my daughter and I will read it with her favourite big dollby her side and she loves it!
Hi
Nicole,
Thank
you very much for this great review of FANTASTIC FLIGHT. I’m glad that you and
I share the same wonderful publisher, Lynda S. Burch, at Guardian Angel
Publishing.
I
was ill when this review came out, so I did not see it at the time. But I’m
glad we also share the belief that imaginative play is very important for young
children. I engaged in a lot of it when I was a child. Perhaps some of that is
coming out in my writing.
Barbara