From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2005 16:28:49 -0600

Today at the CCBC, we had a showing of the short documentary "Reading with Babies," which was produced by Susan Straub and the Read to Me Program (www.readtomeprogram.org). It's a wonderful compilation of vignettes (with friendly, observational commentary) that show parents and grandparents sharing books with the youngest children--from newborns to age 2. Through showing rather than telling, scene after scene makes it clear that reading to babies is an engaging activity for child and adult alike, with benefits that are obvious (from language development to esteem-building to bonding between child and caregiver). The film also shows that the situations in which babies can be read to are many and varied--there is no right way or time to do it.

So we've been thinking a lot about babies and reading here at the CCBC in recent weeks, which led us to choose "books for babies" as our topic for the first half of November. We know that some of you work professionally with very young children, and many more of you have--or have had--young children with whom you interact in your personal lives. So what are some of the things you look for in choosing or evaluating books for the youngest child? Are there certain titles you find never fail in a baby storytime? Certain authors you go to again and again? A book that you always give as a gift to young children? Are there some books you find particulary effective for their visual images? Other for the writing?

When you hear "books and babies" what comes to your mind?

Megan




Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706

ph: 608-262-9503 fax: 608-262-4933 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Fri 04 Nov 2005 04:28:49 PM CST