Preschool Story Time: Hondo & Fabian
Their adventures are different: Hondo goes to the beach to meet another dog friend, while Fabian puts up with small children (getting some toilet-paper rolling in the meantime) but they each return to their favorite spots in the evening. The kids enjoyed looking at the illustrations of the two animals recognizing the character and features of their own pets.
After the fun they had had reading the story, the kids engaged in playing the Simon Says game to use English words they learned for different colors, body parts, numbers, animals ...
This book won the Caldecott Honor in 2003.
The story is nice and delivers a sense of security. It is okay to leave home and explore and to have "an adventure," because home will always be there for you when you come back.
The illustrations are unique, with style of their own. Almost dreamlike, the pictures are a little opaque with little depth. They are complementary to light and airy ambience created by the text.
Online Resources:
Hondo and Fabian by Peter McCarty http://us.macmillan.com/hondoandfabian/PeterMcCarty
Simon Says Game http://www.us-wind.com/wpen/?p=480
