The Baby Book Nook

There's a New Cow in Town

2012-02-28T13:35:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite board books, Moo, Baa, LA LA LA!, was recently released as a book app. Taking on an app for a review means taking on the topic of ebooks for babies. eEek. But I must, if for no other reason than to get the sand out of my eyes.

First,

My bias:

Board book or bust.

Babies are natural scientists who form attachments. You can't test gravity with an ebook without weighty consequences. You can't tease out its compression strength with a good bang or bite. You can't hug an ebook. You can pat one, GENTLY. You can' t take an ebook to bed.

I downloaded Boynton's app, tapped the screen, and fell in love.

Her e-animals MOOve, bleat, and multiply. QUACK! says the duck. A horse says NEIGH. Tap the duck. He quacks! A second duck appears. Tap. QUACK! A third duck, and so on, until you're just shy of a dozen Peking dinners. Tap the eleventh and a baby duck shoots across two pages to the horse on right. Tap. A baby quack sends mane and tail flying. Riveting! Why do I find that worrisome?

There is a musical score: You control the volume. You can choose to read the text independently or have a "big guy" read it for you. He starts with the book cover. As he reads, each word brightens, calling attention to book print. If you read on your own, you can tap into a single word or single sentence pronunciation. These are wonderful features for pre- and new readers.

The book app costs $1.99, $2.99, or $3.99 depending on purchase source and electronic platform. A new board copy costs $5.99.

A stack of ebooks is mobile. Imagine--a library in your diaper bag!

But,

Babies, 0 to 2, partner up, play, and learn in the rebound zone. They throw, catch your reaction, and throw again. A board book is stiff, but resounding. Fun bounces.

A board book is static, but a baby is not: No two reads are alike. Each is tailored to the changing mood and abilities of a baby that day. Parents supply sound effects. Raspberry kisses. Toe tickles. And fanfare. The child, not the book, takes center stage.

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends limiting screen time--TV, DVDs, videos,and web-based programming "viewed on either traditional or new screen technologies"--for children under two.

The BBN (That would be I.) also recommends postponing ebook fun till baby's second birthday, when she'll be better able to process screen images. Common sense prevails. Most electronics are not baby proof, thus close supervision and assistance are required for ebook sharing. Familiar board titles make appealing first reads. Three more boisterous Boynton apps available, all based on popular, previously published books: Blue Hat, Green Hat, Barnyard Dance, and The Going To Bed Book.

What does an ostrich say?

Two Debut Books

2012-02-20T09:28:00.001-06:00

If I find myself grinning as I flip through thick board pages, I know a book has a chance with little ones. So it goes with GIDDY UP, Li'l Buckaroos! (2011) and AHOY, Li'l Buccaneers! (2011), a pair of first books by Mark Iacolina.

The two are very much alike. The story lines are simple, energetic, and sleepy-eyed at the end. Each reads with a playful swagger. Vivid primary colors and pen-outlined figures and shapes draw eyes to the page. Character antics keep them there.

Iacolina writes in rhyme. Babies love that. He's faithful to his meter. Parents love that. Each stanza (illustrated across several pages) begins with short labeling and noun-verb action phrases and ends with a longer, more complex sentence, mirroring children's spoken language development. One-, two-, and young three-year-olds can connect.

GIDDY UP, Li'l Buckaroos! and AHOY, Li'l Buccaneers! are toddling picture books. Both have the language and design elements of a point-and-label board book. Both carry a story--chapters in verse--about a busy day of pretend play.

GIDDY UP, Li'l Buckaroos! starts with,

Buckaroo's hat. Buckaroo's boots. Buckaroo's popper twirls and shoots. Buckaroos ride. Buckaroos wrangle. Buckaroo's spurs go jingle jangle.

AHOY, Li'l Buccaneers! ends ...

Buccaneers sing. Buccaneers spar. Buccaneers laugh with a hardy har-har! Buccaneers share. Buccaneer's friends. Buccaneers rest when the swashbucklin' ends.

Iacolina's li'l guy has so much fun, I'm tempted to dash out to my recycling bin, reclaim a cardboard box for a sword, and start sparring with my desk-top chicken.

Publisher: Sterling Children's Books

Length: 16 pages each

Size: 7 by 5 inches each

Format: Board

AGES AND STAGES: 18-21 months baby imitates 2-word phrases; 24-27 months understands complex and compound sentences; 24-30 months engages in simple make-believe play; 30-36 months participates in storytelling

Ages and Stages are based on The Hawaii Developmental Charts developed by Setsu Furuno, Ph.D., Katherine O'Reilly, PT, Takayo Inatsuka, OTR, Carol Hosaka, M.A. and Barbara Zeisloft Falbey, M.S., CCC-SLP. They are meant as a general guide for book play. Abilities vary from child to child.

An Interview with Jen Robinson

2012-02-13T20:14:00.000-06:00

Jen Robinson writes at Jen Robinson's Book Page, a wonderful website about children's books and read-aloud. She kindly agreed to answer questions about her almost-two-year-old's experiences with reading. Thank you Jen!!!

How old was your daughter when you first started reading to her?
We started reading to her in the womb. I would read to her during the daytime, and my husband would read to her before we went to sleep. Because she was born 10 weeks early, we didn’t have any books with us when we went to the hospital. It took us a day or so to start reading to her there. Her first book out in the world was Judith Kerr’s One Night in the Zoo. Her first chapter book, which I started reading to her in the NICU, was The Secret Garden.

During those first few months, how did your baby signal that reading time was over?

She would just get restless, or look away. When she was very small she couldn’t signal much at all. However, even when she was very small, it was clear that she found hearing us read to be calming. We would often not stop until she fell asleep.

You noted on your blog that when your daughter was six months old she liked the cloth book Who Do You See? Do you recall any other cloth book favorites? Does she show an interest in cloth books now?

She adored Begin Smart Animal Faces (which comes with an attached animal rattle). It was literally the first thing that she ever reached for. She occasionally still plays with that one, and with Who Do You See. But she sees them more as comfort items than as books.

Can you recall a funny read-aloud moment that you'd like to share?

The other day I was reading The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear to her. We got to a particular page, and she said “Boom!”. I said “oh yes, the mouse feel down. Boom.” She didn’t respond. Then I turned the page, and the text at the top of the page was “Boom! Boom! Boom!” My response “Yes, Baby Bookworm, you do know this book better than I do.”

What's on top of your read-aloud stack at this very second?

We have read aloud stacks (and baskets) all around the house, so that question is impossible to answer. I would say that the top 3 right now, in terms of her requesting them, are Goodnight Gorilla, The Lady with the Alligator Purse, and Buzz Buzz, Busy Bees (by Dawn Bentley), all board books. The other night she demanded The Lady with the Alligator Purse (which she refers to as Lulu) at 5 am. I read it to her in the dark (which I could do, since I certainly know it by heart).

Does your daughter's book choice depend on who is reading to her?

Sometimes. She likes to read Bosco’s Busy Morning (a pop-up book) with her daddy because he makes it more interactive than I do. But usually it’s more that she wants a particular book, and she’ll want whoever is available to read it to her. She’s very picky about which books she reads right now. If you try to read her a book that she’s not interested in, she’ll just close it right up and drop it on the floor. During the day, when I’m trying to work, she’ll often try to lure me away from the computer by bringing me a book to read. But she’ll usually accept her babysitter reading it to her instead.

What titles does she choose to look at on her own?

She likes lift-the-flap books for reading on her own. She has several of the DK Peekaboo series, and she’ll flip through those. We often take them to restaurants. She’s also enjoying Karen Katz’s Where is Baby’s Birthday Cake? and Princess Baby on the Go. She adores Roger Priddy’s Bright Baby oversized board books, especially First 100 Words. She’ll look at that on her own, but also likes to look at it with us, so that we can tell her what the pictures are. At 22 months, she’s just starting to name the pictures on her own.

I see from your blog that you have shared all sorts of books with your baby from day one, including picture books and chapter books!!! Do you have any general thoughts on what age is the best age to switch from boards to soft and hardcovers?

I actually think that it’s easier to read picture books (whether soft or hardcover) and chapter books to babies when they are small. Once they can grab hold of the book, tear the dust jacket, etc., I think it’s safer to stick with board books. You don’t want to have to be constantly chastising the child to not damage the book. Lift the flap books are rewarding for toddlers, as long as you can find nice sturdy ones (and are willing to stock up on scotch tape). I’ll usually only read hardcover picture books to my daughter these days when she is eating, and has her hands otherwise occupied. I would imagine that we will gradually switch to more picture books as she gets a bit older, and a bit gentler on the books.

Is there one particular question you get asked a lot by moms about books and babies?

Not really. But I have been asked more than once what to do when a young toddler doesn’t want to sit still to be read to. My answer is, just read aloud anyway, while the child is playing with something else. There’s definitely a stage where you end up reading at the child more than to the child. I don’t think it’s a good idea to force the issue or be confrontational. But I think it’s good for kids, even when they resist sitting down and hearing a story, to still hear lots of words, and still see that Mom or Dad likes to read books.

Is there a question you wish I'd asked?

I fleetingly thought that it would be nice if you had asked what books I enjoy reading aloud. But then I realized that there are too many to name anyway ;-)

Listen Up

2012-02-06T20:05:00.000-06:00

What Can I Hear? (2011)

Author/Illustrator: Annie Kubler

Publisher: Child's Play

Length: 12 pages

Size: 6.25 by 6.26 inches
Format: Board

Today's review led me to an article about noise called "Effect of background noise on listening effort in normal hearing 9-11 year olds" by Clare Howard, Chris Plack and Kevin Munro. I learned what SNR means: Signal to Noise Ratio. Regarding read-aloud and little ones, the signal is your voice and the noise is the sum of sounds around you--TVs, timers, telephones, talk, and so on. Quiet voice, quiet place? High SNR. Loud voice, quiet place? Higher SNR. Quiet voice, loud place? Low SNR.

Howard and her team were interested in the effects of classroom noise on listening ability. Not surprisingly, the sample of 31 nine, ten, and eleven year olds had to work harder at listening in loud test conditions. They also made more listening mistakes.

Do babies and toddlers find it harder to listen in a noisy room compared to a quiet one? Probably. Do you need absolute quiet for read-aloud? No. A Silent room is Not Realistic. Minimize noise if you can. Turn off the TV. Try for the high SNR.

What can I hear? The whirring, click, click of a computer tower, the hum of an outside air conditioning unit--February in Louisiana--and my fingers tap-tapping on the keyboard.

