Do you make time to play every day? I won’t lie and say that I do—sometimes life gets in the way, but I’m trying (and mostly failing) at making play a priority. PLAY LIKE AN ANIMAL was born from the realization and the frustration that play is disappearing from kids’ too busy and over-scheduled lives. Young kids have “play dates” and scores of enrichment activities instead of time for free play. Schools are cutting, or even eliminating recess and increasing testing. And it’s not just young kids, it seems that teenagers practically have to be Olympic athletes to participate in sports—what happened to the importance of camaraderie, being a good sport and learning teamwork? And that sports/exercise are beneficial for combatting stress and anxiety too. Is it a wonder our kids are anxious?
Rather than ranting, I chose to write a “playful” book to celebrate play, and to inspire kids, parents and educators to dive right in because play is life—play is important, and not trivial. Play teaches compassion, empathy, cooperation and how to be fair; play helps us express creativity and explore our imaginations; and play helps us problem solve. But above all, play is fun!!
Mia Powell’s vibrant and whimsical art is the perfect match for the active text which encourages kids to get moving and to play like animals do:
Do you plonk like a peccary?
Surf like a dolphin?
Sled like a raven (or crowboard like a crow?)
Lerner Publishing has generously offered to donate a copy of PLAY LIKE AN ANIMAL. Just leave a comment telling us your favorite family game or your favorite way to play to be entered for a chance to win (sorry—US residents only).
Thanks for having me here, Tara, who’s always punny and playful in all of her books!
You. can visit Maria and all her books online at MariaGianferrari.com.
186 comments
Comments feed for this article
April 21, 2020 at 10:44 am
authorlaurablog
Our favorite way to play is outside, exploring nature on a hike. Favorite game is Rummikub
May 4, 2020 at 6:16 pm
mariagianferrari
I haven’t heard of that, Laura. Will look it up. I love the name 😉
April 21, 2020 at 10:48 am
Cedar Pruitt
I love this idea!! I’m a HUGE YES on more fun crazy play. Thanks for sharing this insight!
April 21, 2020 at 12:56 pm
AMY
My kids liked creating things–“machines”, forts, costumes. I miss that! Grandkids are in the works, though. 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:16 pm
mariagianferrari
🙂
April 21, 2020 at 10:49 am
Danielle Dufayet
Thanks for thr reminder to play wildly! Congrats!
May 4, 2020 at 6:16 pm
mariagianferrari
It’s medicine that we need right now!
April 21, 2020 at 10:52 am
Bru Benson
Hi, my favorite family outing is when we go to digging for buried treasure with my kids. We go around wooded areas and look for lost objects with a metal detector. Like a pig looking for truffles, the kids like to dig a little in the ground when the detector beeps. We have found coins, rings and other interesting objects. It’s not only fun but we learn a little about the history of the coins we find too.
May 4, 2020 at 6:17 pm
mariagianferrari
That sounds like a lot of fun! Are you still doing it now?
April 21, 2020 at 11:01 am
Sheri Dillard
I love this book! Playtime is so important! One of my favorite places to play is the beach! 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:17 pm
mariagianferrari
Hello Sheri! ❤ ❤ ❤
April 21, 2020 at 11:06 am
Gayle Veitenheimer
We have two family favorites. One is baseball in the pool. Outfielders must swim to the ball while batters swim the bases. A second family favorite is cat and mouse which is hide and seek in reverse. The cat hides and the mice must find the cat and get back to base without being tagged. The reversal adds a whole new level of suspense.
May 4, 2020 at 6:18 pm
mariagianferrari
The reverse hide & seek sounds especially fun. Thanks for commenting, Gayle 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 11:07 am
Cupcake
During lockdown, Mom is teaching me to play Tic-Tac-Toe. She covers the board with Cheerios and tells me to pick ONE. Then she puts my mark there. Sounds easy enough. The only problem is I don’t know what “one” means, so I eat all 9 in a fraction of a second. Then we play again. And again. And again. Then Mom gets a headache.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
May 4, 2020 at 6:18 pm
mariagianferrari
Ha!
April 21, 2020 at 11:08 am
Susan Macartney
Exploring outdoors and a box full of well-loved dress-up items for virtual adventures of all sorts! Congratulations on this delightful book!
