I finished reading the story Bambi by Felix Salten (aka Siegmund Salzman) to my sons yesterday.  This book was recommended as a free reader for year four from Amblesideonline, an online site that definitely is Charlotte Mason in its approach.  I wanted my younger son to hear the story too.  So, I read it as a read aloud.  I wanted to share what my sons and I saw in our backyard a little before we finished reading the book.  It is deer!  However, where are they?

I don't see them.

There they are! You could not see them in the woods because there colors blend.

My son said that their names are Bambi, Faline and Ronno.  I don't know but I thought more like Bambi's mother, Aunt Ena, and Faline.  Who knows? 

I know that for free reading we are not suppose to have the children narrate back, but I thought that it was neat that we saw the deer.  My son unanimously said that reading the story of Bambi made you feel like you were among the animals.  I could not agree more.  So, our narration was naming the deer that went through our backyard after the characters that we read about in the book.  Then we shared how the book made us feel like we were among the animals.

I never knew the original version of Bambi until I read this book to my sons only the Disney version.  The story is about how the deer named Bambi grows up and trys to survive in the woods while hunters come shooting in the woods. This story is gripping and a bit graphic at times.  It tells about the blood oozing out of the animals.  The animals can all talk to each other and many seem to get along at times.   Issues like the harsh winter and hunters cause the story to see the brutal side of nature and man. 

I also wanted to share that in a previous post I had the boys watch the Sound of Music because we were studying World War II and the Nazis.  I said that Bambi was not about the Nazis; however, the author of this book was a Jewish Austrian and had to flee to Switzerland in the 1930s.  Hitler had Salten's books banned once he controlled Austria.  So, I was wrong.  The author of the book was in the heart of the Nazi issue also.  It was appropriate to read the story after all.  Here's my crazy narration.  Hope you like it.

Blessing to all!

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Apr. 5, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Dana

I love how your children are naming the deer in your backyard. I'll have to share this with my dd7. We just finished Bambi about a week ago, and I, too, had no idea what the "real", non-Disney story was like. An incredible book with great descriptive passages!

Thanks for sharing about the author, too. I had no idea! I guess I should get in the habit of researching authors when we read, too.

Dana, www.alexml.blogspot.com

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