Books for Babies

By Michelle Ballard, Springfield-Greene County Library District

I get asked: Why should I read to my baby? The answer is more complex than one might think.

Reading to a baby creates a stronger bond between the baby and the reader.

The baby is gaining vocabulary knowledge, learning how to handle a book, and reading is a great way to start a routine. Who knew so many great things could come out of reading to your baby?

Another question I get asked is, how old should my baby be before I start reading to him/her?

My answer is day one. Of course that question is often followed by what should be read and why. So, let’s explore some of what can be read, and then talk about the why.

Some great books to start with for those zero to three month olds:

So what is special about these books? They are high contrast books, they have simple pictures, and bold text.

The why for reading these is that infants zero to three months have limited sight and therefore:

• High contrast books allow young infants to make out shapes. 
• Simple uncluttered pages help infants to better see what is on the page
• Bold text helps infants learn print knowledge.
• Babies like to see the faces of other infants.

Bottom line: start reading and love the special time you get to share.