Books for Babies

• Babies are active learners, using all their senses to explore the world around them. They are not ready to pay attention to long stories as older children do, but they enjoy interacting with an adult as they learn about books and words.
• Babies love to hear the human voice and enjoy music. Use nursery rhymes, songs and finger plays as part of the bath time and bedtime routines.
• Babies like books with simple pictures and bright colors that reflect familiar things in their world. Card board books are great!

Books for Young Children

• While toddlers still have limited attention spans, they are increasingly able to enjoy and learn from books.
• Toddlers love rhythms, movement and music. Nursery rhymes, song and fingerplays should still be a part of your child's daily routine.
• Toddlers still enjoy simple books with bright colors. As your child grows, he or she will begin to enjoy looking for objects in more complex scenes.

Books for Preschoolers

• Preschoolers particularly enjoy books that deal with families and friendships.
• Preschoolers are increasingly able to appreciate books with more abstract pictures and more fanciful plots. However, they still like books with clear action and satisfying resolutions.
• Preschoolers have a growing interest in language and like books that allow them to play with words and rhythms.
• Look for books with attractive art, pleasing language, characters your child can identify with, clear plots, sensory appeal, repetition, rhyme, and humor.