What do babies hear in What Can I Hear? The clitter, clatter crashing of pan lids; happy clap, clapping; rumble tumble blocks falling, a ROARING baby pretending to be a tiger, and much more. An altogether awesome alliterative text tickles the ears. There is no story, instead, a parade of babies noisily at play.

In the spirit of I Went Walking by Sue Williams, scoop up your baby and listen ... What can you hear?

Transitions: From Picture Book to Board Book and More

2012-01-30T14:38:00.000-06:00

No More Blanket for Lambkin! (2010)
Author: Bernette Ford

Illustrator: Sam Williams

Publisher: Sterling Publishing

Many popular board books were written and first published as hardcover picture books. A classic example is Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, released as a picture book in 1947, then as a board book in 1991. What are the advantages of the smaller, board format?

Thick, sturdy pages support interactive flaps and inserts. Durable surfaces wipe clean. Board pages are easier for babies and toddlers to turn. Curved edges are safer. While sizes vary, most are easy for 1- and 2-year-olds to carry. Nothing says BABY like a board book. Likewise, no one says MINE! like a two-year-old. Independent toting and page turning foster independent book handling and "pretend reading" skills.

Board books are less expensive than their picture book counterparts.

What are the disadvantages? Despite everyone's best efforts, some picture books simply do not take to the new board format. Likewise, nothing says BABY like a board book. Preschoolers may snub the board pages, regardless of content.

No More Blanket for Lambkin! was published as a picture book in 2009 and as a board book in 2010. Let's compare. The hardcover is 32 pages long including end pages and front matter. It is roughly 10 by 10 inches square. The board book is 24 pages long and 6 5/8 by 6 5/8 inches square. The latter cover features a closeup of Lambkin with a soft blanket insert. Inside layouts are identical, albeit smaller in the board format. Colors appear more concentrated in the younger text, yielding sharper images, a plus for baby's eyes. The board book edition ranks higher in sales than the hardcover. It appears savvy parents are intuitively matching book topic to baby's age, and age to best book format. Tikes who opt for a transitional object--a blanket or toy--generally do so between 6 and 12 months of age and hold on to them for 1, 2, or 3 years.

Find out more about No More Blanket for Lambkin! here. Hint: Lambkin kinda, sorta, doesn't part with the blanket in the end. Learn about transitional objects here.

Sneak Peak: Kiki's Blankie

2012-01-23T12:51:00.000-06:00

Author/Illustrator: Janie Bynum

Publisher: Sterling Publishing

Length: 20 pages

Size: 7 by 7 inches

Format: Board book

A board book edition of Kiki's Blankie (2009) is set for release this February, right around the corner! In praise of Kiki, not all hardcover picture books are a good fit for the smaller book format. Cinderella's step-sisters and the glass slipper come to mind. Kiki, however, succeeds. Maybe, it's the cape.

Kiki is a spirited monkey with a blanket attachment, a blue and white polka-dotted lovey. She never goes anywhere without it. Kiki pretends her blanket is a bandana, then a cape, so she can be someone different--a pirate, a super hero. She pretends it is a tent, then a sail, so she can do something different--camp, sail, and soar! Sometimes Kiki's blanket is just a blanket, so Kiki can be, well, Kiki.

A simple plot mirrors real life. Kiki loves her blanket. Kiki loses her blanket. MY BLANKIE IS GONE! Kiki finds her blanket. And yes, there is a crocodile.

Part of the book's likely appeal to a new, younger audience lies in Bynum's artwork. Kiki's smiling, wide-open face connects. Bynum's generous use of white space creates a clean, uncluttered page. Her colors are fresh. She keeps background noise to a minimum. The visual story is simple and accessible, yet it is detailed enough to survive repeat reads. There's lots to label and talk about. The new edition has a raised, velvety binding. A nice touch!

Make-believe play emerges between 18 and 24 months of age. At first, little ones find it easiest to pretend when a pretend item is similar in shape, form, or function to the real thing. Telephoning with a banana is fun and funny. Talking into an orange is just plain silly. You could, however, pretend an orange is ...

Peel a banana with Kiki!

AGES AND STAGES: 24-36 months (Child sees self as a separate person, compares self to others, feels strongly possessive of loved ones, plays make-believe with toys, enjoys tactile books)

Ages and Stages are based on The Hawaii Developmental Charts developed by Setsu Furuno, Ph.D., Katherine O'Reilly, PT, Takayo Inatsuka, OTR, Carol Hosaka, M.A. and Barbara Zeisloft Falbey, M.S., CCC-SLP. They are meant to be a general guide for book play. Abilities vary from child to child.

Stepping Out

2012-01-16T10:41:00.000-06:00

Author: Sue Williams

Illustrator: Julie Vivas

Publisher: Red Wagon Books

Length: 30 pages

Format: Board book

Size: 5 x 5.25 x .6 inches

I Went Walking (1996) has layers, like an onion. Peel it. I promise, no tears! The text is rhythmic, repetitive, and reminiscent of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle:

I went walking. What did you see? I saw a black cat looking at me ...

After the cat, the main character spies a brown horse, a red cow, a green duck, a pink pig, and a yellow dog. Pretty pedestrian, except that it's not. I Went Walking is one of my favorite board books for toddlers.

An aside--more often than not, a children's book author and illustrator never meet. The writer writes then sends the story to an agent who sends it to an editor who (if she loves the book) convinces her colleagues to publish it. Only then does the editor assign an artist who writes the book, this time with pictures instead of words.

Artist Julie Vivas paints a curious and loving, colorful, wild-haired child who puts on a coat and takes a walk: She hugs a cat, nuzzles a horse, rides a cow, sheds the coat, befriends a duck, doffs a sock and shoe, showers a pig, bathes in dog kisses, leads a parade and revels in new-found friends. Vivas details a story beyond the original verse.

She draws a predictive tale. Literally! A glimpse of each animal's tail, paired with Williams' questioning verse, hints at what's to come.

Do you have a toddling one-year-old who can't sit still? Put down the book. Take a walk. What will you see? I see a . . . fill in the blank . . . looking at me. This off-the-page play is a great way to introduce new words through labeling, and to connect read-aloud to the real world.

AGES AND STAGES: 12-18 months (baby walks--first with a helping hand--then independently, baby may be unable to talk when walking, may name one or two familiar objects); 18-24 months (may name 2 or 3 pictures, may imitate a 2- or 4-word phrase); 24-36 months (child finds details in favorite picture book, points to colors when named)

Ages and Stages are based on The Hawaii Developmental Charts developed by Setsu Furuno, Ph.D., Katherine O'Reilly, PT, Takayo Inatsuka, OTR, Carol Hosaka, M.A., and Barbara Zeisloft Falbey, M.S., CCC-SLP. They are meant to be a general guide for book play. Abilities vary from child to child.

How To Choose Children's Books by Aaron Mead

2012-01-09T06:54:00.000-06:00

Aaron Mead, from Children's Books and Reviews, has published a wonderful, free eBook titled How To Choose Children's Books Practical Tips and Philosophical Reflections on Picking Books for Kids. It covers all age ranges and is chock full of resources. I especially like Chapter 2.

Mead alludes to what reading researchers Scarborough and Dobrich term the 'Broccoli Effect.' Vegetables are good and good for you, but there are few among us who want all vegetables all the time. Well-meaning parents (like me) push nutrition: EAT YOUR PEAS! (I like peas.) The problem is, if you force feed anything, including read-aloud, it can become distasteful and little ones will SPIT IT OUT.

There may be moments, days, even weeks, when your baby shows little interest in books. Not to worry! Try taking the text off the page: "Peas Porridge Hot" at meals, "Rub-a-dub-dub" at tub time, or "To Bed, To Bed" at night. Take a walk. I'll talk more about that next week. Or simply take a book break. Keep it fun.

Highchair Chatter

2012-01-02T07:48:00.000-06:00

Illustrator: Elliot Kreloff

Publisher: Begin Smart

Length: 10 pages

Format: Cardstock and foam board

Size: 4.75 x 5.2 x 1.25 inches

Begin Smart's All Gone! speaks perfectly to the talents of an almost-one year old. By 11 months, babies are able to rotate their forearms so that palms face upwards, as in, All gone! At the same age, they begin imitating and learning simple gestures. All gone! The sparse book text introduces four object words: Cereal, juice, cookie, and ice cream. In addition, Kreloff draws a cup, a spoon, a bowl, a baby, and a straw for word learning. He illustrates eating, sipping, munching, licking, full and empty, happy and sad. Book talk easily translates to table talk: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, All gone!

Ages and Stages: 6-12 months (baby supinates forearm, imitates new gestures, may sip from a cup held by mom or dad); 12-24 months (Baby says, All gone!, uses spoon, drinks from cup)

Happy New Blog!

2012-01-01T12:29:00.004-06:00

I have switched blog templates in the spirit of all things new. The fresh, dynamic views are fun, but they are not as versatile as the old. There are no gadgets! No index, list, or sign-up options. Also, only the old view is available to mobile devices. The Blogger Team insists updates are on the way. Click across the pink toolbar. Flipcard provides an index of sorts: It allows you to sort posts by label or category.

Which view suits you?

Renovations Underway!

2011-12-26T09:59:00.018-06:00

What a Girl Wants, What a Girl Needs

2011-12-19T14:00:00.013-06:00

I am going to ramble a bit. If you have no time for a little leaf crunching and fresh air, scroll down to the last paragraph.

If I had one "do-over" as a parent, it would be to have shared more books with my three children. Not for the sake of them knowing books, but for the sake of me knowing them.

I occasionally stray from my diet of board books and read about writing. Recently, I learned authors often make the mistake of writing to their reader's needs rather than their wants. The former is a bit presumptuous. At the very least, it assumes a knowledge of a readership that a writer likely does not have. How can we know what others need without a dialogue in place?

I believe I know what your baby needs, board book wise, based on his or her developmental age. You are lucky. You know what your baby wants. Long books, short books? Quiet books, loud books? Ducks, trucks, goose? Pair your child's needs with their wants and you'll create A LOT of page interest.

When you visit The Baby Book Nook, what do you want to see? What do you need to read?

Santa's Bag

2011-12-12T07:34:00.015-06:00

Build a better world, one board (book) at a time! Present a copy of a favorite read-aloud to your local library, a neighborhood child care center, a church nursery program. Giving a party? Invite guests to bring children's books as hostess gifts. Pass them on.

Many charities focus on early literacy and book access. Here's a handful. At least one encourages donations of gently-used children's books. Read a book. Pass it on.

