Good books to read to your toddler
There is something extraordinarily beautiful about a toddler's enthusiasm for life.
Think about it. Literally everything is new, and because of that, everything is exciting. Each waking moment provides endless opportunities to discover, learn and grow.
As toddlers navigate their way through each day, they are fascinated by the things adults might overlook or take for granted.
Each new experience provides the toddler with another building block of understanding, and a critically important part of a toddler's day should be reading books together.
Every time you read to a toddler, you expand the child's intellect. Reading builds vocabulary at an incredible rate. Reading builds comprehension, attention to detail, and an understanding of how much can be learned from a book. The list goes on and on.
You couldn't ask for a more receptive, enthusiastic audience than a toddler, and today's reviewed books are targeted specifically for little children.
Don't underestimate the importance and power of reading aloud to your toddler every day. Your gift of reading today and every day will yield more benefits than can ever be measured.
The following books are available at many public libraries.<B>"Do Monkeys Tweet?"</B> and <B>"Do Pigs Have Stripes?"</B> written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh, Houghton Mifflin, 28 pages each, board books; read aloud: age 2 to 3; read yourself: age 6 to 7.Melanie Walsh presents fun questions and happy illustrations in double-page format."Do baby lambs go buzz? No, bees go buzz." "Does a mouse have a green spiky tail? No, a crocodile does."Wonderful little board books perfect for small hands, children will love these engaging selections that will make them think and laugh.
<B>Library:</B> Saxonburg Library, 240 W. Main St., Saxonburg<B>Library Director: </B>Steve Twentier<B>Children's Programmer:</B> Judy O'Brokta<B>Choices this week:</B> <B>"We're Going On a Bear Hunt"</B> by Michael Rosen; <B>"The Dot"</B> by Peter H. Reynolds; <B>"Too Many Frogs"</B> by Sandy Asher
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"Mama, What's In There?"</B> by Diane Muldrow, illustrated by Rick Peterson, Golden Books, 2008, 14 pages, $7.99 board book; read aloud: age 1 to 3; read yourself: age 6 to 7.A young bear, elephant, dolphin, monkey, puppy and little boy all want to know what's inside their mamas' big pregnant tummies.In spare, rhyming text, each mama answers her little one, and children can then lift the flap on the mothers' stomach to reveal the babies inside.Children can then pull the tab or spin the wheel to watch the elephant move, the dolphin swim, the puppies pant and the human infant suck his thumb in the womb!A clever and clear approach to help toddlers understand pregnancy, "Mama, What's In There?" is first rate.<B>"Barnyard Bath!" </B>written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton, Workman Publishing, 2008, 10 pages, $8.95 plastic and foam floating book; read aloud: age 1 to 3; read yourself: age 6 to 7.A funny book for the bath that floats and has a cool washcloth for children to use as they wash the duckies, the cow, the piggy, sheep, chicken and finally, "Now wash YOU!"Sandra Boynton's zany characters and simple, fun text combine to make bath time more fun than ever!<B>"Peek-a-Boo, I Love You!"</B> written and illustrated by Sandra Magsamen, Little Brown Kids, 2009, 10 pages, $7.99 board book; read aloud: age 1 to 3; read yourself: age 6 to 7."Who's that hiding under there? Peek-a Boo! A brown bear in a chair."Who else is hiding behind the flaps? A puppy dog, a kitty cat and a cow, with the last flap revealing a heart-shaped foil mirror for the child to see their reflection.This fun, interactive peek-a-boo book is certain to engage young children for repeated readings.Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached via e-mail: kendal@sunlink.net.
