Sharing Books With Your Baby
Sharing books with your little one is the single most important thing that you will do to teach them to learn to read. Reading aloud is also vital for helping your child learn new words as most quality children’s books use language that’s even more complex than adult conversation! And reading together is a great time for you to snuggle up and talk about the emotions of others as you relate to the characters in the story you’re sharing.
Top Tips for Reading with Your Little One
Read with your baby or toddler every day.
Let your child choose the book.
Let your child hold the book and turn the pages.
Sit so you can see the picture and your child’s face. This helps you see what they are interested in or might be trying to tell you.
For young children, choose books that are about familiar activities, routines and objects.
Choose books with bright and engaging pictures.
Black and White books or high contrast baby books can be great for very young babies as their vision is only just developing.
Make sure books are durable. Choose board books, cloth books, water-proof books for babies and toddlers so they can turn the pages.
Make sure books are always accessible to your little one. Store them on the bottom shelf, in toy baskets, in the pram and always put some books out on your baby’s play mat.
Make reading part of your snuggly bedtime routine.
Board Books for Babies
Board books are a great option when sharing a book with your baby or toddler. These books are super durable, which means you can let them turn the pages without fear they will be destroyed! They can also be eaten, sat-on, thrown and generally over-loved and still be readable for many years to come.
Our top-10 board books for babies are:
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (by Mem Fox)
Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? (by Eric Carle)
Kissed by the moon (by Alison Lester)
I went walking (by Sue Williams)
Hooray for Fish (by Lucy Cousins)
Peepo (by Janet and Allen Ahlberg)
Hello Baby (by Mem Fox)
Sung as a Hug (by Marica Vaughan)
That’s not my … (Usborne Series)
Time for Bed (by Mem Fox)
Best Toddler Board Books
Toddlers love sharing books. Board books are also a great option for this age as your can confidently let them be in control without worrying about pages being ripped.
Our top-10 board books for toddlers are:
Dear Zoo (by Rod Campbell)
Rudie Nudie (by Emma Quay)
Where is the Green Sheep? (By Mem Fox)
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy (by Lynley Dodd)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (by Eric Carle)
Possum Magic (by Mem Fox)
Dig, Dig, Digging (by Margaret Mayo)
Where’s Spot (Eric Hill)
We’re Going on a Bear Hune (by Michael Rosen)
Rumble in the Jungle (by Giles Andreae)
Best Books for Preschoolers
It’s so much fun sharing books with your preschooler as they can pay attention for longer and are starting to be interested in books with more complex storylines.
Our top-10 picture books for preschoolers are:
The Gruffalo (by Julia Donaldson)
Each, Peach, Pear, Plum (by Janet and Allen Ahlberg)
First Thousand Words (Usborne Books)
Harriet, You’ll Drive me Wild (by Mem Fox)
The Everywhere Bear (by Julia Donaldson)
Owl Babies (by Martin Waddell)
The Bear’s Lunch (by Pamela Allen)
Isabella’s Garden (by Genda Millard)
The Tiger Who Came to Tea (by Judith Kerr)
Giraffes can’t dance (by Giles Andreae)
