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[CCBC-Net] baby books
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From: SStantoine at aol.com <SStantoine>
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2005 10:31:04 EST
I've learned so much about books and which ones engage babies and toddlers
(at least my baby/toddler) since the arrival of my daughter 2+ years ago.
When she first became really interested in books--around 6 months--it was clear that the visual elements were of paramount importance. What engaged her were the books with fairly simple, clear illustrations that varied substantially from page to page. Her favorite book by far was The Snowy Day. I gained all new appreciation for the wonderful shifts in color, composition, etc., from one spread to the next. Many of Eric Carle's books fit this description, especially Brown Bear, Brown Bear; The Very Hungry Caterpillar, etc. So did the DK books with photographs of animals, babies, etc.
As my daughter started focusing more on words, she seemed happiest with very simple text that allowed her to listen and still turn the page when she was ready for a new picture. Books like I Am a Bunny by Richard Scarry, Goodnight Moon, Mr. Gumpy's Outing, and Leo Leonni's Let's Play were huge hits. Note that all of these still fit the pattern of big contrast from page to page. A few books with more text per page did manage to captivate her from an early point
(say, 8 months), especially Owl Babies, an all-time favorite.
I think what I've found most interesting as I've gone from writer/editor to parent too is that even at our wonderful, discerning children's bookstore, I find myself dismissing a huge percentage of books because they simply don't seem right for the age level they're trying to engage. I wish I could name some examples, but because I never bring them home I'm drawing a blank right now. In general, these books fail to meet the above criteria (visual changes from page to page, simple text) or the pictures are too busy and visually confusing. The simple (yet of course very sophisticated) style of a book like Olivia is such a refreshing exception among so many of the current titles. Maybe the bottom line is that less is more.
Sara St. Antoine Cambridge, Massachusetts
Received on Tue 08 Nov 2005 09:31:04 AM CST
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2005 10:31:04 EST
I've learned so much about books and which ones engage babies and toddlers
(at least my baby/toddler) since the arrival of my daughter 2+ years ago.
When she first became really interested in books--around 6 months--it was clear that the visual elements were of paramount importance. What engaged her were the books with fairly simple, clear illustrations that varied substantially from page to page. Her favorite book by far was The Snowy Day. I gained all new appreciation for the wonderful shifts in color, composition, etc., from one spread to the next. Many of Eric Carle's books fit this description, especially Brown Bear, Brown Bear; The Very Hungry Caterpillar, etc. So did the DK books with photographs of animals, babies, etc.
As my daughter started focusing more on words, she seemed happiest with very simple text that allowed her to listen and still turn the page when she was ready for a new picture. Books like I Am a Bunny by Richard Scarry, Goodnight Moon, Mr. Gumpy's Outing, and Leo Leonni's Let's Play were huge hits. Note that all of these still fit the pattern of big contrast from page to page. A few books with more text per page did manage to captivate her from an early point
(say, 8 months), especially Owl Babies, an all-time favorite.
I think what I've found most interesting as I've gone from writer/editor to parent too is that even at our wonderful, discerning children's bookstore, I find myself dismissing a huge percentage of books because they simply don't seem right for the age level they're trying to engage. I wish I could name some examples, but because I never bring them home I'm drawing a blank right now. In general, these books fail to meet the above criteria (visual changes from page to page, simple text) or the pictures are too busy and visually confusing. The simple (yet of course very sophisticated) style of a book like Olivia is such a refreshing exception among so many of the current titles. Maybe the bottom line is that less is more.
Sara St. Antoine Cambridge, Massachusetts
Received on Tue 08 Nov 2005 09:31:04 AM CST