May 4, 2020 at 6:19 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks, Susan :)!
April 21, 2020 at 11:10 am
Mary Warth
What a great concept. Fantastic! We like pick-up basketball and baseball. Really, anything with a ball!
May 4, 2020 at 6:19 pm
mariagianferrari
True!!
April 21, 2020 at 11:12 am
Sylvia Mary Grech
Play outside was the best! Favorite games are Rummikub and Monopoly.
May 4, 2020 at 6:20 pm
mariagianferrari
Outside play was my go-to as a kid in the country. Hide & seek in the corn. Rummikub again–must look that up!
April 21, 2020 at 11:14 am
lmconnors
Our favorite family game is to play cards. Our favorites are pinochle, spades and euchre.
May 4, 2020 at 6:20 pm
mariagianferrari
I haven’t heard of euchre either. Cool-sounding name 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 11:17 am
fspoesy
As my kids got to college age they gravitated to somewhat indecorous card games, like Cards Against Humanity, that I don’t find as fun. I’m more a fan of simple games and hope to soon get out and play some cornhole/bean bag toss. I also do a lot of doodling, which I consider a form of play.
May 4, 2020 at 6:21 pm
mariagianferrari
Agreed! Doodling = play. I’ve only played Cards vs. Humanity a couple of times, and I have to admit that it can be quite fun.
April 21, 2020 at 11:21 am
Cheryl Johnson
My family has always loved playing board games, not super active, but it’s something everyone agreed on. 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:21 pm
mariagianferrari
A classic 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 11:25 am
Helen
Our favorite game during at the beach is “Over, Under” with the waves.
May 4, 2020 at 6:22 pm
mariagianferrari
Sounds refreshing right about now!
April 21, 2020 at 11:27 am
Lucky Jo Boscarino
Logic puzzles & ‘retro’ board games like Sorry and Mousetrap.
May 4, 2020 at 6:22 pm
mariagianferrari
Mousetrap and sorry–old favorites I have not played in ages! Thanks for commenting, Lucky Jo 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 11:29 am
Gail Atherley
Growing up in the country in Montana, my children always loved snowball fights in winter and water balloon fights in summer. Lots of silliness and giggles accompanied the “fights” along with the occasional tears.
We also enjoyed board games,puzzles, free form dancing, and reading outloud!
Thank you for the reminder of the importance of playfulness
May 4, 2020 at 6:23 pm
mariagianferrari
Sounds lovely! Montana, the little I have seen of it (driving to Yellowstone), was beautiful!!
April 21, 2020 at 11:30 am
Judith Snyder
Before having to stay away from grandkids, I’d engage my grandson in creative dramatics, where we would go on imaginary adventures in the basement or backyard. Now that I’m on my own, I dance to 60’s tunes–very freeing and great exercise.
May 4, 2020 at 6:24 pm
mariagianferrari
Can you do any virtual games with them? Not the same, but better than nothing! Maybe charades?
April 21, 2020 at 11:32 am
Elizabeth Curry
We love playing outside with our dogs! Thanks for the post Tara and congratulations, Maria!
May 4, 2020 at 6:24 pm
mariagianferrari
Dogs love to play! And it’s so fun to do it with them!
April 21, 2020 at 11:46 am
rosecappelli
This looks like such a great book! Love the active verbs. My favorite way to play as a kid was catching fireflies, jump roping, or jacks.
May 4, 2020 at 6:24 pm
mariagianferrari
I caught many a firefly in my day too, and toads, which were always released 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 11:47 am
C.S. Boyll
At naptime we “play” by taking turns telling a short story sentence by sentence or sometimes, sentences by sentences.
May 4, 2020 at 6:25 pm
mariagianferrari
Sounds lovely and relaxing 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 11:53 am
LeeAnn Rizzuti
My grandsons love hiking and biking. Indoors, boardgames are a becoming a great alternative to screen time.
May 4, 2020 at 6:25 pm
mariagianferrari
True! One can only look at a screen for so long!
April 21, 2020 at 11:59 am
adavis6385
Thanks for this post, Maria! I love to play by creating and goofing around with the pup. We also like to play board games as a family. Play is so important!! 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:26 pm
mariagianferrari
Hi Amanda :). Pups are the best playmates 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 12:06 pm
Sara Matson
I love the idea of this, Maria! I totally agree that play has, in many ways, gone by the wayside, so I’m glad you’re fighting to bring it back! My favorite organization that is doing the same is LetGrow.org–perhaps you’re a fan, too!
