One of my ultimate goals in life is to instill a love of reading in Aiden. Chalk it up to the former teacher in me or the Ivy League nerd in me or the writer in me. Or... the little girl who has always enjoyed a good book (and the grown woman who still does).
Anyway you put it, Aiden's life is rich in literature. And literacy. Especially right now as I'm teaching him to read and our lives are filled with sight words. (More on that in another post.) Dinner time. Snack time. Bed time. Boredom time. Or simply walking-around-the-streets-of-NYC time. It's all filled with teachable moments and an opportunity to read. Something. Anything. Everything!
That's why I couldn't wait for the kid and I to head to Midtown Manhattan to see the play, The Jungle Book. It would be a chance for Aiden to see first-hand how exciting it can be when a kid becomes engrossed in a story, especially during bedtime.
A few weeks ago, we did just that.
The play opens up with the main character, Alex, in his bed. He's under his sheets -- way past bedtime -- reading The Jungle Book with a flashlight so that he can see the words. He's so engrossed in the story that he doesn't hear when his mother comes into the bedroom in order to reprimand him for not going to bed sooner.
Does he listen to her?
Nope. Not at all.
He continues reading, and the shadows in his room comes to life. Quite literally. Alex not only speaks to the shadows, but he also becomes Mowgli. And then... the adventure begins!
The play uses shadow puppetry, which is inspired by Javanese art, in order to bring the jungle and characters to life. But... it doesn't only bring the play to life, it brings the entire theatre to life, captivating the audience and engaging the children. Aiden and I laughed, gasped, and cheered as we enjoyed the show.
It was definitely a mommy-son date to remember.
The Jungle Book is now playing at The Peter Jay Sharp Theater, located at 416 Wwest 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenue. Tickets are currently on sale for this weekends' performance and you can purchase them HERE.
{Disclaimer: I received tickets to the play in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}
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