One first that stands out among all the others for me is the first book I loved. The House That Jack Built was my first. I'm not sure of my age, but it was sometime before I was old enough to stand by the gravel road and catch the school bus to that faraway land called school.
I loved the repetition, I loved the rhyming, and I loved the illustrations. I grew up on a dairy farm, but I remember being baffled and concerned about the "cow with the crumpled horn." Our gentle cows had no horns, much less a horn that was all crumpled. I couldn't read at that point, but I learned to recite the book, and I believe if asked, I might be able to do it even today.
I no longer have the old book I loved so much. I don't know what became of it. Two younger siblings came along after me, so it probably simply gave out and went to book heaven.
I wish every child could be fortunate enough to love a book so much he would remember it years down the road. I hope you'll read a book to a youngster today. It might turn out to be his "first."
<<<<<>>>>>
