Choosing Books Your Child Will Like
Here are some kinds of books that most young children like. These
books are ones that children can play with and talk about. Your
child doesn't need to sit down to enjoy these books; he can enjoy
them while he is standing up, riding in the car, eating a snack,
or even taking a bath. We do recommend that you try to buy some
of these first books, so that your child will have lots of time
to get to know the books and enjoy them. The last section of this
guide contains a bibliography of books for beginning listeners.
- Books with lots of good pictures to look at and talk about,
but not many words. Look for books with pictures of things
your child likes. You can find books about anything from trucks
to dinosaurs to Barbie dolls. If your child is 4 or 5 years old,
he will probably like books with detailed pictures. Younger children
will probably like simpler pictures.
- Books that your child can play with. Some books have
flaps to lift, things to look for, buttons to push, wheels to
turn, stickers to peel off. Choose sturdy ones, though, so your
child can play without damaging the book.
- Short versions of stories that your child already knows.
Most children like books about stories and characters they have
seen in movies and on television. Change your voice for the different
characters, and be dramatic as you read. Your extra expression
will help your child pay attention.
- Song or poem books. Look for ones about a song or a
poem that your child already knows. For example there are books
about "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Five Little
Monkeys Jumping on the Bed". Your child might like to
pretend read these kinds of books.
- Books for browsing through. Many books don't have to
be read from beginning to end. Children often enjoy just looking
through picture dictionaries. They can find all sorts of things
there--their favorite animals, the colors of a rainbow. And there
are alphabet books and concept books about many topics children
enjoy--space, bugs, sports, zoos. Occasionally your child might
ask you what a word says. That's great, but it is also good just
to look through these books and talk about the pictures.
- Home-made books. Make a
sturdy book for your child, using pictures from around your home.
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