When my children were young I bought board books for them, lots of board books. They are just perfect for little fingers that haven’t developed the dexterity to turn a paper page while at the same time introducing them to the wonderful world of books. Of course, no matter how many books a child has, there is always one or two that are favorites, and before long she is “reading” those books on her own.
I firmly believe that a child who is read to from infancy is more likely to be a better reader, have a life-long interest in reading, and will grow her vocabulary through the words she meets in her books. Story time is a time for bonding between the child and the reader.
I recently found the following board books while on a bookstore shopping spree.
You Are My I LOVE YOU by Maryann Cusimano Love is a delightful rhyming story about a parent’s love for his child.
“I am your calm face;
You are my giggle.
I am your wait;
You are my wiggle.”
The pictures are charming and illustrate the verse on each page.
GUESS WHO! by Laura Driscoll introduces various animals with a simple rhyme telling something about each animal. The opposite page has a mirror and the animal tells what kind of animal he is and says, “Just like you.” 
“In Russia the snow
Piles up high and deep
While I am in my den,
Fast asleep”.
“I am a brown bear!
Just like you!”
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE and RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY are both illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. Both verses are the very ones I sang to my children when they were small. The books are well illustrated with colorful, eye-catching pictures that appeal to the youngest of readers.
If there is a little one in your life, check out these books and the many other children’s board books at your favorite bookstore.
BOOK CHAT 
Thanks so much. You are awesome!
LikeLike
I agree with you on the importance of introducing young children to the love of reading. I have found that if the children I teach love reading, they love the journey of learning.
LikeLike
When my youngest was a baby, I volunteered as the reading coordinator for my second grader’s class. I remember a mother calling and complaining that her child was required to read to one of his parents for 20 minutes a night. She insisted it was the teacher’s responsibility to teach her son to read, not hers. Sadly, this little boy became a class clown because he wan’t able to read as well as his classmates.
LikeLike
Such a pity. Reading to one’s child, or listening to them read, is a time when parent and child can bond.
LikeLike
Thank you so much. 🙂
LikeLike
I love the fact that I can look for books like this again for my grandson
LikeLike
I feel the same way. My kids grew up before I was ready to give up reading their books, so grandchildren definitely give you a second time around.
LikeLike
You are so right about building an early love of books. My children are in their early 20s now but I did enjoy reading to them – even though it was the often the same book over and over! A personal favourite was the Percy the Park Keeper books by Nick Butterworth.
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I haven’t seen any of the Percy the Park Keeper books, but I will definitely check them out.
LikeLike
These are so cute….will definitely buy for my niece one day 🙂
LikeLike
She will love them. I never tire of shopping for books for little ones. With the board books, they are never too young. The pictures keep their interest too.
LikeLike
thanks for sharing 🙂
LikeLike
I also love Goodnight Moon . . . ever notice that the drawings in that book gradually get darker as the story progresses? Supposed to make little ones grow sleepy . . .
LikeLike
LOVE Goodnight Moon! It is one of the first books I read to my children, and one that I shared with my grandchildren as well. Yes, you are right, the drawings do get darker. Somehow though, my sons were always awake long enough to say, “Read it again.”
LikeLike
I often say when this subject comes up that I really miss having children to read to, I loved that special time. Having said that there are no guarantees in life, each child is different. While my daughter read early and loves books, my son, who had exactly the same experience rarely read a book. This wasn’t because he couldn’t but that he didn’t enjoy reading. As he got older he used to borrow audio books from the library so he still had the story experience but he admitted recently he never read the books for school, he just used to read the synopsis. He left school (at 18) and since then has read more books but he is not a ‘book-lover’ Enjoy the moment and the brilliant picture books out there it is a magical way to share time with your child 🙂
LikeLike
My sons went through stages where they said they didn’t like reading, but I could usually find something of interest. After a teacher told our middle child that boys don’t read poetry, I introduced him to Edgar Allen Poe. Sixth grade boys can connect with both Poe’s prose and his poetry. Happily for my grandsons (ages 14 1/5 and 11, and one that is 11 1/2) there are more great books to keep their interest today than when my children were growing up. Yes, the board books are beautiful and our little granddaughter is already becoming a “reader”.
LikeLike
Each child is different and as I said all wasn’t lost and fortunately he had learnt to read effortlessly it just wasn’t the medium he chose to engage with. Audio books were a perfect substitute. He is at uni now and belongs to a writers group!
LikeLike
Wonderful! Yes, you are right about them all being different. I used to marvel that three boys born to the same mother and father could be so different and at the same time be alike in so many ways.
LikeLike