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WHAT TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS and HOMESCHOOLERS SAY
Excerpts from letters from teachers and librarians. Also see What Kids Say.
Dear Mr. Peet: I am a second grade teacher in Glastonbury, Ct. … Your books have fostered a love of reading in children ~ thank you for making reading fun!   Sincerely, Mary E., Second grade teacher.	Young Bill drawing in class.
''His stories often teach a moral lesson or have a strong underlying message, while his illustrations are amazing works of artistic genius. Animals were an obvious passion, and the way he wields his pen to suddenly draw you in (pun intended!) will have the most restless child spellbound. He brings even inanimate objects to life with a most captivating creativity.'' from Nothing Beats Bill Peet - A Reason For Homeschool ****** It always pleases me when an author writes many books because when children find a story they especially like, they always ask me if the author has done any more like that one.  Your books are never on my shelves, as they even have a waiting list for the next anxious reader.  You make my job of promoting reading easy through your fantastic books. Thank you for your contributions to children’s literature and please keep it up! Sincerely, Mrs. K., Librarian. ****** How Bill Peet Can Help You Teach Character Lessons https://ourjourneywestward.com/bill-peet-character-lessons/ ****** I really enjoy your books for several reasons.  Your sense of humor and your terminology are unique!  Your rhyming stories are so much fun to read.  I can almost always follow your stories with an interesting discussion.  Last, but not least, your illustrations are wonderful! Sincerely, Mrs. G., First grade teacher ****** Join the MLP Family Book Club for a Bill Peet Author Study ****** The children love to look for faces on barns, buildings, trains and try to figure out ways you made the woods look frightening or animals look sad. It has been a wonderfullearning experience for them. Sincerely, Ann S., K-1 Teacher. ****** You have helped inspire these children to open their eyes and minds to books.  Fondly, Karen B. ****** I work in the library at an elementary school in Hudson, Ohio…..Your rich vocabulary and subtle lessons have transcended time, and new generations are now benefiting from you talents.  Sincerely, Jane J., Librarian. ****** As a third grade teacher, I am delighted to have you as a resource!  Few books seem to have been written that combine the wonderful illustrations, stories worth thinking about and stimulating vocabulary.  Sincerely, Joy H., Third grade teacher. ****** Most of the children in my class this year are reading at a level that is behind about 6 months – one year.  As reading is still quite difficult for them, a lot of them don’t really enjoy doing it.  Your books have been a tremendous help this way.  We want you to know just how much we have enjoyed your books.  In closing, I’d like to extend my thanks for you for helping my class begin to truly love good books, and to see just how much fun reading can be.  Sincerely, Brenda B., Second grade teacher. ****** Your books have really enriched my classroom instruction and increased the children’s interest and excitement about reading.  They love the many characters you’ve written about and are captured by the stories.  Thank you for your contribution to children’s literature. Sincerely, Joseph P., Second grade teacher. ****** I am a fourth grade teacher…. Every year I like to do a unit at the beginning of the school year on Bill Peet and his marvelous books.  I know of no better way to “turn children on to reading”.  The youngsters love your drawings and stories. Sincerely, Mrs. Marilyn N.  ****** We are pleased to inform you that the J. A. Elementary School students have voted you a favorite author.  We conducted this vote because too often the adult literary world honors quality writers, but sometimes these awards fail to reflect the  choices of children who are the true judges of their own reading.  Thank you for writing such wonderful books which show a high regard for the intelligence and pleasure of children. Respectfully, Joyce P., Librarian. ****** The children in my class all have  quite severe learning disabilities, particularly in the areas of written and oral language.  They also tend to regard books and reading with suspicion as they have all had a history of school failure.  It therefore gives me and enormous sense of pleasure to write to tell you that your books have really switched them on.  They can’t get enough of them.  The children are now writing their own stories and getting a real kick out of ‘playing’ with words.  They now sit for stories and listen with rapt attention (apart from when they’re rolling around in laughter). Special Ed. Teacher ****** I would like to thank you for the inspiration your books provided my students to develop a true love of reading.  Your stories and illustrations prompted a lot of discussion.  “Read that one again” was a familiar echo in my classroom. Many thanks again, Bob R., Second grade teacher. ****** It gives me great pleasure to share your stories because while the children are laughing at the antics of your characters, they are absorbing the gentleness and caring which are such an important part of all your books.  Sincerely, Holly T.,  Elementary school teacher. ****** I am a reading improvement teacher and really appreciate your talent, too, as through these books, children become interested in reading and appreciate good stories and priceless illustrations; ones with a lesson in living – I share your philosophy of life! Another fan, Margaret C. ****** I feel that the most important things that your books foster are a love of nature and a respect for the planet we share.  What marvelous methods you use to teach children about interrelationships and conservation of pure world in positive understandable terms.  Thank you for your contributions to children’s literature. Sincerely, Merri-Lee M., Grade 3 Teacher ****** As a teacher  I have learned that I can always count on your stories, with their colorful characters, to be exciting to the children and rich in descriptive words and phrases which add depth and texture to their language experience.  I’m so glad to know about your books. Paula C., Elementary teacher ****** Your books are filled with mind-expanding vocabulary and most enjoyable story situations.  Using them as a tool to develop comprehension skills has been exciting for children and for me. Yours truly, Doris S., Basic Skills Improvement Project teacher ****** My second grade class and I have been reading and discussing many of your terrific stories during the last month.  The growth in each child’s thinking and writing skills was tremendous and very rewarding for myself as a teacher and each child as a writer.  I hope the insights they have gained will stay with them for a long time.  Your delightful sense of story has really helped each student to better understand the writing process.  We have thoroughly enjoyed your wonderful illustrations, they really bring your characters to life. Yours truly, Marianne A., Second grade teacher. ****** I am writing you as a teacher who is greatly indebted to you.  Your books have provided me with a way of stimulating my students’ interest in reading.  I teach fourth grade and our first author study this fall was – Bill Peet.  My students were immediately captivated by your well defined characters. Fondly, Monica F. ****** I enjoy using your books in the classroom because they catch the children’s interest and make them want to read more.  The class and I hope you continue writing your imaginative and extremely entertaining stories. Sincerely, Martha B., Second grade teacher ****** Your books are fun! They give kids an incentive to read and reread!  Some boys and girls have even used your materials as examples to create their own books.  Thanks for caring!  Janice R., Second grade teacher ****** I only asked the kids to choose a book and look at it to get to know the “critter”.  But, alas, they wouldn’t give the books back until they read the stories.  Now they are hooked. (It was almost too easy!)  The enthusiasm in my room is overwhelming and contagious. My observation is that the response to your books is related to the fact that you do not speak down to the children through your characters.  There’s a distinct degree of sophistication that raises the children’s feelings of worth. Sincerely, Karen R., Third grade teacher. ****** I would personally like to thank you for being the best turn-on to reading I have found in thirty years of teaching.  Thank you for helping me and many other teachers and parents to make enthusiastic readers and writers of our kids. Sincerely, Jacqueline W., Third grade teacher ****** In addition to meeting every single student, grades K through 6, each week, I also service four special education classes.   These students are exceedingly difficult.  Some have learning or attention problems. Some come from homes that make the word broken reflect parts of the body as well as the spirit.  There is much latent hostility and abjection among these children and I have always – ALWAYS—been able to reach them through your books.  I’ve gone through every single one with these classes and they’ve wanted more and repeats of oldies.  Thank you. Fondly, Caroline C. ****** Michael was becoming bummed out at not being able to read like other children his age and consequently was becoming increasingly disinterested in reading himself and being read to.  I kept a few of your books on our work table for Michael to pick up when he was ready.  Since THE ANT AND THE ELELPHANT, we haven’t stopped reading.  Your books and humor have been a real source of motivation for Michael. Sincerely, Stephanie A., Reading clinic teacher. ****** Using your books as a teaching tool I want you to know you single handedly introduced dozens of wonderful new words to both the spoken and written vocabulary of these seven year olds. Love and admiration, Ruth H., Second grade teacher. ****** Every month I choose an author to highlight in my group of “remedial” or “reluctant” readers.  Jane C. told me about you, and am I glad!  The children have read your books with enthusiasm and great interest, and amazingly reading words that are supposedly “not in their reading level”. Your books have brought lots of laughter and rich sharing between students – a real joy for me a reading teacher. Sincerely, Evelyn C. ****** As always, your books are an inspiration to our budding readers, authors and illustrators.  Your books make us laugh. They also help all of us to be kinder to each other by helping use see both sides of so many problems. My class has also become much more aware of their environment through your books.  Thank you for all you have done for us through your books. Sincerely, Jody M., First grade teacher. ****** As children’s librarian at this school I have the most enjoyable task of introducing your books to all the classes.  Your books are by far the most popular picture book borrowed and remembered by the children.  Thank you for giving us so much pleasure. Yours truly, Yvonne W.
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