Book Review: The Story About Ping

Usually the stories that are used in the Five in a Row and Before Five in a Row curriculums are exceptional. Only a few have gone out of print, but those few are worth big bucks because of their part in this curriculum. We use this curriculum for part of our homeschooling every week, and this story was worth writing about.

The Story About Ping...when I reserved it at the library, I had never heard of it and had no clue what it was about. Evidently it brought back major memories for Ryan, though. I guess it was one of his childhood favorites. It was an excellent story and Sydney and Isaiah both loved it. There is also a great lesson about spankings in this book.

The funny thing is that in the book Ping is a duck who, when wandering about on his own, starts eating rice cake crumbs in the water and a boy captures him. (The boy's parents want to make Ping for dinner, but the boy releases him.) Anyway, soon after reading the story, Ryan mentioned that I should get rice cakes sometime. At the store, I was amazed to find every kind of rice cake flavor available - everything from cheddar or ranch to apple cinnamon to carmel and chocolate. When I picked out a couple to try, Sydney asked what they were. When I told her, she said, "Oh, like in Ping where he has the rice cake."

Books have a tremendous influence on our children.