May 4, 2020 at 6:26 pm
mariagianferrari
I will check it out, Sara–thank you!
April 21, 2020 at 12:24 pm
Katie Giorgio
Oh this looks like such fun! Thanks for sharing
May 4, 2020 at 6:26 pm
mariagianferrari
🙂
April 21, 2020 at 12:24 pm
Laura M Perdew
This is perfect timing, reminding us all the importance of play! What a great book – can’t wait to read. The the image of the dolphins reminds me of my family’s time at the beach every year. We are always scanning the water looking for the dolphins, except when we are in the water playing like dolphins!
May 4, 2020 at 6:27 pm
mariagianferrari
It’s so fun to watch dolphins! I lived in San Diego for a year, and loved seeing them surf and leap. So joyful!
April 21, 2020 at 12:26 pm
Nancy Furstinger
Can’t wait to read your new book, Maria:-) I’m always playing with my furries: hiking with pooches Rosy + Ford (who also is obsessed with tennis balls), getting my house rabbit trio to dance on their hind legs for treats, and tickling my chinchilla!
May 4, 2020 at 6:27 pm
mariagianferrari
Hi Nancy! So nice to have all of these furry playmates :)!
April 21, 2020 at 12:31 pm
Susan Twiggs
maria,
Love your playful language.
May 4, 2020 at 6:28 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks, Susan!
April 21, 2020 at 12:41 pm
Angela De Groot
Love your books, Maria. My kiddies aren’t so little anymore, but we love to play card games, especially week long UNO tournaments. When they were little, Hide & Seek was one of their favorite games. Congrats on the new book. I’ll be looking out for it.
May 4, 2020 at 6:28 pm
mariagianferrari
I love playing UNO, and have played it a few times recently :). And I was great at hiding and squishing myself into small spaces as a kid!
April 21, 2020 at 12:59 pm
Paige Cunningham
Hula hooping,jumprope and building natural fairy houses! Play is the way! Thank you for writing this book and giving one away!
May 4, 2020 at 6:29 pm
mariagianferrari
Hear-hear, Paige! Play every day!!
April 21, 2020 at 1:05 pm
TerriMichels
Love the word play!
May 4, 2020 at 6:29 pm
mariagianferrari
Merci :)!
April 21, 2020 at 1:05 pm
Mirka
Love the illos in these!
May 4, 2020 at 6:29 pm
mariagianferrari
Agreed, Mirka–Mia’s art is very playful & beautiful!
April 21, 2020 at 1:20 pm
Gabi Snyder
Outside: we love to play and explore on beaches, finding hidden treasures. I can’t wait to get back to the beach!
Indoors: our favorite games right now are Clue and Mysterium.
May 4, 2020 at 6:30 pm
mariagianferrari
I haven’t heard of Mysterium–will check it out. Thanks, Gabi. Outdoor play is the best kind!
April 21, 2020 at 1:46 pm
kiwijenny
My son sent me a video of his kids playing in the dog house. My kids loved climbing trees and climbing in closets and making forts. We even played who can clean the house fastest….I made stop and go signs and they ran through the house cleaning ….that was the best game ever…for this sneaky homeschooling mom.
May 4, 2020 at 6:30 pm
mariagianferrari
This is the perfect time for forts & tree climbing!
April 21, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Nancy Ferguson
Sadly, I am dreadful at playing. We used to play a lot of chasing games when I was a child…not since. This book might make me try more things! Thanks.
May 4, 2020 at 6:31 pm
mariagianferrari
I too am guilty of not playing enough!
April 21, 2020 at 2:23 pm
Patti Ranson
Sounds like Cupcake has learned fractions and time without knowing it;)
April 21, 2020 at 2:27 pm
Patti Ranson
My kidlets have all grown and are in various stages of flying the coop. My husband and I play a board or card game every night – tonight it’s crokinole!
May 4, 2020 at 6:31 pm
mariagianferrari
My mother-in-law and her partner play cards every night too!
April 21, 2020 at 2:42 pm
Karin Larson
Garbage or gin if cards. Sorry if a board game:) Seems to be a lot of all of the above going on these days!
