If there is both a book and a movie, read the book first.  Why?  Because that’s where the story came from!  The thought, the characters, the plot, and the desire to create a story for either entertainment or for a message, started with somebody who wrote a book.

Someone had an idea and nurtured it until they finally put it into print.  Over time and for various reasons, others started enjoying the book.  They read it to their children, their grandchildren or their classes.  They shared it in book clubs and with friends.  Word spread, and eventually a producer or someone in the movie industry thought that the story would make a great movie (an author’s dream, much of the time). 

For some folks, the first time ever hearing about it may be the form of the movie itself.  But for the fortunate ones, it started with a book.

This takes us back to the title of this Blog, Read the Book First.  I will stand by this statement as it applies to children’s stories and to adult novels as well.

Think about one of your favorite novels that was later made into a movie.  Before the movie was ever created, you were drawn into the plot. As you read, you created an image for every character.   As you read, you imagined the setting that your own mind created.   You were reading, learning, thinking, creating, comparing, and evaluating all at the same time (Bloom’s taxonomy, teachers?)!  You took the printed words and created a personal movie in your very own mind.   The author was the creator, but you were the director and the producer.

When you later went to watch the movie, how did it compare to the book?

Sometimes, we are pleasantly surprised:  Harry Potter, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Shrek, and Beauty and the Beast.  But this can be so tough to pull off!  Often, we are disappointed because what we watched on the screen just can’t compare to what we created in our minds.

A fun family idea might be to routinely read a book before going to see the movie!  This builds up excitement and anticipation and creates a fun family event.  It also honors the author and the fact that the book is actually the true form of the story.  It’s even more worthy of our time.

Here are some great children’s books that were later made into movies; there are hundreds more.  These were just some of my favorites….and they all started with someone who sat down to write a book!

Beauty and the Beast, Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve

Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl

Charlotte’s Webb, E.B. White

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Judi Barrett 

Curious George, Margret and H. A. Rey

Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss

Jumanji, Chris Van Allsburg

Madeleine, Ludwig Bemelmans

Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers

Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Florence and Richard Atwater

Shrek, William Steig

The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss

The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling

The Lorax, Dr. Seuss

The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg

Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak