Young children are beginning to learn how we use print to convey ideas and get things done. You can help them learn this by explicit explanations of how you use print yourself...to remember what you need at the grocery store, to find out what movies are playing at the local theater, to make a knitted sweater, to know where to park, etc. Mud is Cake is like a recipe book full of ideas for pretending. Plan to take some of these ideas and play them with your child. This will help increase his or her awareness of how books and print provide information to guide action.

"Porch is stage

when you imagine

thunderous applause."