I acquired some old books some years ago. One in particular has become my favorite. David, Jr. chose it from our bookcase one day many months ago, and I am quite glad that he did. It has become one of his favorites, too.
It is a 1942 edition of How the Leopard Got His Spots by Rudyard Kipling. It has interesting pictures illustrated by F. Rojankovsky. It is quite a lovely book.
I remember Just So Stories being one of my favorite books when I was a child, but I didn't remember why. I hadn't read any stories by Kipling in a long time. The edition of Just So Stories that I had as a child was not illustrated, and it was a small paperback book. The language is truly what grabbed me, and it still does.
In Junior High and High School, I read short stories aloud for competition. I also sometimes would volunteer to read aloud textbooks for high schoolers who needed the assistance. I enjoyed reading stories aloud when I was younger, and I still do.
Rudyard Kipling's stories are wonderful to read aloud. The uniqueness of his word choices and phrases are exquisite. Often, my children quote stories and books that we have read together. They use the phrases in every day conversation daily that we've read in books. Occasionally, they'll quote from How the Leopard Got His Spots, and it warms my heart, best beloved.
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