Reach Out and Read
First Book
Books for Africa
Pajama Program
Page Ahead Children's Literacy Program

A Board Book by Lane Smith

2011-12-05T21:04:00.151-06:00

In Lane Smith's It's a Little Book (2011), a curious Donkey in diapers points and asks, What is that? It's a book. He grabs it from Monkey and bites down. Is it for chewing? Monkey replies, No. Donkey tries it on as a hat. Is it for wearing? No. He opens the book like a laptop. Is it for e-mailing? No. Questions keep coming till Monkey tells his persistent friend, It's for reading. It's a book, silly. This is a pint-size version of Smith's controversial It's a Book (2010) picture book, with younger characters, new text, and a gentle ending. It's every bit as funny.

Smith examples an infant's point of view perfectly. Young babies regard board books as THINGS--hard, smooth, bendy, weighty, and full of flight potential--and play with them as such. They associate reading with YOU--attentive, playful, and full of book talk. Read on!

Favorite Baby Books

2011-11-28T19:19:00.004-06:00

A guest post by Danielle Schulman, a mom in real time, who writes at A-Lit-erations

Favorite Baby Books (Birth-12 months)
Life with a young child means never having the time to do all the projects one would wish. When I get a free moment to blog, it is going to be for my family to hear about my child, and this project takes a seat in the waaaay back of the bus. Today's post will serve as a two-fer, as we discuss great baby books.

I was inspired a few months back by a post entitled, 10 Books To Capture Your Baby's Attention. It is a Mom-tested, Baby-approved list, with some thoughts about what her baby seemed to like about the book, and around when.

Today, I would like to attempt the same, using my daughter's favorites from birth to 1 year.

Fire Truck by Peter Sis (board)

This was the first book I ever read with my daughter, when she was about 1-week-old. I have discussed this book on this blog before. It is a book about a boy who loves fire trucks so much, that one day he wakes up and "becomes" a fire-truck. (My husband loves that is essentially The Metamorphosis for kids - with a happier ending. And hey, fire trucks!) The illustrations are simple and high contrast, using minimal backgrounds and only the colors red, yellow and black. Very eye-catching to even young babies. And it is still an absolute favorite at 14 months. We were thrilled to receive a new copy for her birthday, because we now have a stroller copy and a home copy.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd (board)

This is the classic baby shower gift book. Everyone owns this book. Usually in multiple copies. I still had it memorized from when my youngest brother was a toddler. We used this as a sleep-aid of a book when my daughter was a newborn. And sometimes she really did just drift right off to sleep. She certainly did the first few times, and my husband called it magic!

(Later, she needed longer books and we moved on. I should really find our copies and resurrect them, because she would be interested in the pictures she never actually saw in those first few months.)

Baby's First Books (soft books)

(My husband insisted that I include these on the list.)
We received these books as a present before my daughter was born, from some friends of mine with 4 kids. They are washable soft books with different sensory pieces in each book, and high contrast illustrations. The key book for us was Cute As A Bug!, a book with Papa Bug, Mama Bug and so on. One page is baby bug, which has antennae surrounding a mirror. When our daughter was 3 weeks old, and my husband was away on a business trip, my mother suggested we put something on the changing table to keep her entertained. I put that page and thus mirror-[our baby's name] was born. Mirror-[baby] was very important, and if she fell down, woe to the person who let her fall (and then had to climb under the changing table to retrieve it). Many motor skills developed on the changing table over the early weeks and months as our daughter started manipulating mirror-[baby]. Mirror-[baby] finally got separated from her book about two months before my daughter turned one. I will still find that page popping up in random places around the house to this day.

Sheep In A Jeep by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Margot Apple (board)

"Beep! Beep! Sheep in a jeep on a hill that's steep." Instant love from my daughter when we first read this book in those early weeks. Don't think a baby under 6 weeks old can fall in love with a book? Oh, yes, they most certainly can.

The simple, rhythmic and rhyming language comes naturally to small babies. They love that kind of cadence (which is why nursery rhymes are so common with infants). We learned as she grew older, that if you add comments that seem to fit in with the story's flow, you have to keep including them forever! In our case it is lines about the bird (i.e. "Sheep shove. Sheep grunt. Sheep don't think to look up front." But the birdie does!) Before she even got to 6 months old, she would look very confused if someone else read the book and didn't include our extra lines. Wonder how mad she'll be when she learns to read?

This book disappeared in our house for a few months prior to her birthday, but she was very happy when it reappeared one day from under the couch. Still a keeper at 14 months.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Soft Book (toy)

When my daughter was around 1 month old, we decided to check out our local independent toy store. Well, on her first trip to a toy store, we had to get her something. I found this squishy, crinkly, shiny, squeaky, soft book version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It has one image per page from the original book. This was probably the first object my daughter reached for when she started reaching for objects. In particular, the page featuring the shiny apple with a small caterpillar popping out. She learned about turning pages with this "book", and even that she could find her favorites if she turned pages (long before any other kind of "object permanence" emerged). It even kept her occupied in her car seat for about 20 minutes on Thanksgiving while we tried to figure out how lost we really were (she was about 2.5 months, and not prone to occupying herself for such long stretches). Interest in this book probably waned around 7-8 months.

And as a side note, when she was 5.5 months old, she was given a plush version of the caterpillar that was almost as big as she was. Her eyes went wide as saucers that her little caterpillar had grown so big. She clearly recognized it. She was treated to her first reading of the real story, and she was rapt with attention. She had no idea there was an actual story attached to this little toy of a book.

The Tale Of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (hardcover)

I have discussed this book on this blog in an earlier post. My Great-Aunt gave this book to my daughter when she was 2 months old. One night while waiting for a bottle to warm, I tried reading it to my little 2.5 month old. She listened to the whole thing and promptly fell asleep! I was surprised to say the least. A few months later it had become our standard bedtime book, read every single night. Now, at 14 months, it is not our bedtime book every night, but it is certainly a favorite. She will bring this one to be read at many times of day. But if we are going to be traveling, or at a family gathering that will last beyond her bedtime, it is a must to come with us.

Beatrix Potter books come down to language and size at this age. I doubt my daughter has spent much - if any, really - time looking at the illustrations. There's a cadence to it that appeals (although after the umpteenth time reading any of her books, you will cringe whenever you get to her plethora of "presently's" and "quite" anything), and thus far the two stories we have are largely interchangeable as far as my daughter is concerned. (With a slight preference for Peter Rabbit.) She definitely likes that the books are like older kid picture books, or what Mommy and Daddy read, but just the right size for her hands.

Peek-a Who by Nina Laden (board)

This one arrived when my daughter was about 3-4 months old. It is such a simple concept and wonderfully executed. Each page (including the cover) has the same asymmetric hole to let the following page peek through. The left hand text is "peek-a," and when you turn the page you see the image and the word "moo" (cow), "boo" (ghost), "choo-choo" (train) and so on, until the final page which is a mirror (peek-a you!).

You simply can't go wrong with peek-a-boo and mirrors. Plus, since it is a sturdy board book with die-cut holes, there is no worry of the baby ripping off the flaps or pages like there is in most manipulative books. This is also a stroller favorite of ours, and still a favorite at 14 months. I gave a friend a copy of this book at a baby shower when my daughter was about 10 months old. I had trouble carrying it around the bookstore without a meltdown, and I wisely brought my daughter's copy with us for when the mama-to-be opened the gift.

Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee (board)

We received this book in the same gift package as the previous one, somewhere around 3-4 months. Each two-page spread shows babies doing everyday things - eating, being rocked, playing and so on. The text repeats, "Every day, everywhere babies...", and rhymes, "...are born. Fat babies, thin babies, tall babies, small babies. Winter and spring babies, summer and fall babies." The illustrations are usually many small vignettes on a page of different babies doing similar things in a myriad of ways. Some are full two page spreads, such as the different ways babies are carried, which shows a street scene.

My daughter definitely liked the rhythm of the language, and looking at all the babies doing the same things the she did, or that she saw other (older) babies doing. This book went into the mix as a bedtime/naptime book. Although, if we were reading it as part of a sleep ritual, we would often skip the page about eating, lest she decide she was hungry instead of sleepy! After a few months, this became a book to look at individual pages, instead of reading straight through. I can't remember when interest waned on this one. Maybe 10 months? It is somewhere in the house, and I suspect that if I found it, there would be renewed interest at this point, now that pictures and word-books are such a hit.

The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood (board)

My daughter was introduced to this book in a class probably around 5-6 months old. I hadn't really thought of this one as a baby book before then, but the babies liked the rhythm. I bought us a home copy, which turned out to be a good plan. (Not so much for my husband. The first time he picked it up to read to her was an extended middle of the night wake-up. It looked like a bedtime book, and started out promisingly. Boy was he surprised when that flea bit the mouse and started the chain reaction of everyone waking up rather exuberantly!)

This is a book in the vein of "The House That Jack Built," where each action builds upon the next and the chain of story gets longer. "There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping. (next page) And in that house, there is a bed. A cozy bed, in a napping house, where everyone is sleeping. (next page) And on that bed, there is a granny..." The illustrations are great as well, and will carry your child into many years of finding new things to love about this book. As babies, it is definitely the rhythm of the language that has them paying attention. This is one you will memorize. (And yes, you can use it at sleep-time, you just need to be aware of the switch in the middle and keep your tone soothing and even. Unlike my poor husband who got caught off guard, and undid the nice sleepy cadence he had going.)

Still a favorite at 14 months, and I don't see that changing for a long time to come.

But Not The Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton (board)

Oddly, though this has been one of my husband's favorites to give at baby showers and as new baby presents, we didn't purchase a copy for our daughter until she was 6 months old. This one is cute, silly, and rhyming. The opening page is "A hog and a frog cavort in a bog. But not the hippopotamus." It goes on like that until finally the hippopotamus gets to join in... but not the armadillo! It's silly good fun, and as a parent you can just read it straight or do a lot of extending with this one as your child gets older. Still a favorite of both the 14-month-old and the daddy. Sometimes a stroller book.

You Are My Little Cupcake by Amy E. Sklansky, illustrated by Talitha Shipman (board)

I still don't know why I bought this one in the first place. It's the kind of cutesy, treacly book I usually avoid. But the cover was so darn appealing with the happy baby, and the shiny, bumpy cupcake wrapper that it just caught my attention in the store. Each two-page spread has two sentences about the baby, relating back to the cupcake theme, "Your smile is a sweet as frosting. Your snuggle can't be beat." The pictures take you through a baby's day (although the gender and ethnicity of the baby and parent changes between pages) with a happy baby and parent pair.