May 4, 2020 at 6:32 pm
mariagianferrari
Which is great! Board games & puzzles too!
April 21, 2020 at 2:44 pm
claireannette1
This looks like such a fun book! Our family’s favorite game is bocce ball which we play wherever we go. We have our own rules and no one wins or loses because we always forget to keep score!
May 4, 2020 at 6:35 pm
mariagianferrari
I am of Italian descent (you’d never guess, right?), so was introduced to bocci a long time ago upon visiting relatives in Italia 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 3:00 pm
mcglentim
Did not know ravens played in the snow. If I learn nothing else today …
Thanks for modeling word PLAY.
May 4, 2020 at 6:35 pm
mariagianferrari
They are very smart & playful creatures! Crows & other corvids too!
April 21, 2020 at 3:14 pm
Rebecca E. Guzinski
Sorry, Uno, Tic Tac Toe, and monopoly have always been our favorites. However, “keep it up”(volleyball passing minus the net) in the water at the beach is always a winner.
May 4, 2020 at 6:36 pm
mariagianferrari
We played a version of “keep it up” with the badminton birdie 😉
April 21, 2020 at 3:18 pm
Kassy Keppol
Thank you for sharing
May 4, 2020 at 6:37 pm
mariagianferrari
🙂
April 21, 2020 at 3:19 pm
Tonya Girouard
Anything outside…running, biking, hiking, walking…enjoying the sunshine!
May 4, 2020 at 6:37 pm
mariagianferrari
So true!! Especially in the woods 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 3:31 pm
Rinda Beach
This is absolutely what I needed to see – something fun! Thank you!
May 4, 2020 at 6:37 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks, Rinda :).
April 21, 2020 at 3:52 pm
Janet Frenck Sheets
Scrabble is my favorite board game. Hockey is my favorite active game. (Also, I’ve watched ravens play with snow. They are amazing creatures. What a great idea for a book!)
May 4, 2020 at 6:38 pm
mariagianferrari
They are indeed!
April 21, 2020 at 4:02 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks so much for featuring Play Like an Animal here, Tara!! And thanks to all who have commented. I will be back to respond 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 4:07 pm
Debra Kempf Shumaker
Maria, as always, I love your books and this one is no different! My family has fun doing Corn Hole tournaments in the evenings when it’s nice outside! 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:39 pm
mariagianferrari
I had to look up corn hole, Deb ;). Sounds like fun!
April 21, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Carole Calladine
Maria: We love to play UNO and of course make-believe princesses. Love your book. Play on.
May 4, 2020 at 6:39 pm
mariagianferrari
UNO is the best!! I also like memory 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 4:26 pm
seschipper
Oh how we need a book about playing!! Thanks!
Our family loves to play board games, especially when everyone comes home for the holidays!!
Summer..it’s playtime in LBI (a beach in NJ)
Puppy playtime ,hmm Hank does not know he is 9 years old…he thinks he is still a puppy!!! 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:39 pm
mariagianferrari
Playing with dogs is the best!
April 21, 2020 at 4:33 pm
jennagrodzicki
Congratulations, Maria! This book sounds fantastic. Our family loves playing Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit.
May 4, 2020 at 6:40 pm
mariagianferrari
I like trivial pursuit too. Haven’t played in ages!
April 21, 2020 at 4:41 pm
rnewman504
Congratulations! I couldn’t agree with you more re play. Monopoly is a family favorite.
May 4, 2020 at 6:40 pm
mariagianferrari
A classic. I have the dog version of it too 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 4:46 pm
Cathy Ballou Mealey
Congrats Maria and Mia! My favorite game to play with my kids when they were small was “Hibernate” which involved making a bear ‘den’ from blankets and lying very still and cuddled up. Sounds suspiciously and delightfully like napping! 😉
May 4, 2020 at 6:40 pm
mariagianferrari
Yes it does!! Very cozy, Cathy ❤
April 21, 2020 at 4:51 pm
csheer18
Wonderful, lyrical fun in your book, Maria…and LOVE the illustrations!!
For fun, and something I need to do more these days, I unpack my giant canvas bag of watercolor paints, brushes, and papers….and lose myself in the painting process…or head outside with my camera in search of an unusual way to really, truly ‘see’ something.
