A picture book is an art gallery for the lap. 📚

That’s something we say all the time here at Read-Aloud Revival, and today we’re going to introduce you to one of our absolute favorite examples of this.

We're diving into the enchanting world of illustrated picture books with Scott Gustafson, the master illustrator behind the breathtaking illustrations in the beloved Classic Fairy Tales picture book.

Classic Fairy Tales is my all-time favorite illustrated collection of fairy tales, and it’s one of our picks for the RAR Family Book Club, A Fairy Tale Summer.

Scott’s breathtaking work has captivated the imagination of readers of all ages. He brings these stories to life in a way that is nothing short of magical.

And because audio alone could never do these gorgeous illustrations justice, we also recorded a video of our conversation, in which Scott shares many of his fabulous illustrations on-screen.

You can find the video along with the full show notes at readaloudrevival.com/242 or on the Read-Aloud Revival YouTube page.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Scott’s use of light and color helps the reader journey through each painted scene
• Why Scott uses people, costumes, and objects as references in his paintings
• Scott’s best advice for budding artists and illustrators

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/art-gallery-for-the-lap

📖 🪻 Get your copy of Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World wherever books are sold!

Summer is fast approaching, and here's what we propose: a relaxed and simple summer that offers just enough structure to keep those long sticky days from melting into chaos... and just enough fun to keep your kids asking for more.

Also: Fairy Tales.

Last week, I did a couple of live workshops on three simple steps to have a Fairy Tale Summer with your kids, no matter how old they are.

In today’s episode, I share the workshop recording, and you can also watch the video workshop that includes all of my slides.

If you want to join us at RAR Premium for a Fairy Tale Summer, head to readaloudrevival.com/fairytale or text “fairytale” to 33777, and we’ll send you an invitation.

Here's what we'll talk about:

• How reading fairy tales can make your summer easier (and more fun)
• The fairy tales Sarah recommends for every age
• The tippy top thing you can do to make sure your kids make delightful memories this summer (it’s way less work than you think)

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

📖 🪻 Get your copy of Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World wherever books are sold!

Are you intimidated by the thought of teaching Shakespeare?

You’re not alone.

A lot of people struggle to connect to Shakespeare’s work, even if they really want their kids to be familiar with his plays.

What if I told you there's a way to make teaching Shakespeare to your kids enjoyable for them…

…AND delightful for you?

In today’s episode, Ken Ludwig, celebrated playwright and author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, argues that the reason so many of us feel like we don’t get Shakespeare is because people don’t know why (or how!) to teach it.

But figuring out how to teach Shakespeare well is worth it, because not only was he groundbreaking in his time, but he has so much to teach us about what it means to be human.

Don’t miss this replay of our live conversation where Ken shares all his best tips on teaching Shakespeare to your kids and answers audience questions.

Plus, Sarah shares her favorite resources for helping kids get excited about Shakespeare.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How to break down passages for young kids one at a time
• Is it possible to teach Shakespeare with a wide range of ages?
• What do we do with Shakespeare’s—ahem—thornier content? (After all, there is a lot of it)

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-teach-shakespeare

📖 🪻 Get your copy of Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World wherever books are sold!

Can you believe it? The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast is ten years old!!

That means it’s time for a party! 🥳🥳

Ten years is a long time to have a podcast, but we’re not slowing down anytime soon. We’re having WAY too much fun for that.

In honor of this milestone, I’ve got a Casey Kasem-style countdown for you of the top ten episodes from the first ten years of Read Aloud Revival.

And as a way to say thank you to YOU for listening, if you leave us a review before April 30, 2024, you’ll be entered into our raffle to be one of ten winners of an exclusive, all-around fabulous RAR tote bag (these currently aren’t for sale, so don’t miss your chance to win!)

Ready to party?

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Some of my all-time FAVORITE pieces of wisdom from our guests
• How the RAR team developed a few of our best resources for homeschoolers
• Essential advice for teaching from rest

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/top-10-in-10

📖 🪻 Get your copy of Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World wherever books are sold!