I bought it when my daughter was 6-7 months old. I think I cringed when I actually read it aloud the first time, wondering why. But she loved it. She likes it a snuggly book. At first she liked to look at all the pictures of babies and parents. As she got older, she would bring it to me, climb in my lap and happily snuggle as I kissed, hugged, tickled or whatever was happening with the babies in the book, and related it back to her day. ("That baby is taking a bath in the big girl tub with her daddy, just like you will do when Daddy gets home.") And she always likes to run her fingers over the cover. Still a favorite for snuggling at 14 months, and I have grown to cherish it.

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter (hardcover)

This is our other Beatrix Potter book. My daughter received it from that same Great-Great Aunt when she was about 7 months old. Largely interchangeable with Peter Rabbit from her point of view. In fact, this morning I found her flipping through the pages (and not ripping them, which is a feat for a 14-month-old) and saying something that sounded a lot like "Peter Rabbit" on each page.

Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton (board)

Obviously, we are Boynton fans in this house. More of her silliness, this time surrounding animal noises. "A cow says moo. A sheep says baa. Three singing pigs say la la la!" Not quite sure when this came into our house. Probably in the 6-8 month range. I know that it got used in a class that we were taking, but we already owned a copy. This was a stroller book for many months. It is still in rotation, and she still asks to read it, but I wouldn't call it a favorite anymore at 14 months. I don't think it will fall out of favor, though.

Gossie by Olivier Dunrea (board)

This book came into our house when my daughter was about 9 months old. I took it out of the library as part of a storytime I was running for 2-5 year-olds. But my daughter was immediately attracted to the small size (I had picked up the hardcover edition, which is about the size of your average board book), and large, bright illustrations. The language is simple, "This is Gossie. Gossie is a gosling. A small, yellow gosling who likes to wear bright red boots." The story is all about the things that Gossie likes to do in her bright red boot, and then her frantic search when she thinks she has lost them. In the end she makes a friend, and we are introduced to another gosling who appears in the other books in the series. (So far, none of the other books in the series have held the same appeal to my daughter.) Given the simple language and large, high contrast illustrations, I think this book could be good for babies of any age, no need to wait until 9 months.

We had to buy a copy of this one after it turned out she wanted to read it every day. Just like Gossie wears her boots every day. It went into heavy naptime rotation. For several months. I already had the book memorized by the time I ran that storytime a week or two later. It never became a stroller book because I really didn't need the book along. We haven't used it much recently, but I suspect if I brought it out again we'd be back at it.

The Little Red Hen by Byron Barton (board)

This book came into our house in a similar way to Gossie. I picked this one up for my daughter on a library trip around the same time, so 9 months. My father had always enjoyed telling a version of this story when I was little, and I thought my daughter would like the repetitive language and the simple illustrations in this version. It became quickly evident that she would love the library copy to death if I didn't buy one of her own. It didn't hurt that her favorite thing to eat at the time was crusty bread! (If you don't know the old story, it is about a chicken who finds some wheat seeds and asks her friends to help with the planting, tending, reaping, and baking of the resulting wheat. They always say no until it is time to eat the fresh bread. But the little red hen eats it all herself - with her 3 baby chicks in this version - because they didn't help.)

I like to extend this one by talking about what the other animals are doing instead of helping. ("Not I," squealed the pig. [etc] The cat and the duck are far too busy getting a ride from the piggie. Then I will [do whatever] said the Little Red Hen. And she did.) This one gets lots of love, and we are probably due a new copy. While she doesn't yet do the "mine mine" thing at 14 months in general, she will go after any other kid in the library who is reading this book.

Bear In Sunshine by Stella Blackstone, illustrated by Debbie Harter (board)

I bought this one at 11 months. It was an impulse buy when she woke up in an expensive children's shop, and realized she was surrounded by stuff she wanted to have. Plus, well, as a librarian I am always happy to buy books, so it's not like my 11-month-old manipulated me into anything there! I grabbed it because it is colorful, and Barefoot Books is a very good publisher, so I knew that whatever it was, it would probably be good.

This is one in a series of books about Bear. This one is all about seasons and weather. There is not much in the way of text, "Bear likes to play when the sun shines. Bear likes to sing in the rain.", but the illustrations are wonderful. Everything is awash in colors, and there are a myriad of nice touches in the details, such as a page where various nursery rhyme characters cavort in the background. This is one my daughter likes to look at herself, taking in all the colors.

Toes, Ears, & Nose! by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Karen Katz (board/lift-the-flap)

While we have had this book in the house since the baby-naming, my daughter never showed much interest in it until a week before her birthday. (Just snuck into this list!) It is a lift-the-flap book with various body parts covered by articles of winter clothing. One morning she just picked it up, and started looking under the flaps, and asking me to play peek-a-boo with various pages. She completely destroyed the first page by the end of that day (despite my attempts to tape things back down). This has lead to interest in other manipulative books, but that is really a later stage than this list is meant to cover.

And there you have it - high contrast illustrations to stare at, straight through to manipulating flaps on her own. One baby's first year in books.

Gobble! Gobble!

2011-11-21T06:25:00.003-06:00

Can your baby moo like a cow? Bleat like a sheep? Arguably, first moos count as first words. According to the Hawaii Early Learning Profile, babies repeat playful sounds and gestures starting at about 12 months of age; they imitate environmental sounds between 18 and 21 months of age. Vrooom! Bam! BOOM. Is your baby almost one? Get quacking.

Picture Books For 2- and 3-year-olds

2011-11-14T12:31:00.006-06:00

The fall 2011 edition of The Horn Book Guide arrived! One month ago. It sat, perched on top of the dining room table PILE, till now. Below are starred preschool picks published between January and June of this year. Click titles for book information. My favorite? Little Chicken's Big Day.

No Sleep for Sheep! by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Jacke Urbanovic
Tweak Tweak by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier
Little Chicken's Big Day by Katie Davis and Jerry Davis, illustrated by Katie Davis
Worms for Lunch? by Leonid Gore
Where's Walrus? by Stephen Savage
Cars Galore by Peter Stein, illustrated by Bob Staake
Press Here by Herve Tullet
Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! by Mo Willems

Mother Goose Matters

2011-11-07T07:29:00.027-06:00

The Lucy Cousins' Nursery Rhymes Collection (2011) is a boxed set of four 3 1/2 inch by 3 1/2 inch board books titled Little Miss Muffet, Humpty Dumpty, Wee Willie Winkie, and Jack and Jill. Each book holds about ten poems. From what I gather, the books are down-sized versions of stand-alones published between 1996 and 1997.

The new collection is just right for toddlers. Pictures carry animal chatter for 1-year-olds and line-ups of countable items for 2- and 3-year-olds . . . two dicky birds, three fiddlers, five fish. How many blackbirds are baked in a pie? If you've forgotten, check out Humpty Who? by Jennifer Griffin.

Mother Goose matters. Sing-song rhythms accent words for learning. The mouse ran up the clock. Action rhymes produce off-the-page play: "This Little Piggy" and "Patty Cake." Rhyming words prime young ears for language sounds awareness, a correlate of reading skills development.

HONK if your baby likes Mother Goose!

Build a Board Book

2011-10-31T09:19:00.016-05:00

Toddlers love to read about their peers. It is why books such as Baby's Day by Michel Blake and I can by Helen Oxenbury work. Imagine handing your tike a board book starring--drum roll, please--themselves! Pint Size Productions makes this possible. Click the company name to find out how.

What might your baby's board book look like? How about one that pictures family members doing whacky, unexpected things? Does Mom do the cooking? Take a close-up of Dad stirring at the stove. Does Dad read the paper? Take a peek-a-boo view of mom peering over newsprint (or iPad). Make sure to include the slippers. Picture Grandpa pushing the stroller, Grandma with a fishing pole. If you play with family stereotypes, you'll likely tickle your 2-year-old's funny bone. A directorial tip--dress cast members in bright, colorful clothing for maximum color contrast on the page. How about a book about baby's day? Picture her awake, asleep, eating, playing, reading, laughing, hugging. Time for bed! I get tired just writing about it. Create an action story for your toddling boy or girl with photos of favorite toys and BIG sounds. Have fun!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

2011-10-24T07:21:00.021-05:00

Very young babies can not see stars. In her 1997 article "First Glances: The Vision of Infants," researcher Davida Y. Teller simulates what babies can see with a series of hazy snapshots. The photos drive home one point and raise another. First, if we want babies, 6 months and younger, to look at a book, we have to offer one that has strong visual elements such as Twinkle, twinkle! by amazing baby™ or Hello, Bugs! by Smriti Prasadam and Emily Bolam. Second, very young infants rely heartily on hearing and touch to get a sense of their world. Very early on, a loving look likely says a little. A soothing voice and gentle touch likely say a lot.

El bebé muy hambrienta

2011-10-17T09:30:00.014-05:00

Several of Eric Carle's board books are available in Spanish, including La oruga muy hambrienta (2002), the Spanish edition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and La oruga muy hambrienta/The Very Hungry Caterpillar (2011), a bilingual edition released in May of this year. The latter is available at the publisher's website.

Are you raising a bilingual baby? In her recent post "Bilingual Babies: The Sooner, The Better,"Ana Flores, co-creater of the online resource SpanglishBaby, writes, "... the earlier we start exposing babies to a second language, the more flexible their bilingual brains will be and the more they can identify and separate the sounds of the different languages they are exposed to." La oruga muy hambrienta/The Very Hungry Caterpillar puts two languages on baby's plate. Yum!

The Very Hungry Baby

2011-10-10T11:21:00.021-05:00

A perfect pairing for 9- to 15-month-olds: The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Favorite Words (2007) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969). Both are written and illustrated by Eric Carle.

The first is a small fistful of words--a 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 inch, chunky, cube book. Ten words fill 20 pages. One word per page, one picture per page. This book is very easy for young eyes and minds to digest. The words are pulled from Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The newer book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Favorite Words, serves as a first course for the famous main.

While the plot of The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a bit beyond a young 1-year-old's cognitive grasp, the book as a whole is not. Pun intended. There are holes for poking, as well as lots of words for learning--big, little, moon, one, butterfly, and food from baby's day. Apples, pears, and plums. ICE CREAM.

Read and reread Favorite Words before sharing the longer story. Your baby will build a word bank to draw on, making the second book more understandable and more fun.

