Empowering Kids Through Stories: Fostering Literacy, Empathy and Life Skills from an Early Age

This episode of Reading with Your Kids features conversations with two fascinating authors. Our first guest is Ann Suk Wang, author of the picture book "The House Before Falling Into the Sea." She discussed how the book was inspired by her mother's experiences as a child during the Korean War. Her mother and grandparents took in refugees fleeing conflict. The book tells this story through the eyes of Ann's mother when she was seven years old. Ann wanted to bring awareness to this overlooked period of history. She and her illustrator carefully crafted the story to discuss difficult topics like war in a way that is accessible to children.

Our second guest is Rella B, a children's author, podcaster, and YouTuber. She discussed some of her works, including "If Shapes Could Talk" and "Mama, I Got a dollar," which aim to teach early financial and social-emotional literacy. RellaB emphasized the importance of exposing kids to diverse topics through books and media. Her YouTube channel and podcast provide resources for families where caregivers may struggle with literacy or have limited time. Both guests discussed the value of reading challenging books with kids and helping them develop empathy, confidence, and life skills from an early age.

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