May 4, 2020 at 6:41 pm
mariagianferrari
That sounds great!! I wish I had time to do that now!
April 21, 2020 at 4:52 pm
susaninez0905
I love the concept of this book. Play is definitely important! I play with my kitties, enjoying the romp in the room as they dash. Exercise for us all! 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:41 pm
mariagianferrari
Cats love to play too, and it’s fun to watch them play chase!
April 21, 2020 at 4:55 pm
csheer18
Maria, your lyrical, lovely, FUN picture book is just what is needed NOW! Watercolor ‘painting play’ and searching out unusual ways of ‘seeing’ with my camera lens are the ways I relax and play.
May 4, 2020 at 6:42 pm
mariagianferrari
That sounds great! Any creative pursuit is a form of play 😉
April 21, 2020 at 5:02 pm
Aileen Stewart
Uno for cards and Clue for board games :0)
May 4, 2020 at 6:42 pm
mariagianferrari
Clue–haven’t played that in ages!
April 21, 2020 at 5:39 pm
Abi
This looks like a fun book, Maria! I love watching squirrels romp and play in my backyard. For family games, we love kitchen dance parties and backyard tag.
May 4, 2020 at 6:43 pm
mariagianferrari
Squirrels were in an early version of the book! Love watching them dance & chase each other up and around trees!
April 21, 2020 at 6:08 pm
Lisa Robinson
So cute! Just tweeted this out to the world. Love the illustrations!
May 4, 2020 at 6:44 pm
mariagianferrari
Hello & thanks, Lisa!! ❤ ❤ ❤ Love Mia's art too!
April 21, 2020 at 6:41 pm
Sarah Tobias
Lately my favorite way to play is making collage art. I also love walking my dog, doing photography and writing poetry. My husband and I were playing Words with Friends, but it wasn’t always friendly.;)
May 4, 2020 at 6:44 pm
mariagianferrari
I miss walking my dog :(. I don’t know of Words with Friends–will check it out!
April 21, 2020 at 6:47 pm
Stephen S. Martin
I play “Find the Cat”. It is amazing how 10 cats can disappear in a house, especially one that currently has a cone on its head.
May 4, 2020 at 6:44 pm
mariagianferrari
Ha! Clever creatures!
April 21, 2020 at 6:47 pm
Kathy Halsey
I love the idea of this book, Maria! Unsupervised, natural play is becoming a lost art. My grands & I like to pretend we are wolves and howl. LOL
May 4, 2020 at 6:45 pm
mariagianferrari
Hi Kathy! A-WOOO! That sounds like fun 😉
April 21, 2020 at 7:42 pm
supermario6
Hide-n-Seek!
May 4, 2020 at 6:45 pm
mariagianferrari
YES!
April 21, 2020 at 8:02 pm
Bhandi
My favorite form of play as an illustrator is abstract painting in old sketchbooks. I have a small bookshelf of old sketchbooks and sometimes I’ll go through these books and paint over whats there or add more loose drawings, sew in extra pages, that kind of stuff. I have a baby boy on the way so I might need the extra play time now!
May 4, 2020 at 6:46 pm
mariagianferrari
That sounds like a fun process–definitely playful. Congrats!
April 21, 2020 at 8:14 pm
Linda Mitchell
Guilty of not playing nearly enough! But, when I do get to play…I play with words, word sounds, reading.
May 4, 2020 at 6:46 pm
mariagianferrari
Word play–our friend, Tara, is a master of that!
April 21, 2020 at 9:52 pm
Jennifer Blanck
Play IS so important. I love the concept of your book and the pages you shared. Right now my favorite form of play is making up dances with my nieces.
May 4, 2020 at 6:47 pm
mariagianferrari
That sounds like fun. Have you had virtual dance parties?
April 21, 2020 at 9:54 pm
Ashley Congdon (@AshleyCCongdon)
Congratulations! This book was so fun fun to read my kids. A lot of playful and active words.
May 4, 2020 at 6:47 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks, Ashley! I hope they enjoyed it 🙂
April 21, 2020 at 10:22 pm
Mireya
Yes fun book! I love the illustratons! Maybe I should repaint this what do you see clouds illustrations in memory of the cloud game. Ha. I will thanks
May 4, 2020 at 6:47 pm
mariagianferrari
That would be great! Have fun, Mireya!
