"For a child, play is joy and pleasure. It is life, exploration, and learning experience vital to his growth and happy development."
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I Will Play With You by Adelina Gotera illustrated by Janvic G. Victorio Trafford Publishing
book review by Sheila M. Trask
Written for teachers and parents, Adelina Gotera’s I Will Play with You reflects her experience in both roles. Gotera, once a college professor, is now a certified special needs educator and a mother. Her playful teaching style shows on every page of this colorfully illustrated handbook.
Gotera begins with an overview of the development of young children and moves swiftly on to the children themselves. She shines here, revealing her passion for teaching. She introduces the reader to kids like four-year-old Stefan, who can make anything out of a cardboard box, and a group of three-year old girls who love to create "birthday cakes" from mud and grass. Gotera ably explains how the activities correspond to the children's developmental stages and the adult roles they are practicing while they play.
Nearly every page features an illustration of a group activity with happy, engaged children. Especially effective are the photographic images interspersed with the drawings. Illustrator Victorio draws the children and inserts lifelike images of the objects in their world. While a troupe of young chefs is obviously hand-drawn, the vegetables on the table are almost tangible, emphasizing the theme of play as practice for the real world.
Gotera goes on to outline the hidden academic lessons in many activities, from counting the grass "candles" on a mud cake to measuring ingredients for banana bread. I Will Play with You uses laughter, song, and play to offer concrete ways to connect with young children's hearts and minds.