Hello! Welcome to Week 3 of Citim Acasă 2026!

A letter from Brandi Bates, Citim Împreună România

We have been talking about why we can and should deeply trust the read aloud process. Here is another reason.

Imagine if 20 hungry guests unexpectedly arrived at your door at the dinner hour, very, very hungry. Whatwould you do?

I would take them to the nearest buffet. One big table, one meal, but so many different dishes and flavors. Everyone gets to create their own personalized plate, perfectly suited to their tastes and needs. There issomething to satisfy everyone.

The read aloud process can be trusted like a good buffet. There is something for everyone, no matter their age, needs, abilities, moods, because there are so many different kinds of benefits on offer from just one book and one reader. Check out the smorgasbord of Read Aloud Benefits. That is a meal to be trusted!

Brandi, Citim Împreună România

Desperado

Ole Könnecke, romanian translation Florin Bican (Povestela Ofir, 2025)

Love-at-first-reading. That’s how I feel about this glorious picture book that comes from Germany, brought to us by Povestela Ofir and Mr. Florin Bican. It’s a western. I come from the land of westerns, Hollywood and the American southwest. My Dad’s name is John Wayne, an American actor synonymous with westerns, and my
own name comes from a John Wayne movie. The story is classic yet modern and excellently told, the colors are bold and uncomplicated (a step up from primary colors), the characters are minimally drawn to give maximum emotion and comic delight, there is conflict and surprise, heroes and villains, and a hilarious and utterly satisfying conclusion. It’s a masterpiece!

And it made me look deeply into myself, made me question the gender stereotypes and inequalities I unwittingly propagate on a regular basis, and made me want to do better. In other words, the book changed me, as an educator and as a person. A heap of fun and life-altering! What more could you want from one book?

You dont have the book? Buy it here.

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How can we bring the story to life?

DDiscover in the gallery below 9 creative ideas on how to explore this wonderful book after reading it together!

SWIPE THROUGH THE IMAGES TO SAVE THEM ALL.

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