A Sneak Peak: 1, 2, 3 Si! by Madeleine Budnick and Peggy Tenison

2011-07-12T07:23:00.018-05:00

1, 2, 3 Si! (August, 2011) is an 18-page bilingual board book for toddlers, twos, and preschoolers that introduces the numbers 1 through 10 in English and Spanish. Each spread teaches number shapes and words and includes an array of countable items. The latter are BEAUTIFULLY photographed objects of art from the San Antonio Museum of Art. Each page asks a question, sparking book talk. Read-aloud play with a toddler might go something like this (Portions of text are in bold italics.):

1 una guitarra one guitar Trace the large, colorful numeral 1 that sits in the upper left hand corner. Your toddler might imitate the downward stroke. "This is one. I see one guitar." Hold up your tracing finger. "One!" 2 two eyes Can you play peek-a-boo? You might say, "Mira!" "I see two eyes!" Cover the face collage on the page with your hand or a colorful napkin. "Donde estan?" "Where are they?" Your toddler will likely peek. Take the play off the page. 3 tres bebes Would this baby like a tickle? YES. 4 friends Do you like to smell flowers? Scrunch up your nose. Point to baby's, "Nose." "La nariz." 5 tigres Can you find the birds? Each of the five picture panels on the two-page spread contains a tiger and one or two birds. After counting out 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 tigers, point to the birds and count, "One," or "One, two." 6 musicians. Keep in mind that toddlers and two's cannot grasp numbers much past 1 and 2. Handily, the six pictured musicians are playing guitars. Remember page one? Play the guitar. 7 treasures. Can you find a big smile? Look for baby's smile. 8 animales Can you name each animal? Eight animals are pictured. Four or five may be familiar to your child. Adapt the question to his or her developmental level: "I see a duck. Do you?" Quack. 9 faces Who is wearing a hat? Babies can point to answer as early as 18 months. 10 masks Which mask would you like to try on? One of the masks is of a tiger. Remember page 5? Repetition builds skills."I see a tiger. Do you?"

If you are lucky enough to live near San Antonio, visit the museum with book in hand and go on a scavenger hunt!

RRRalph (2011) by Lois Ehlert: A Family Picture Book

2011-05-31T10:36:00.015-05:00

Parents of under-fives often find more than one child on their lap at read-aloud time. Children's age differences can add up to huge developmental differences and finding a book that reads at a variety of levels can be hard. This is why I love RRRalph. It has something for everyone.

Ralph is a likable, black and white paper collage mutt with a zippered snout and a flip-top nose for adventure. The book's inside cover asks, Would you like to meet a talking dog? Well, yah!!!

What's in it for baby? Bright, eye-popping pictures and animal sounds to parrot. For preschool siblings? A dog, plus large print to point out and a simple lively text that sparks book talk. Slightly older children can read and create off the page, crafting torn-paper collages to illustrate stories about their pets, or building a kid-sized doghouse from a cardboard box for inside play.

What's in it for Mom and Dad? A chance to bark, woof, and howl (with laughter, of course)!

Say Hello to Hello, Bugs!

2011-04-16T15:33:00.003-05:00

Very few books meet the developmental needs of very young babies. Hello, Bugs! by Smriti Prasadam and Emily Bolam is one. The sturdy 10-page board book features ten noisy insects drawn in bold black and white with eye-catching colored foil accents. The text is simple and repetitive: Hello, Bee! Hello, Worm! Hello, Spider! The bugs buzz, buzz, wiggle, wiggle and creep, crawl.

At one month, babies look briefly at bright objects placed within reach. At two months, visual tracking skills emerge. Eyes first follow objects horizontally-- right to left, left to right-- then vertically-- up and down, down and up.

As You Read
Bee the bug. Turn your hand into a tickling spider alerting baby to book play. Turn your index fingers into two talking worms, "Hello, Worm!" "Hello!" Stage the action 8 to 12 inches from baby's eyes, allowing her time to focus on one wiggling finger before moving the next. Make the bee fly. Wait until baby's eyes settle on the black and yellow cover image, then slowly move the book through the air according to your little one's looking abilities. Buzz.

Tap the page in rhythm with the verse: Hel-lo, Grass-hop-per! Tap-tap, tap-tap-tap! This draws baby's eyes to the page and accentuates language rhythms.

Don't worry if your little one shows little interest in books at this age- some do, some don't. Keep it fun.

Duck, Truck!

2011-04-05T08:47:00.008-05:00

Between 12 and 18 months of age babies begin to show a sense of funny. What tickles their olecranon process? The unexpected. According to The Hawaii Developmental Charts (1993), at this age babies begin to laugh at incongruities. Imagine you and your toddler in the kitchen. The telephone rings. Instead of answering your cell, you pick up a banana, "Hello?" Toddlers will laugh at that.

Truck Duck (2004), a 26-page board book by Michael Rex, delivers loads of laughs and belly quacks. It is ideal for 18-month-old boys because of their love of trucks and all things that go vrooom in the night. Each two-page spread pictures an animal (or fish or bug) in a vehicle. Each scene is labeled with a rhyming, two-word phrase- cab crab, plow cow, tug bug. Rex's illustrations make you smile. His pairings are zany. These creatures love their ride! Point and label as you read and you'll bolster baby's word learning.

Related books for your read-aloud stack include My Truck is Stuck! (2006) by Kevin Lewis, illustrated by Daniel Kirk; One Duck Stuck (2001) by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Jane Chapman; and Sheep in a Jeep (1997) by Nancy E. Shaw, illustrated by Margot Apple.

Between 9 and 12 months of age babies start throwing. Duck! Read more about your tike's funny bone here.

Preschool Book Picks

2010-10-13T10:15:00.005-05:00

Babies grow up! Wee readers turn into preschoolers with a new set of book needs. Twice a year the folks at The Horn Book publish The Horn Book Guide to Children's and Young Adult Books, a thick softcover tome that reviews newly published works. Here is a list of starred preschool books released between January and June of this year:
Push Button by Aliki
LMNO Peas by Keith Baker
Forever Friends by Cairn Berger
Alfie Runs Away by Kenneth M. Cadow
Beaver Is Lost by Elisha Cooper
I Can Help by David Hyde Costello
Sky-High Guy by Nina Crews
Boom Bah! by Phil Cummings
Cupcake: A Journey to Special by Charise Mericle Harper
My Garden by Kevin Henkes
The Village Garage by G. Brian Karas
One Night in the Zoo by Judith Kerr
Kindergarten Diary by Antoinette Portis
Who Said Coo? by Deborah Ruddell
Brownie and Pearl Step Out by Cynthia Rylant
When Jack Goes Out by Pat Schories
What If? by Laura Seeger
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and
Whose Shoes?: A Shoe for Every Job by Stephen R. Swinburne

Reading Tips

2010-08-06T06:42:00.010-05:00

Below is an excerpt from an article, "Reading Books to Babies," published by Kids Health.

When and How to Read
Here's a great thing about reading aloud: It doesn't take special skills or equipment, just you, your baby, and some books. Read aloud for a few minutes at a time, but do it often. Don't worry about finishing entire books — focus on pages that you and your baby enjoy.

Try to set aside time to read every day — perhaps before naptime and bedtime. In addition to the pleasure that cuddling your baby before bed gives both of you, you'll also be making life easier by establishing a routine. This will help to calm your baby and set expectations about when it's time to sleep.

It's also good to read at other points in the day. Choose times when your baby is dry, fed, and alert. Books also come in handy when you're stuck waiting, so have some in the diaper bag to fill time sitting at the doctor's office or standing in line at the grocery store.

Click here to read more.

What Makes a Baby Book Good?

2010-07-20T06:45:00.013-05:00

Sturdy board pages. A rainbow of baby faces. Verse rhythm and rhyme. Playful, patterned artwork that pops from the page.

All of which brings me to a final note (for now) about children's book illustrator Annie Kubler. Pictures can make or break a baby book's appeal. Kubler draws babies front and center, in the middle of things, just where they like to be! Her page action is simple. Each drawing carries one main idea or topic for conversation.

Young children are grand imitators. Kubler's characters are often partnered with stuffed animals, 'lovies,' who imitate them. Her babies simply can't sit still! Sound like someone you know?

Born in France, Annie Kubler lives and works in the UK. She is the Art Director at Child's Play International, an English publishing firm that specializes in books for the youngest reader.

Reading to Babies (Plural!)

2010-07-15T10:34:00.029-05:00

Toddlers sometimes run in packs. The habitat varies: Daycare centers, playgroups, public libraries, family reunions, Y-care, playgrounds, church basements, families graced with multiple births. Three books by Annie Kubler play particularly well in small group settings.

Hands ready? The nursery song Ten Little Fingers (2003) is a fun-filled read that ends on a quiet note. It won an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Best Book Award.

Ring Around A Rosie (2003) illustrates the circle game of the same name. It includes a second verse, Fishes in the water, Fishes in the sea..., which gets children back on their feet ...With a one, two, three!

I'm a Little Teapot! (2007) sets up pretend play. Kubler paints toddlers in togs that mimic the colors of a teapot. They are the teapot! Tottering two-year-olds stand on one foot and bend: Tip me up, and pour me out! Balance skills! At book's end, a tea party.

Does your toddler have a favorite nursery rhyme book?

Lose the Shoes!

2010-07-14T10:30:00.015-05:00

This Little Piggy (2008), Annie Kubler's version of the popular rhyme, requires barefoot reading. Each two-page spread features a toddler touching a toe on the left and, dressed as a pink pig, acting out verse on the right. Ralphie as a rabbit in The Christmas Story comes to mind. Kubler draws five tikes across ten pages.

Early vocabulary words- ball, book, blocks, and cup- are introduced on pages 3 and 4. A baby crisis occurs on pages 7 and 8: This little piggy had none! Major upset! You can talk about feelings. An opportunity to mimic animal sounds (yes, a pig) presents itself on pages 9 and 10. Adaptable for babies of all ages, This Little Piggy is perfect for 12- to 18-month-olds.

Author in the Spotlight: Annie Kubler

2010-07-13T11:41:00.042-05:00

Illustrator Annie Kubler turns traditional nursery rhymes and songs into baby action tales. Perfect for busy babies and toddlers, her board books set the stage for off-the-page play.

If You're Happy and You Know It... (2001) is based on the song of the same name. The first stanza is set to music and printed in its entirety on the back cover. A total of eight song actions are pictured inside.

Here's a preview. If You're Happy and You Know It... Clap your hands! (Babies clasp their hands at about 4 months of age.) Hide away! (Babies start peek-a-boo play at 6 months.) Rattle and shake! (Babies as young as two and a half months can shake a light rattle.)

