Children’s Books
There are a lot of great books when it comes to rhyming. The best of them would probably be the books by Dr. Seuss, in my opinion. There’s also “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown and “Madeline” by Ludwig Bemelmans. But if you want a book that gives great examples of figurative language and has fun with it, go no farther than the original Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish.
Amelia Bedelia
Amelia Bedelia is a funny, lighthearted housekeeper who also takes her work seriously. In fact, she follows instructions exactly, which is the problem in each book. She has no idea how to interpret the figurative language that is part of every instruction she’s given. Fortunately, she’s also an amazing baker which is her saving grace, every time. The moment her frustrated and furious employers taste her delicious desserts, all is forgiven. And that’s basically how every Amelia Bedelia story goes.
Figurative Language
Recognizing and using figurative language is a valuable but difficult skill to grasp. In fact, adults still struggle with it. That’s what makes books like Amelia Bedelia so beneficial to read. Figurative language is language that substitutes the literal meanings of words and phrases with figures of speech. The best way to explain figurative language is to give examples. Let’s use Amelia Bedelia:
Figurative Language Dos and Don’ts
- Draw the curtains (close the curtains as opposed to doing an actual drawing of them on paper)
- Measure two cups of rice (set aside two cups of rice to cook later, not filling two cups of rice, stacking them on each other and measuring them using a measuring tape)
- Dress the chicken (cleaning out and taking off the parts of the chicken that aren’t going to be cooked, and not putting the chicken in some sort of costume)
These are only a few of the honest mistakes that Amelia Bedelia makes because she doesn’t know how to interpret figurative language. This gets her into hot water (another example of figurative language) with her employers the Rogers. What makes all the unpleasantness go away is the amazing pastry that she makes at the beginning of each work day, in this case a divine lemon meringue pie. After just one bite the Rogers forgive and forget everything she did wrong.
Figurative Language Resources
Amelia Bedelia is an extreme example of someone who can’t understand figurative language, which is what makes her so entertaining. But using figurative language is a good way for your child to improve her speech and language skills. Aside from books there are tons of movies that are chock-full of figurative language. YouTube has a narration of the Amelia Bedelia book that I referenced in this blog.
Cooking With Your Kids
And when you have pockets of free time, you can take another page from the Amelia Bedelia books and cook with your kids! There are many fun and kid friendly recipes out there, of the bake and no bake variety. Your child will love spending time with you in the kitchen. Kill two birds with one stone by making your dessert, reading an Amelia Bedelia book, and then eating it afterwards.