April 21, 2020 at 10:58 pm
Chelle Martin
What a great idea for a book! My favorite games are those I play with my Chihuahuas: fetch, hide and seek, tricks. Sometimes I sing to my bird and he dances.
May 4, 2020 at 6:49 pm
mariagianferrari
What kind of bird? Did you ever see the videos of the dancing cockatoo, Snowball–they’re great!
April 21, 2020 at 11:17 pm
Ellie Langford
I love your book. I have a bilingual book PB manuscript, I Want to Play With the Animals. Your’s is so alive with action! Delightful!
May 4, 2020 at 6:50 pm
mariagianferrari
Yours sounds great! In what other language?
April 22, 2020 at 12:20 am
Barbara Farr Renner
Your book looks like so much fun. I’m sure it will encourage more children to play. When our kids were little, we used to go camping and play softball with a big red plastic bat and large white ball. My husband and I have just started playing gin rummy again.
May 4, 2020 at 6:50 pm
mariagianferrari
I hope it will encourage more parents and teachers and kids to play!
April 22, 2020 at 5:22 am
Deb Sullivan
Fun idea! We’re big fans of Monopoly over here..but playing like animals sounds a lot more active! Great stuff..
May 4, 2020 at 6:50 pm
mariagianferrari
Perfect for playing now, and burning off some excess energy!
April 22, 2020 at 8:02 am
Victoria
Running barefoot on any greenery or sand we find around Brooklyn!
May 4, 2020 at 6:51 pm
mariagianferrari
Enjoy!
April 22, 2020 at 11:19 am
Kate Woodle
Never stop playing! Never stop imagining! I love to roughhouse with my dog and we hunt for “things” in the woods.
May 4, 2020 at 6:51 pm
mariagianferrari
Play every day 🙂
April 22, 2020 at 11:32 am
Rebecca Van Slyke
Yay, Maria! I love this idea! My husband and I play cribbage. And go snowmobiling!
May 4, 2020 at 6:52 pm
mariagianferrari
Hi Rebecca! I haven’t been on a snowmobile since high school. It was so fun!
April 22, 2020 at 11:49 am
dorothywiese
Sounds and looks like a great book. We all need to play!
May 4, 2020 at 6:52 pm
mariagianferrari
Indeed we do!
April 22, 2020 at 1:52 pm
Kate
This looks fantastic! I definitely want a copy!
My favorite family game is Scrabble. I’ve been playing a lot of it online the past 6 weeks while dad has been isolated in a hospital. It’s lifted both our spirits. I can’t wait until my sons are old enough to play.
For now, they love to play hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:52 pm
mariagianferrari
I am sorry to hear that, Kate. I hope he’s better now ❤
April 22, 2020 at 2:19 pm
jenniemacdonald
I absolutely love the “Ravens play in the snow” page! The first time I saw ravens rolling and sliding down snow and climbing back up to do it again–it was so affirming of the playful and how-just-like-us connection we share with them. So excited and happy on a snowy day 🙂
May 4, 2020 at 6:53 pm
mariagianferrari
How cool that you’ve seen them playing in person! They’re so big!
April 22, 2020 at 5:07 pm
Laurie L. Warchol
Looks like another great book, Maria! I can’t wait to read it. All the best to you.
May 4, 2020 at 6:53 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks so much, Laurie! I hope you are well ❤
April 22, 2020 at 7:26 pm
Patricia Tilton
I really want to read Maria’s book! I love the emphasis on play as universal among humans and animals! I love the illustrations! Watched Free Willy 2 and 3 on TV the other day, and was struck at how playful orcas are in the wild.
May 4, 2020 at 6:53 pm
mariagianferrari
I hope you will get a chance to read it, Patricia, once libraries open up again.
April 22, 2020 at 9:08 pm
marty
I couldn’t agree more. Maria’s words resonate so strongly with my own thoughts on play. Hat off to you for celebrating it in this book, Maria!
So many indoor and outdoor play favorites. Current ones, due to ages of grandchildren, are the board game LIFE and scavenger hunts.
May 4, 2020 at 6:54 pm
mariagianferrari
Scavenger hunts are the best!
