For the Love of Books

I read a super book the other day. You MUST get it if you're struggling with how best to approach literacy in young children. Here's my review.

Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos: A Guide to Reading, Choosing and Loving Books Together by KJ Dell’Antonia and Susan Straub

"Books as a Way of Life"

© 2006 Christine Louise Hohlbaum

For someone who grew up with Dr. Seuss, Winnie the Pooh and endless trips to the library, I have always appreciated a good book. KJ Dell’Antonia and Susan Straub apparently do, too. This comprehensive guide offers hundreds of book references and ways in which to use them to turn our children on to the written word.

From reassuring advice that all babies chew and throw books to useful tips on how to integrate our children’s TV diet with fabulous books such as Clifford the Big Red Dog and Thomas the Tank, the authors provide a palette of ways to tackle the topic of literacy. The book has a realistic, no-nonsense approach (most kids do watch TV; here’s how to support reading anyway). The book is geared towards parents who wish to relive their own childhoods through the books that carried them from baby to adult. While the focus is 0 to 3 years, this guide would be useful for librarians who wish to keep up with what the contemporary child and his siblings are reading. It is a fantastic resource for the new parent or grandparent who needs a little direction. The sheer breadth of books covered makes the book a little overwhelming at times. The best way to read it is to open to the chapter that interests you at the moment. It reads more like a travel guide than a cover-to-cover novel. It is exceptionally well-written, which substantiates the authors’ claim that books can broaden a child’s understanding of the written word at a young age.

I highly recommend Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos for parents who wish to foster their children’s literacy and intellectual development. Books are essential to that end. Thankfully, we have authors like KJ Dell’Antonia and Susan Straub who care as much as we parents do about passing on the tradition of cats in striped hats and tanks that talk.