Library Notes / April 30, 2012 / Dara L. Cain




Books for Babies



As a mother (and a Children’s Librarian) I have enjoyed reading to my daughter since the day she was born. She’s eighteen months old now and has developed a love for books that I hope will continue throughout her life. It is amazing to see that if you give her a choice between a book and a toy nine times out of ten she chooses the book to look at the pictures. Each night before bed we read a story together and she loves to turn the pages and name some of the pictures in the story that she knows.

Why do I read aloud to my baby? Reading provides a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with my daughter and to open her mind to the exploration of the world around her. This shared activity teaches her about communication and introduces her to concepts such as stories, letters, numbers, shapes, and colors in an entertaining way. Reading aloud also helps build her listening, memory, and vocabulary skills. It’s never too early to start educating your child.

Do you want to know a great thing about reading aloud? It doesn’t take any special skills or tools. All that is needed is your time, your little one, and a great selection of books to choose from. I would love to share with you some fun books that my daughter has enjoyed listening to that you might like to share with your child before bed or anytime during the day.

I have enjoyed reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle to my daughter since she was born. This is a great story with simple repetitive text and clear pictures on solid white background. Babies are drawn to these types of illustrated books with bold and starkly contrasting colors. Some other great titles are I Like Black and White by Barbara Jean Hicks, Who Are They? By Tana Hoban, and I Kissed the Baby by Mary Murphy.

Karen Katz is the author of some amazing board books for children including Where Is Baby’s Bellybutton?, Ten Tiny Babies, Counting Kisses, and Baby Loves Spring. My daughter loves these board books because all of the stories are about babies which she seems to be fascinated with. When your child begins to respond to what’s inside of books select board books such as the ones by Karen Katz with pictures of babies or familiar objects that they can relate to. Board books are great when your child starts to use his hands to grab because they are sturdier than pictures books and are easier for a child to hold when they are learning to turn the pages.

When your child starts to become independent and can do things like sit up in the bathtub and eat finger foods, find simple stories about daily routines. My daughter loves the book Tubby about a baby who loves playing in the bathtub by Leslie Patricelli and Bubbles, Bubbles a Sesame Street Workshop board book with a lot of repetition. “Bubbles bubbles on my nose. Bubbles bubbles on my toes, Bubbles bubbles in my hair. Bubbles Bubbles everywhere!” Books that invite babies to repeat simple words and phrases is great for when you child starts to talk.

Books with different textures (soft, scratchy, crinkly) and mirrors are also wonderful for this age group. The author Fiona Watt does some fun board books that are touch and feel that my daughter loves to get her hands on. That’s Not My Pony… It’s Mane Is Too Fluffy, That’s Not My Fairy…Her Dress Is Too Shiny, and That’s Not My Train…It’s Wheels Are Too Squishy are just a few of the tiles that she has written. Fold-out books or books with flaps that open for a surprise are also engaging and exciting for a child. My daughter loves Eric Hill’s Spot series. Her favorite is Where’s Spot. A mother dog in search of her lost puppy searches around the house and finds eight other animals hiding behind the concealed flaps until finally she finds her puppy.

Once your child gets a little bit older read whatever stories your child asks for. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same book every night for weeks and weeks because you want your child to listen to stories that they are interested in whether it be ducks, puppies, trains, or trucks. My daughter loves Duck and Goose by Tad Hills and What Puppies Do Best by Laura Numeroff and I can’t tell you how many times I have read those stories. I continue to read them to her because she loves them and I want her to one day love to read.

One of the best ways to encourage your child to grow up to be a reader is to have books around your house. I have several bins of books in my daughter’s room that she likes to pull out and look through. I also keep some of her books mixed in with her toys. In addition to the books you own, take advantage of those you can borrow from the library. Rowan Public Library has storytime just for babies, too which is a fun way for your child to enjoy stories with other babies their age.