Sing and play parts of memorized verse SANS BOOK during the day. Have fun! Push some blocks! (Babies can build a tower with two alphabet blocks at about 12 months of age.) When you return to the thick board pages, reading will take on more meaning.

Note: Developmental stages are taken from the original Hawaii Early Learning Profile and describe group norms. Your baby is an individual and individuals vary.

Baby Book Recalls

2010-06-21T17:24:00.008-05:00

The following board or cloth books have been recalled from the market due to possible choke or lead exposure hazards. Click on product links below for more information. You'll note that many recall notices are several years old. Some books may still be in circulation as hand-me-downs or yard sale purchases.

Amazing Baby look and play!

Amazing Baby touch and play!

Amazing Baby rattle, rattle!

Baby Buddy clip-on stroller book- Baby Faces

Big Rex and Friends Cloth Book

Monday the Bullfrog Plush Book

Hello, Curious Buddies

Gund animals, numbers, colors
Priddy Trucks Shaker Teether Book
Little Builder Children's Board Book Sets with toys
Discover Bunny Book
Zowie's 123
Disney's Winnie the Pooh A Very Merry Christmas

Humpty Who?

2010-05-24T08:44:00.042-05:00

Dumpty, of course, but I wasn't really asking. Jennifer Griffin takes Mother Goose out of mothballs with a honk and a waddle in her fun-filled nursery rhyme primer for parents, Humpty Who? A Crash Course in 80 Nursery Rhymes for Clueless Moms and Dads. Poems parade in alphabetical order starting with "The Alphabet Song" and ending with "Where is Thumbkin?" Short, personable notes talk about rhyme origins and offer play suggestions. Humpty Who? is the perfect antidote for those Hmmm... what now? moments of baby's day. A 35-song CD is included. Here's an excerpt:

Alice the Camel is a simple, memorable song that takes your little one on a wiggly-jiggly lap ride. Not part of the Old Mother Goose tradition, it's a contemporary number that has quickly become a classic. (Listen to the CD if you don't know the tune.) Camels are fascinating to children for their mysterious water-carrying humps- you'll start seeing them soon in children's books and at the zoo. The verse, in addition to featuring an exotic creature, may be baby's first countdown.

The Action Bounce your child on your knee throughout the song, and when a number is mentioned, hold up that many fingers to the child. At the last verse, make a zero sign and whinny/neigh if you feel like it.

ALICE THE CAMEL
Alice the camel has five humps.
Alice the camel has five humps.
Alice the camel has five humps.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom

Alice the camel has four humps.
Alice the camel has four humps.
Alice the camel has four humps.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom

Alice the camel has three humps.
Alice the camel has three humps.
Alice the camel has three humps.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom

Alice the camel has two humps.
Alice the camel has two humps.
Alice the camel has two humps.
So go, Alice go!
Boom, boom, boom

Alice the camel has one humps.
Alice the camel has one humps.
Alice the camel has one humps.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom

Alice the camel has no hump.
Alice the camel has no hump.
Alice the camel has no hump.
So Alice is a horse.

Kindergarten Counts

2010-05-21T06:08:00.026-05:00

How number savvy are children at the start of school? It varies. According to the National Center for Education Statistics most first-time kindergartners can count to ten. Many can identify some single-digit numerals. A few can add and subtract. Much of what children know on that first day of school they know from home.

Sooo... make your little one's day count. COUNT OUT LOUD. Kiss 10 tiny toes. One, two socks fit 1, 2 feet. One, two feet fill 1, 2 shoes. A shirt has how many buttons? At snack time, cookies disappear. Palms up. All gone! That's a number! Count wheels on a tricycle, peas in a garden pod, clouds in the sky.

Twelve eggs fill a carton. Take away one for pancakes. How many does that leave? Serve up a hot stack. Hey, Mom! Tom got more pancakes than me! 'More' is an amount. Sibling rivalry or simple math? Numbers and counts are everywhere.

1, 2, 3 books teach number concepts. They come in a variety of formats for a variety of ages- board books, pop-ups, wordless picture books and more. Here's a handful: 1 2 3, a mini board book for babies by Simms Taback; Counting Peas, a board book for toddlers by Rosemary Wells; Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed by Eileen Christelow; Mouse Count by Ellen Stohl Walsh and Zero Is the Leaves on the Tree, a hardcover by Betsy Franco.

A Moving Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

2010-04-26T17:25:00.023-05:00

Meet two babies extraordinaire, 17-month-old siblings Quincy and Simone. Their mom kindly let me post their YouTube video and answered questions about their reading routine.

Cast a researcher's eye as the video plays: The babies are reading Let's Play Peek-a-boo! by Jane Massey. Simone reaches for a peek-a-boo flap on the front cover. Quincy's eyes follow. This is the first of several moments of joint attention, when reading partners focus on the same word, picture, or page element. This it the sweet spot of read-aloud where learning takes place. Simone holds the book right-side-up and reads from front to back. The babies turn pages- sometimes one at a time- sometimes several at once. Quincy points. Simone plays, diving into the book to kiss a mirror insert on the last page. Peek-a-boo! Together, they vocalize, back and forth, in book conversation. Booooo!

Simone and Quincy look at books daily. They attend a library lap-sit program weekly. Favorite books include Mr. Brown Can MOO! and Big Dog...Little Dog.

How old were Simone and Quincy when you first read to them?

When they were in the womb.

Do you share books at times other than bedtime?
Yes . . . I have to admit because they force us to. They are constantly running up to us with books. So, we read over and over again.

Do you have any advice for moms and dads about reading to babies?
Read to them and make it interactive. Don't force anything. Quincy knows all his letters and sounds and we just read to him and feed his thirst for letters . . . He shows signs of an early reader. Simone likes to be read to and is not as vocal, but clearly understands as she is interactive. We also have our 10 year old read to them. It is different for each child and they will show you what they want and need, it is innate to their own unique learning and cannot be forced.

Amazing babies!

How Long Do Babies Look?

2010-04-21T08:06:00.009-05:00

Reading researchers Monique Senechal, Edward H. Cornell and Lorri S. Broda studied the reading behaviors of 36 babies- 12 9-month-olds, 12 17-month-olds, and 12 27-month-olds. They wrote their findings in an article titled "Age-Related Differences in the Organization of Parent-Infant Interactions During Picture-Book Reading." They note,

The youngest children, on average, looked at the books for 55% of the duration of the reading episode. The 17-month-olds looked at the books for 73% of the time, and the 27-month-olds looked at the books 88% of the time. In addition, the youngest children looked at the book less and less as the reading progressed.

In other words, the older babies looked longer than the younger babies and the 9-month-olds (only) experienced looking fatigue during the course of a single book. The researchers also note, Children could look at each double-spread page for 30 seconds for a total of 120 seconds per book.

Babies vary. Senechal's statistics are based on group averages rather than a single baby's ability and they are based on her group of 36 babies. Your baby may attend more or less in comparison, and more or less according to the day's moment and moods and baby book in hand. You can accommodate short looking times by sharing books in short spurts throughout the day.

How long does your baby look?

So Many Choices!

2010-03-01T07:57:00.001-06:00

There is a bevy of board books on the market. How do you find the good ones? Ask a children's librarian. Google "ten best baby books." Ask a friend.

If you are lucky, a list of good books will land in your mailbox as it did in mine. Part way through this entry, the latest copy of The Horn Book Magazine arrived and with it an article by children's librarian Viki Ash titled "What Makes a Good Board Book?" Talk about timing! Here are some of her favorites: Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs (1994) by Byron Barton, Colors (2009) by Emily Bolam, Barnyard Dance! (1993) by Sandra Boynton, Time for Bed (1997) by Mem Fox, Kiss Good Night (2004) by Amy Hest, White on Black (1993) by Tana Hoban, Where is Baby's Belly Button? (2000) by Karen Katz, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1996) by Bill Martin, Jr., I like it When... (2005) by Mary Murphy, and Clap Hands (1999) by Helen Oxenbury.

In the end, the best baby book is the book your baby likes best!

1, 2, 3 Books Add Up to Reading Fun!

2010-02-16T13:27:00.000-06:00

NUMERACY 101*

Toddlers and 2-year-olds learn their numbers one by one and in order. Do not expect your little one to understand the concept of 3 before she has a firm grasp of 2, or 2 before 1.
Two-year-olds might successfully retrieve one of something, but if you ask for two, three, or more of anything you'll likely get a handful.
Two- and 3-year-olds can count small sets of things... How many cookies are on your plate? One, two, three. Yet most lack the understanding that the last number counted, 3, means that you have three cookies. Yum!

First counting books focus on numbers 1 and 2, such as What is 2? by Molly Carroll, above. That said, board books that introduce numbers 1 through 10 are easy to adapt to your toddler's level of understanding. Simply talk a lot about the low numbers and a little about the high.

*Based on research by Karen Wynn, Ph.D., Lab Director at The Infant Cognition Center at Yale University

Family Reading: Support Emerging Readers

2010-01-29T06:06:00.000-06:00

Does your toddler have a pre-k, kindergarten, or first grade sibling? With the help of the right book, the older child can "read" to the younger one, learning letters, numbers, and sight vocabulary along the way.

Many board books have little or no text and baby book illustrations tend to closely match the print on the page. Consider two books by Michel Blake: Baby's Day and Off to Bed. Each board book shows baby in action in black and white. The twist? One item on each page is in color, catching the reader's eye. That item is labeled in large print--blocks, bowl, blanket. An emerging reader will likely tell a tale based on pictures, but just as likely, he'll notice book print as well.

Grab a baby book, scoop up your kids and hand over the reading reins, if only for a day.

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Tenth Day, Tenth Title

2010-01-19T08:01:00.000-06:00

Count down to bedtime with Caldecott Honor Book Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang. Read and play on and off the page...

10 small toes all washed and warm. Count your baby's toes. 9 soft friends in a quiet room. A cat is among them. Point him out. Cat is often one of baby's first words. 8 square windowpanes with falling snow. Ask, 'Who is looking out the window?' The answer? Cat! 7 empty shoes in a short straight row. There are three pairs of shoes and a single blue sneaker. Point to each pair and count out loud, 'One, two black shoes. One, two white shoes. One, two red shoes. One... Oh-oh! One blue shoe. One! Where is the other one?' 6 pale seashells hanging down. Ask baby, 'Where is the cat?' She might point to the answer. 5 round buttons on a yellow gown. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Eyes spy the missing sneaker. 4 sleepy eyes which open and close. Count the eyes on the page. Point to baby's eyes and yours. One, two. One, two. 3 loving kisses on cheeks and nose. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! 2 strong arms around a fuzzy bear's head. Bear hug. 1 big girl all ready for bed. Zzzz... hopefully.

