What secret do bibliophiles know about literature?
Patricia Polacco knows this secret, and she shares it in her book, Thank You, Mr. Falker. It begins:
The grandpa held the jar of honey so that all the family could see, then dipped a ladle into it and drizzled honey on the cover of the small book.
The little girl had just turned five.
"Stand up, little one," he cooed. "I did this for your mother, your uncles, your older brother, and now you!"
Then he handed the book to her. "Taste!"
She dipped her finger into the honey and put it into her mouth.
"What is that taste?" the grandma asked.
The little girl answered, "Sweet!"
Then all of the family said in a single voice, "Yes, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is like the bee that made that sweet honey, you have to chase it through the pages of a book!"
The little girl knew that the promise to read was at last hers. Soon she was going to learn to read.
(Polacco, Patricia. Thank You, Mr. Falker. New York: Philomel, 1998. Print.)