April 23, 2020 at 11:38 am
Susan Johnston Taylor
I’ve been playing online Scrabble every weekend with family members in other states!
May 4, 2020 at 6:54 pm
mariagianferrari
I haven’t played Scrabble in waaaay to long!
April 23, 2020 at 1:15 pm
LenoraBiemans (@BiemansLenora)
We love to act out picture books. I can’t wait to try this one!
May 4, 2020 at 6:54 pm
mariagianferrari
Have fun!
April 23, 2020 at 5:38 pm
Angie
We love to play in the dirt. So I guess we could plunder like piggies? LOL. Sounds like a fun book. And I agree-PLAY is essential! Congrats!
May 4, 2020 at 6:55 pm
mariagianferrari
Plop away!! Mud is fun 🙂
April 24, 2020 at 9:55 am
Gail Hedrick
Congrats, and a big ‘yay’ for play! Thanks so much for the neat use of wonderful words, and the illustrations are terrific.
May 4, 2020 at 6:55 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks, Gail! I love Mia’s art too!
April 24, 2020 at 7:21 pm
Lauri Meyers
Congrats! Well we have been playing our board games alphabetically and this week we reached the gauntlet of monopoly games!
May 4, 2020 at 6:55 pm
mariagianferrari
Great idea! Enjoy!
April 24, 2020 at 9:49 pm
kathydoherty1
Congratulations!…I am all set to play and enjoy this lovely book.
May 4, 2020 at 6:55 pm
mariagianferrari
Have fun, Kathy!
April 27, 2020 at 11:27 am
Amanda Sincavage
These illustrations are beautiful! Love this idea! My family has been loving outdoor freeze tag as the sun goes down with music blaring. Music of choice is Shakira’s Try Everything from Zootopia and Crazy Train sung by Queen Barb from Trolls World Tour. We throw in a little Coco too!
May 4, 2020 at 6:56 pm
mariagianferrari
That sounds like so much fun! There are so many cool versions of tag! That didn’t quite make it into the book–not enough room!
April 27, 2020 at 12:24 pm
Carol Gordon Ekster
Looks like such a fun book! Our favorite family game is pretend – even over facetime, my five year old grandson likes to play hide-and-seek. We speak pretend languages, and imagine we are in hot tubs when we are really in cardboard boxes. It’s a great warm-up to writing picture books!
May 4, 2020 at 6:57 pm
mariagianferrari
Pretend languages sounds fun & definitely like a great way to pre-write. Enjoy, Carol!
April 27, 2020 at 1:54 pm
Elizabeth Saba
Love to play pretend. We play like a puppy to teach how NOT to bite:). Love this book and will put it on my to be read, borrowed or bought list. Thanks for sharing.
May 4, 2020 at 6:57 pm
mariagianferrari
Those puppy teeth hurt! Good luck with that!!
April 27, 2020 at 3:25 pm
ptnozell
Congratulations, Maria, on your latest! Our family loves card games, but when the kids were younger, they created all sorts of imaginative scenes together. To the power of play!
May 4, 2020 at 6:59 pm
mariagianferrari
Play is powerful, Patricia!! Thanks for commenting 🙂
April 28, 2020 at 2:35 pm
Sue (Susan Uhlig) (@susanuhlig)
Book sounds great. When my daughters and grandsons and we get together we love playing a fast paced card game.
May 4, 2020 at 6:59 pm
mariagianferrari
Hi Susan! That sounds fun!
April 29, 2020 at 10:16 pm
evelynchristensen
Congratulations on your book, Maria! Our favorite family game is Boggle.
May 4, 2020 at 7:00 pm
mariagianferrari
Another classic!
May 1, 2020 at 3:25 pm
Lucretia Schafroth
Wonderful — great reminder to play! Love your engaging verbs and the lovely art. Congratulations!
May 4, 2020 at 7:00 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks so much, Lucretia!
May 2, 2020 at 7:22 pm
aliciaminor
Hide and seek never grows old. It’s a family tradition which anyone can play anytime of day and makes life easier to deal with. Thanks God for play.
May 4, 2020 at 7:00 pm
mariagianferrari
A timeless classic!
May 4, 2020 at 6:15 pm
mariagianferrari
Thanks again so much for having me here, Tara 🙂