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Book Nine

2010-01-18T17:22:00.007-06:00

Twinkle, twinkle! is an amazing baby™ book for babies 3 to 18 months of age based on the nursery song "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Star-shaped cut-outs and sparkling foil inserts dominate the patterned pages. Bright and eye-catching, they say in a not-so-quiet way, REACH OUT AND READ. Babies pat, poke and point their way through thick board pages.

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Book Eight

2010-01-17T07:59:00.000-06:00

Ten topsy turvy toddlers star in Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes..., a 10-page board book by Annie Kubler based on the nursery song of the same name. When baby starts pointing (at about 9 months of age) it's time to start asking, "Where's Baby's nose?" and introduce this whimsical action book.

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Book Seven

2010-01-16T09:50:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces, by Jane Wattenberg, is an accordion-style concept book for babies. Baby faces, fourteen in all, float across bright, patterned pages. Seven happy. Seven sad.

Reading to newborns is as much about one-sided chatter and gaze sharing as it is about pictures and print on a page. As your baby regards each face, make up a silly story. "Why is this baby so crabby? Maybe he had beans for breakfast!" Imitate page expressions and see if your baby, in turn, imitates you. Be a ham. EXAGGERATE!

Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces was first published in 1989. It was re-released in 2007 with updated graphics. Who is Mrs. Mustard? I've sent a note to the author, asking. I'll let you know if I hear back.

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Book Six

2010-01-15T19:57:00.002-06:00

It was a dark and stormy night on Plum Street. Sam, a bear cub, peers out the window. It's time for bed. "Ready now, Sam?" (Mrs. Bear asks.) "Oh, no," said Sam. "I'm waiting." But for what?

Mrs. Bear gently persists. She reads his favorite book, arranges his covers and stuffed animals, and serves up two glasses of milk... book, blanket, friends, milk. Sam playfully resists. I'm still waiting. For what?

A Kiss Good Night.

Amy Hest's writing style aims at the heart and experiences of very young children. Its homey cadence is sprinkled with rhyme and alliteration. She subtly introduces basic concepts- colors and numbers. Illustrator Anita Jeram's expressive pictures team perfectly with the text. Your almost-1-year-old will understand just some of the words but all of the kisses!

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Book Five

2010-01-14T07:55:00.000-06:00

Crash! Bang! Wallop! Language sounds abound as a summer storm blows through a barnyard on a steamy hot day, scattering chicks and kittens and noisy bees. Kitty, kitty, kit cat. Skit, skit skat. Brightly colored characters dance across warm brown pages. After the storm: Cooler, Quieter. Late. Late. Later. No more skit. No more scatter. Chicky Chicky Chook Chook, by Cathy MacLennan, is a perfect nap time read-aloud. Published first in hardcover (2007), a board book edition was released in 2009 with five fuzzy chicks on the cover.

P.S. Does anyone know what a moggy is?

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Day Four, Quadruplets!

2010-01-13T07:01:00.000-06:00

Babies love to read about themselves. Here is their chance! Some snippets. In Helen Oxenbury's I see, a toddler scrunches down and looks at a leaping frog. In I hear, he smiles, listening to the drum-drum of the rain from under his umbrella. I can is filled with everyday doings: sitting, crawling, jumping, waving. In I touch, Oxenbury's babies pat a cat, pick up a wriggling worm, and roll over a ball. She writes just one word per page, leaving the story telling to you. Babies and toddlers listen with a wiggle, a babble, and a leap (frog). Two-year-olds are apt to tell short tales of their own!

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Three, Three, Three!

2010-01-12T05:21:00.000-06:00

A cow says MOO. A sheep says BAA. Three singing pigs say La La La! "No, no!" you say, "That isn't right. The pigs say OINK all day and night."

Sandra Boynton's rhythmic, rhyming, RIOTOUS writing is music to young babies' ears. Read about the author/illustrator turned lyricist and her latest projects here.

Day four brings more!

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Book Two

2010-01-11T21:25:00.001-06:00

Who are they? One sheep. Two pigs. Three dogs. Four cats. Five ducks. That's who! Tana Hoban introduces babies to the shapes of critters in her black and white book, Who Are They?, a wonderful high contrast book for very young babies. The simple silhouettes inspire storytelling. Who Are They? doubles as a counting and wordless picture book for young preschoolers. Hand it to your 2- or 3-year-old and say, Read me a story.

Day two is through!

Ten Titles in Ten Days: Book One

2010-01-10T10:55:00.000-06:00

Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr. wrote in his memoir, The Dreaming Game (2004), "In the fall of 1938 my mother began to imagine a revolutionary new kind of book for babies." His mother, Dorothy Kunhardt, captured these imaginings on cardstock in Pat the Bunny.

The book was an immediate success, due in part to its unique voice- Kunhardt wrote from the baby's point of view. She was a field researcher, an (unschooled!) ethnographer studying early childhood development. In 1937, following the birth of her fourth child, Kunhardt started taking notes.

She recorded "literally thousands" of bits of information about Edith's toddling development... What makes her laugh? What captures her attention? What kind of play does she return to over and over again? She observed first hand Edith's hands-on learning style. Kunhardt became the first writer to thoughtfully conceive a novelty book for babies. Copies of the first edition reached bookstores in time for Christmas, 1940. They sold for one dollar each.

Day one is done.

Thank You, Holly Stone-Barker...

2010-01-07T06:26:00.000-06:00

for illustrating my blog header! Holly's first picture book, Mama's Bayou, will be released to bookstores on February 15th. View book trailer here.

Read It Again, Ma'am!

2009-12-24T05:51:00.000-06:00

Reading the same book over and over and over again at your child’s request can peel away your patience and make you want to cry. Think onion. But go with it. Each reread creates a new layer of book understanding: Peeling an onion in reverse.

Consider the following excerpt from What Research Reveals: Foundations for Reading Instruction in Preschool and Primary Education (2002) by Susan B. Neuman:

"Repeated readings appear to further reinforce the language of the text as well as to familiarize children with the way different genres are structured (Eller, Pappas, & Brown 1988; Morrow 1988). Understanding the forms of informational and narrative texts seems to distinguish those children who have been well read to from those who have not (Pappas 1991). In one study, for example, Pappas found that with multiple exposures to a story (three readings), children's retelling became increasingly rich, integrating what they knew about the world, the language of the book, and the message of the author."

A Winter Read for Your Little Bear: In My Den (2009) by Sara Gillingham, illustrated by Lorena Siminovich

2009-12-22T06:26:00.000-06:00

As with most board books, In My Den's plot is minimal: A bear cub settles down for a long winter’s nap. Six-month-olds do not need nuance.

WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK
The board pages are thick, making it nearly indestructible. The title page and pages that follow have circular cut-outs. Each gets progressively smaller– the last one is about three inches in diameter. It is a book a 5-month-old can sink his mitt into! A brown flannel cub, a finger puppet, pokes up at the reader, staying still till the last page. Movement is a perfect attention getter for very young babies. In My Den is a wonderful hands-on, eyes-on reading experience for babies 3 to 12 months of age. It is literally tailor-made for the youngest reader.

Simple, action sentences include words that relate to baby's day- soft, warm, up, down, outside, look, roll, bed. New words are introduced: earth, leaves, pine cones, twigs. Nature baby!

The pages are pattern rich, yet not so busy as to disorganize baby’s gaze. The illustrator draws beyond the text, picturing several new words for learning- bunny, bird, squirrel, and bug.

Gillingham and Siminovich have collaborated on four books in total: In My Den plus In My Tree (2009), In My Pond (2009), and In My Nest (2009). Visit Sara Gillinghams website here for a preview.

Starry, Starry Night

2009-12-14T06:30:00.000-06:00

This year’s Caldecott medal was awarded to Beth Krommes for her artwork in The House in the Night (2008), a book written by Susan Marie Swanson. The story is built on the bones of an old English poem called “This is the Key,” reproduced below.

The House in the Night is a sweet bedtime read:

Here is the key to the house.
In the house burns a light.
In that light rests a bed.
On that bed waits a book...
Verse rhythm and repetition highlight words for learning: key, house, light, bed, book. Black and white scratchboard illustrations catch and keep young eyes focused. Key words are depicted in warm golden hues, popping from the two-tone pages. Watch your child’s eyes as you read to see where they settle- on a teddy bear ‘lovey,’ a setting sun, a yellow ball- all are conversation starters.

The last pages picture a home full of light. In a moonlit room, on a plumped-up chair, a golden book waits to be read. A child sleeps, tawny bear in arm. A gilded picture frame holds a family photo. A basket of yellow flowers sits on a dresser, perhaps paying homage to the original English verse. The house in the night is a home full of love.

This is the Key*

This is the key of the kingdom;
In that kingdom there is a city;
In that city there is a town;
In that town there is a street;
In that street there winds a lane;
In that lane there is a yard;
In that yard there is a house;
In that house there waits a room;
In that room an empty bed;
And on that bed a basket-
A Basket of Sweet Flowers;
Of Flowers, of Flowers;
A Basket of Sweet flowers.

Flowers in a basket;
Basket on the bed;
Bed in the chamber;
Chamber in the house,
House in the weedy yard;
Yard in the winding lane;
Lane in the broad street;
Street in the high town;
Town in the city;
City in the Kingdom-
This is the Key of the Kingdom.
Of the Kingdom this is the Key.

*Excerpt from The Key of the Kingdom: a Book of Stories and Poems for Children by Elizabeth Gmeyer and Joyce Russell

2009 Picture Book Awards

2009-11-30T20:37:00.001-06:00

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award- Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Polly Dunbar; Indies' Choice Book Awards- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems; Golden Kite Awards- A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton, Last Night by Hyewon Yum; Pura Belpré Award- Just In Case by Yuyi Morales; Giverny Award for "Best Children's Science Picture Book"- Forest Bright, Forest Night by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Jamichael Henterly; Christopher Awards- Close to You: How Animals Bond by Kimiko Kajikawa, That Book Woman by Heather Henson, illustrated by David Small; The Coretta Scott King Award- The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas, illustrated by Floyd Cooper; Randolph Caldecott Medal- The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes; Theodor Seuss Geisel Award- Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems; Parents’ Choice Awards- City Animals by Simms Taback; Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems.

