Gona’s Reading Ranch: Free World of Fun and Imagination

Gona’s Reading Ranch is a world of fun, creativity and learning for all children! Children can immerse themselves in story time, listen or even read along with author Carla Crane Osborne.

You may remember my post about Under the Barnyard Lights, a wonderful little story book that took me right back to my childhood days of living on a farm and feeding our animals, in the worst weather and the best! I absolutely loved it, probably because of how well I could relate, but also because it is both well written for children and full of subtle lessons! (I’m all about educational everything!)

Now, our author has stepped up her game to reach children everywhere through Gona’s Reading Ranch. A world of fun, imagination and learning for all children! Children can immerse themselves in story time, listen or even read along via youtube! In addition to reading stories, she teaches children about farm living with her own animals. In the second video, she features Daisy the orphaned calf, along with adorable children who are helping be ‘mommies’ to her!

In the first video at Gona’s Reading Ranch, she takes the Ugly Duckling next to a pond to read, giving an extra layer of fun to story time. A gorgeous horse, beautiful farm dog and more children join her for the reading Under the Barnyard Lights (Show some love by using my affiliate link here if your ready to buy! It’s greatly appreciated!). Definitely looking forward to the books she brings next, along with perfect real life backdrops to help teach and enrapture children.

At the moment she is working on her second children’s book, Go Gona Go! which will be released in the fall of 2021. I was quite surprised that she doesn’t have an Amazon author’s page just yet, but we’ll give a shout out when it’s published for sure!

So Important to Read!

There are plenty of resources for all types of parent on our Parenting Page, but I absolutely surprised myself when I realized I’d never written on the importance of reading to children! The main reason for my being taken aback is how important I believe story time is for children, their verbal comprehension, speaking ability, vocabulary, reading comprehension and so many more aspects.

Having an educational foundation in child development, I fully recognize those aren’t all things I came up with one day. I learned them in life and through the University I graduated from.

Of course, you don’t ever have to take my word on it (thank Reading Rainbow for that phrase that is engraved in my brain! haha), do your own research. I’m a firm believer in the importance of not taking things at face value but instead finding credible sources to confirm for ones self.

Back to The Ranch

I love her enthusiasm as she reads, doing voices and noises just as children love to hear! Not only is it entertaining for children, it also inspires what will hopefully become a lifelong love for reading and learning. Imagine if your exposure to books as a child was being read by the equivalent of the ‘Dry Eyes’ character! Nobody would want to read after that!

Carla’s joy in both her reading and Gona’s Reading Ranch is palpable in the videos and her talent, reflected well in her writing, does not go unnoticed as it has already won the 3rd Annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for the Children’s Book category! Well deserved, in my true and honest opinion.

If reading my review (linked at the top) doesn’t inspire you to want this for your children, definitely check out her video of reading her first book. Suspend your ‘adultness’ for a little while and allow yourself to get lost in the story. It’s so easy to do, especially for all those who love reading or grew up taking care of animals!