Book Reviews

Play and Literacy, Play & Culture
Studies, Vol. 16
Myae Han and James E. Johnson, eds.
Lanham MD: Hamilton Books, 2021.
List of figures, list of tables, preface,acknowledgments, introduction, index,
and about the contributors. 176 pp.
$36.00, paperback.
ISBN: 9780761872313
The introduction of Play and Literacy,
edited by Myae Han and James E. Johnson, calls attention to how play is an effective way to learn and develop literacy.
Throughout the book, the editors andauthors make a case for the rich benefitsof play that result in cognitive development. The lifetime achievements of JamesChristie, a renowned academic scholar
in the field of literacy and play, provide
a foundation for empirical research supporting play as a legitimate and significant
tool in children’s cognitive development.
His work and others propel readers tomove beyond traditional theories suchas Lev Vygotsky’s and Jean Piaget’s. Thechapters challenge the field by considering alternative perspectives about literacyand play. For example, chapter 5 show-cases Tori K. Flint’s research with firstgraders, viewing play as a form of reader
response and expanding on the work ofLouise Rosenblatt. With the increasing useof technology in early childhood learningspaces, chapter 3 offers insights into digital play using iPads. In this chapter, Renée
Casbergue and Julie Parrish take us on ajourney with preschoolers who engage
in play as they create content for digitalbooks involving drawings, photographs,and writing. Many professionals inquire
about the best ways to use digital tools
with young readers and writers, and theideas from these chapters encourage educators to merge digital tools and play inchild friendly ways.
The book’s reader friendly writing makes it an easy read for professors,graduate students, practicing teachers, andother professionals. The research studies
are well grounded in decades of literatureand showcase the benefits of play in literacy learning. Each chapter addresses theneed to challenge hegemonic educational
systems that have relentlessly eliminatedplay from early childhood curricula. The
most beneficial portion of the text can befound at the end of each chapter where the327

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P L AYauthors make recommendations that provide play opportunities leading intentionally to the development of various literacy
skills. These are outlined to show teachers
how to embed new practices into theirscripted curricula. Chapter 2 links bookplay with narrative comprehension andvocabulary development by following aread aloud with a ten-minute play session
using related materials. Closely related ischapter 7, where Meachum and Han offer
insight into how teachers and adults canuse their language (i.e., responsiveness) to
impact receptive and expressive vocabulary development. In addition, chapter
4 provides a list of children’s literaturefeaturing play that educators can use toinspire playful learning in their classrooms
and other learning environments such asmuseums. The suggestions are practical,meaningful, and innovative.
The book’s final two chapters coversecond-language learning, a vital topic
given the growing diversity of the UnitedStates. The authors of these chapters ask
us to consider play with adults learning
new languages. In particular, dramabased instruction (DBI) offers an alternative to direct translation activities andallows learners to become playful in theirattempts to communicate in a new language. Communicative language teaching (CLT) is also used to create a playfulenvironment in which adult learners workin pairs to interact and negotiate. The key
is authenticity that can be applied to any
learning context.
Although joy, happiness, and fun are
not usually considered essential components of literacy learning environments,
this volume offers hope and inspiration forbuilding play into everyday literacy prac-tices. Play is an avenue into academic rigor
that can have a positive impact on literacy
development in first and second languages.
Building literate identities and building
upon personal interests are possible whenplay is at the forefront. Schools and educators would be remiss in educating all
students if they did not employ play-based
pedagogies and set up playful environments
in which everyone can engage in literacy
practices. This edited volume will inspire
readers to rethink existing practices andrevalue play.
—Sally Brown, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
What the Children Said: Child
Lore of South Louisiana
Jeanne Pitre Soileau
Jackson: University Press of Mississippi,
2021. Preface, introduction, notes, works
cited, appendix, general index, index offirst lines and titles. 331 pp. $99.00 cloth,$30.00 paperback, ISBN: 9781496835741
Expositions of children’s folklore since thelate nineteenth century have taken primarily the form of the annotated collection.
Compilers transcribe material that draws
attention to itself because of the context ofplay and imagination as poetry and narrative from orally performed rhymes, songs,
jokes, legends, and tales; socially enacted
games, pranks, and routines; and spokenslang and sayings. The emphasis typicallylies in the produced creative texts of ananonymous individual rather than in thatof children playing in groups. Less often,
mention is made of the craft and architecture of childhood and the integration