Over the River And Through the Woods...

2009-11-13T13:58:00.000-06:00

My friend Jill asked for audio book recommendations for her granddaughter who is five. Knowing very little about children's audio books, I did a little research. Literacy expert Susan B. Neuman writes,
Hearing a book read on tape helps (your child) see how the words on the page can come alive in a fluid, expressive way. It helps her focus on the sounds of words read without interruption and provides a model of fluent reading. Audio books also give an important introduction to listening — a skill that she must master in order to learn to read.
Several audio formats are available. What you choose depends on how and where you plan to listen. Would you? Could you? In a car? Look for books on CD’s or MP3 downloads. In an OLD car? Cassettes. Do you have new kid technology, such as the Fisher Price Kid Tough FP3 Song & Story Player, or old? Downloads... cassettes. You get the idea. By the way, you can find gently-used Fisher Price tape players online.

Some audio books are packaged with a paperback so your child can look as she listens. These recordings often contain sound cues for page turning. The cues are helpful for beginning or 'pretend' readers with book in hand, but not so helpful when listening on the go as the embedded sounds interrupt the narrative flow. Some audio books are bare-bones. Some are highly produced with music and voice casts.

Where to find them... at yard sales, online barter sites, mom swaps, your local independent book store, online bookstores, FREE download audio book sites, commercial audio book sites, your PUBLIC LIBRARY, publisher's websites.

A great resource for downloads is audible KIDS. I found The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, read by Kelsey Grammer, for $2.95; Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton for $1.95; and The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, for just 99¢. A monthly membership is required.

Listen before you leap. Websites typically let you hear audio samples. Some readers are better than others. Dustin Hoffman's rendition of Horton Hears a Who at audible KIDS is a whoot! Sadly, some wonderful storybooks fall flat without the visuals.

Note reading times. Short audios work best for short trips and younger children. Longer listens shorten holiday road trips... over the river and through the woods. A collection of short stories, such as Green Eggs and Ham and Other Servings of Dr. Seuss by Dr. Seuss, can meet both needs.

Five audio picks for 5-year-olds:
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May) by Barbara Park
Amelia Bedelia Audio Collection by Peggy Parish

Three picks for 3's:
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Bear Necessities

2009-10-31T17:33:00.002-05:00

October 5th marks the release of Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, the first authorized sequel to A. A. Milne's beloved Winnie-the-Pooh book series. It is written by David Benedictus and illustrated by Mark Burgess.

To celebrate Pooh Bear's return, here is a Short List of My Favorite Bear Board Books For Tots: Bear and Kite and Bear and Ball by Cliff Wright; We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury; Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman; Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett; The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR by Don and Audrey Wood. Does your baby have a favorite?

More on Silly Sally: A Cumulative Tale

2009-10-21T06:57:00.000-05:00

Silly Sally, by Audrey Wood, is a cumulative story. Cumulative stories are a unique genre of children's books. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss comes to mind. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, a board book by Pam Adams, and This Is the House That Jack Built, by Simms Taback, are two more examples. Story lines accumulate in an additive fashion resulting in a repetitive and predictable text. Repetition and predictability... A perfect twosome for two- and three-year-olds! With repeat readings, young children chime in, finish lines, and ultimately 'read' stories on their own by pairing pictures with memorized text.

The Napping House, by Audrey Wood and Don Wood, is another cumulative tale, gentle, FUNNY, and not to be missed. There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping. But not for long.

Topsy Turvy Reading

2009-09-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

Does your toddler like to read upside down? If so, he’s not alone. Researchers Judy DeLoache, Sophia Pierroutsakos, and David Uttal (2000) took a look at the picture book orientation preferences of 18-. 24-, and 30-month-olds. The 1½ year olds in their study showed little preference regarding right side up versus upside down book reading, the 2½ year olds showed an emerging right side up preference, and the middle age group fell, well, in the middle. Remarkably, an upside down view does not appear to impede learning: The youngest children interpreted book pictures accurately in right side up and upside down test conditions.

Silly Sally went to town, walking backwards, upside down . . .

Silly Sally, a cumulative rhyming tale by Audrey Wood, is a topsy-turvy read-aloud for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. P.S. No need to turn the book around.

What Is a Concept Book?

2009-09-18T08:42:00.003-05:00

The short (or long or tall) of it: A concept book is a picture book that teaches a broad concept to young readers. Take, for example, AaLlPpHhAaBbEeTt books, number books, books about colors, opposites, and feelings or emotions.

A concept is an idea, an abstract notion. Here's the rub. Very young readers are concrete thinkers--geniuses, yes--but very 'here and now.' Luckily concept books do not have to teach the alphabetic principle, or algebra, or color theory. They teach what toddlers and young preschoolers can see, hear, touch, and feel--the upper and lowercase, quiet and loud, happy and sad face of things.

Concept Books by DENISE FLEMING

Lunch

Concept: Colors. A toothsome mouse, called Mouse, eats his way through the primary and secondary colors and then some. The pictures are deliciously big. Bon appetit! The emergent literacy bent: The text is sparse and the letters large, fostering print awareness. Point out a few words as you read. Clever foreshadowing spurs plenty of book talk: What color will Mouse eat next?

BARNYARD BANTER
Concept: Animal names and sounds. Ten farm animals, a cricket, and a frog sound off on board book pages. The literacy bent: A wonderfully noisy, rhyming text promotes language sounds awareness. Almost-one-year-olds can moo and cock-a-doodle-doo, a great pre-speech activity. Older toddlers and two's can solve the mystery, Where's goose?

Alphabet UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Concept: The alphabet. Fleming’s industrious Mouse returns, leveling L’s and measuring M’s. Each color- and pattern-rich page showcases an uppercase letter of the alphabet, making this a perfect first alphabet book for young preschoolers. Literacy bent: Fleming includes a set of alphabet construction plans on her website at www.denisefleming.com/

Have fun reading!

Nursery Rhymes Rule: The Helen Oxenbury Nursery Collection (2004)

2009-08-10T10:32:00.002-05:00

This is a 91-page, hardcover book of traditional nursery rhymes, poems, and stories by English writer and illustrator Helen Oxenbury. "A hardcover book for babies?" you ask. Yes, but only for the youngest- newborns, one-, two-, and three-month-olds, who are too young to grab a book with sharp corners. They'll listen more than look.

My favorite pages hold the "Verses from TINY TIM." The poems are rhythmic, rhyming, and playful--perfect for reading to new babes in arms. Take for example ‘MICE,’ by Rose Amy Fyleman, below. Tuck the book away when baby starts reaching. Take it out again when he or she is three or four.

MICE
I think mice
Are rather nice.
Their tails are long
Their faces small.
They haven’t any chins at all.
Their ears are pink,
Their teeth are white,
They run about
The house at night.
They nibble things
They shouldn’t touch
And no one seems
To like them much.
But I think mice
Are rather nice.

Say What?

2009-08-04T06:26:00.000-05:00

At about fifteen months of age babies start talking. By twenty months they have a spoken vocabulary of about 50 words, by twenty-four months, about 200. Typical first words are object nouns such as ball, cup, mama, dada, and duck. My son's first word was truck. He was a commuter baby... Zoom, zoom, zoom. All along, babies understand more than they can say. From day one, they are listening.

Studies suggest that children’s preschool vocabulary skills predict early elementary school reading ability. Likewise, the number and variety of words that a child hears as a baby and toddler (or the quantity and diversity of ‘mom talk’) predicts vocabulary development. Lay a literacy foundation. Start talking.

It’s morning time. Wake up! Scoop up your baby… We’re walking and we’re walking. Nursing? Bottle feeding? Start a one-sided conversation. Make eye contact and ask a question, any question. What are we going to do today? Pause and answer. You are teaching conversational rhythm. Sing a song. Recite a nursery rhyme. Dressing your tike? Snap, tug, and talk. Shirts are striped. Socks are wooly. Overalls have 1, 2 buckles. One, two buckle your shoe. At the high chair, baby’s apple juice is sweet, sweet, sweet. Oatmeal… Mmmmm. Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot nine days old. Talk about everyday people, places, and things as your baby experiences them.

Read-aloud boosts children’s vocabulary. Great first word builders are I Can, I Hear, I See, and I Touch by Helen Oxenbury, Max’s First Word (out of print but worth the hunt) by Rosemary Wells, Spot’s Favorite Words by Eric Hill, and I Went Walking by Sue Williams. Wordless picture books spark conversation. Share Tomie dePaola’s Pancakes for Breakfast then serve up a short stack of blue, blueberry pancakes drizzled with sweet, sticky, buttery, made-from-a-tree maple syrup. Yum!

Black and White and Read All Over

2009-07-14T09:23:00.000-05:00

Children’s book writer and illustrator Tana Hoban designed four wordless black and white books for babies: Black on White and White on Black in 1993 and Who Are They? and What is That? in 1994. Black & White (2007), published a year after her death, combines the first two into a single, accordion-style, stand-alone-by-your-baby book. Black (or white) silhouettes on white (or black) pages introduce very young eyes to the shape of things. Ducks. Keys. A balloon on a string.

When baby starts reaching, try pairing Who Are They? with DK Publisher’s padded Baby Touch and Feel Farm or DK’s Touch and Feel Farm. Playful, repeat readings help her connect animal shapes with pictures, pictures with animal names, and names with animal sounds and touch sensations. Time to get quacking!

Definition

2009-06-25T04:20:00.000-05:00

Read-aloud
Main Entry: read·a·loud /rēd-uh-loud/
Function: noun
1. a board book, picture book
2. the act of lending a voice to pictures and verse

Synonyms:
1. rollicking (Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton), c a l m i n g (Time for Bed by Mem Fox), touch (Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt), touching (Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram), NOISY! (Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming), Zen (Black on White by Tana Hoban), repetitive repetitive (More More More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams), eye-opening (Peek-a Who? by Nina Laden), mushy (Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown), FUN!

Antonyms:
1. hands-off, flat, monotonous, tiresome, drudging, humdrum.

Books, Babies, & Beyond

2009-06-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

I am an educational researcher with a passion for baby books.

I read to my babies 20 years ago. Now I hand stacks of board books to my neighbor and beg her to share them with her 1 year old son and report back. Each time, I hope for a handful of 5-star (5-drool!) ratings.

The purpose of this blog is to spotlight baby book titles and to summarize current research about read-aloud. I have a strong literacy bent, favoring books that tickle the ears, play with print, and spark book talk.