When you hear the name Max Lucado, what comes to mind for you?

Max Lucado is best known as a pastor, speaker, best-selling inspirational author, and, in many Christian families, he’s a household name.

His books are written for everyone—especially those who are hurting, lonely, and discouraged. In his writing, he constantly points his readers back to the truth: that God loves you and you should let Him love you.

Max is also an author of children’s books, several of which are favorites around here. 😊

Sarah invited him to Read-Aloud Revival to discuss his newest picture book, Just in Case You Ever Feel Alone, illustrated by Eve Tharlet. It’s a cozy, gentle book, perfect for snuggling up and sharing with your kiddos.

How are stories uniquely positioned to help readers feel seen and understood? Which books did Max Lucado love as a child? And what does he hope his books will do in the lives of his readers, young and old? We dig into all of it.

Listen in to hear:

• The power of stories to meet people where they are and touch their hearts
• Why Max Lucado wanted to write a book about loneliness
• How reading with your kids builds their sense of comfort and safety

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/max-lucado

📖 🪻 Get your copy of Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World wherever books are sold!

Do you ever find yourself wishing you had more time to read?

Oh, every day? (Yeah, we get that.)

We’re pretty confident that every mom wishes she had more time to read.

Carving out a little time to enjoy your own reading life is worthwhile, even in those seasons when you think it’s impossible. (Sarah has six kids, and when three of them were babies age one and under, it definitely felt like an impossible season!)

But reading makes us better humans, better mamas, and better women. It also makes us happier. And that matters.

Why? Because the key to a successful homeschool is a peaceful, happy mother.

When you know you can count on your reading life to be a source of joy and refreshment regardless of how tough the day is, you just might find yourself being a little happier. A little lighter. A little more joyful.

On today’s show, we’re talking about how to make time for your own reading life, even when it feels like you don’t have five minutes to spare.

Listen in for:

• Ideas for sneaking in time to read (even on your busiest days)
• How to make the most of surprise pockets of time
• Strategies for handling interruptions, prioritizing your reading, and finding time to pick up a book even when you’re exhausted

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/make-time-for-reading

📖 🪻 Get your copy of Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World wherever books are sold!

We all want our kids to read, right?

If you’re listening to this podcast, it’s probably safe to say that you want your kids to grow up to read more often than the average adult does. We want them to be lifelong learners and avid readers who read for pleasure.

So it’s worth considering how we can cultivate the habits of real adult readers in our kids so that they grow up to be the readers we want them to be. And it turns out some of those skills are actually in direct opposition to how we tend to approach reading with our kids.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How choosing what to read is a skill you can help your kids develop
• Eight habits of avid adult readers
• Practical tips for cultivating the skills of adult readers in your kids

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/lifelong-reading-habits

📖 🪻 Get your copy of Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World wherever books are sold!

Today, I’m sharing two recent episodes from my weekly coaching podcast, Circle with Sarah, that is available exclusively to members of RAR Premium.

I wanted to share them with all of you because I think the message applies to most of us.

A lot of us have this funny habit of focusing on getting DONE with the thing we most want to do. Of getting it over with and checking it off the list. It’s maybe more prevalent in our lives than we even realize. And I want to invite you to think about how that impacts your homeschool and how you might find your homeschooling to be easier and more joyful if you’re aware of it.

If you would like this kind of encouraging boost each week, get RAR Premium and you’ll get instant access to all of the Circle with Sarah podcast episodes and new episodes every Monday.

I think it’ll make a difference in the peace and joy you experience day to day in your homeschool. Head to RARpremium.com to learn more.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why we should treat learning more like knitting, doing a puzzle, or reading
• How focusing on the doing lets us rest now, instead of waiting for when we’re “done”
• How to reframe your goals to focus on doing, rather than being done

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/doing-not-getting-done

📖 🪻 Get your copy of Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World wherever books are sold!