Children and Books: Begin the Connection Early!

Books with easy-to-turn pages

Cats to count, by M. Phillips. (New York: Random House, 1984). A Chunky book with cardboard pages.

Ernie and Bert can...Can you?, Sesame Street. (New York: Random House, 1982). A Chunky book.

Mother Goose rhymes. (New York: Simon & Shuster, 1984). A super Chubby book with cardboard pages.

Good books for introducing babies to the names of things (especially appropriate for babies between 9 and 18 months old)

Barnyard banter, by D. Fleming. (New York: Henry, Holt & Company, 1994). Brightly colored rhyming text showing barnyard animals.

Clothes, Food, Garden, and Kitchen, First Word Series. (New York: Snapshot Covent Garden Books). Four small books with cardboard pages including photographs of items belonging to the category indicated by the title of the book.

Books with simple stories--(for toddlers just beginning to be able to sit long enough to listen to a real story).

Goodnight moon, by M.W. Brown. (New York: Harper & Row, 1947). A classic story to read at bedtime.

The very hungry caterpillar, by E. Carle. (New York: Philomel, 1972). Repetitious text involving many familiar foods and a caterpillar.

Lily and Willy, by M. Alexander. (Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1993). A small book that tells about two friends, one with a doll and one with a teddy bear.

Books for 2- to 3-year olds

All by myself, by M. Mayer. (Racine, WI: Western, 1983). The many things a young boy can do--from pouring juice for a little sister to icing a cake with mom, and almost putting himself to bed.

The snowy day, by E.J. Keats. (New York: Penguin, 1962). Children will identify with Peter who has fun playing in the snow.

Ten, nine, eight, by M. Bang. (New York: Scholastic, 1983). A counting book that starts with 10 and goes to 1.

Books for 3- to 5-year olds

Blueberries for Sal, by R. McCloskey. (New York: Viking, 1948). A little bear and a little girl mix up their mothers while gathering blueberries.

Chickens aren’t the only ones, by R. Heller. (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1981). A beautiful book about animals who lay eggs.

Jesse Bear, what will you wear?, by N.W. Carlstrom. (New York: Scholastic, 1986). Poetry provides a whimsical glimpse at what a childlike bear wears from morning to night.