We all know the importance of inculcating early reading habits in children and why it is important for their holistic development and so on and so forth. No sermons here. As a twin mom, I know reading for babies is incredibly fun for both kids and parents. However, one often doesn't know where to begin and a lot of the classic reading material recommended for children below 5 years of age is either very expensive or less available for Indians. So I am sharing book reviews based on my practical experience with my children.
1. Where Is Baby's Mommy? by Karen Katz
This lift-the-flap book with lovely pictures about baby searching for mommy at different places in the house, and discovering his toys, ending on a beautiful note with baby finding mommy makes for a perfect first book to introduce the concept of 'books' to a child. It was a great hit with my infants. Karen Katz is a must-to-have author in the beginner reader's library. Arm yourself with scotch-tape however, and be prepared for the flap to be played with to the point of destruction :) I would highly recommend this as a beginner book, because of the endearing subject and the playful format.
When to introduce: 6 months - 1 year (when baby can sit up and can say 'mamma' or 'mommy')
Pricing: Medium (Rs. 200 - 400)
Rating: 10 / 10
2. Where is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz
Another of Karen Katz's adorable lift-the-flap books, this one is a cute way to discover different parts of the baby hidden behind different objects. Great to help children recognize and relate with body parts and fun to explore the flap. My kids loved it, though I introduced it to them when they were getting a little old for the simple storyline. Still Karen Katz is a safe bet in terms of likeability with kids and worth-having. However, you can choose any of her other little treasures over this if you find that to be more interesting in terms of content.
When to introduce: 8 months - 1 year (when baby is being introduced to body parts)
Pricing: Medium (Rs. 200 - 400; Not sure why there's a significant price difference between Flipkart and Amazon - please check the format. Simple board book will do)
Rating: 8 / 10
3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A much-recommended classic, this one is meant to be a great hit with new readers. Eric Carle's concepts work very well for kids and this book is available in a variety of interesting formats. I would suggest the big board book format with holes which make it interesting for kids to explore. It is filled with colorful pictures, about the caterpillar's journey for one week, taking the kids through different types of food and counting. I fell behind in introducing this book to my kids at an early age because of which it didn't click with them as well as expected. I think they got too old for it, though I had great success with other Eric Carle's classics. I would still recommend this as a must-have for beginner's reading and suggest introducing it early on.
When to introduce: 6 months - 1 year (when baby can sit up)
Pricing: Medium (Rs. 200 - 400; varies across format)
Rating: 8 / 10
4. Haha And Hehe Have Fun from Om Books
This simple illustrated paper-back story-book is a great hit with my kids! They thoroughly enjoyed this book. In this book, Haha and Hehe explore what 'fun' is and enact activities which are 'fun' for them. Toddlers would love this because they would agree with Haha and Hehe on what 'fun' is :) Definitely recommended for the toddler library. I suggest including enactment in the narration to make it 'fun' for your kids.
When to introduce: 12 - 24 months (toddler phase - when kids are introduced to recognizing activities from pictures)
Availability: Available on Amazon (link)
Pricing: Low (below Rs. 200)
Rating: 10 / 10
5. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle
This is a very dear classic for my children who loved, loved and loved this book - It has the highest number of repeat-requests from them so far! It is a great book to engage children in the story as it follows a Q&A format posing each animal a question on what it sees, which is followed by another animal in the next page. Great way to introduce children to recognizing different animals / creatures and colors through a story-like format. Must-have book in the toddler library. It can be introduced from the beginner phase or later as well - Even preschoolers would enjoy narrating the story by themselves as the format is easy to grasp. Eric Carle knows how to engage children. You can also check out Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (link) by Eric Carle which is equally popular. I didn't get a chance to try it out as I couldn't find a pocket-friendly version of it to buy in India.
When to introduce: 9 months - 3 years
Pricing: Low or medium (Paperback format is easy on pocket and works equally well)
Rating: 10 / 10
6. Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss
Coming from the famous Dr. Seuss of 'The Cat in the Hat', this is one of the most popular classics recommended in almost all reading lists for small children. I think it is worth the attention given how successful it was with my kids and how much they enjoyed it. The narrative can be made very dramatic, fun and engaging through all the eccentricities of the Wacky Wednesday. It can help boost the child's intellect by making children absorb all that is happening and why it is weird. Pre-schoolers can have fun by participating in the narrative through identifying and counting the number of wacky things on each page. This book will be enjoyed by children of different age groups, and is one to last. I think it is worth the price.
When to introduce: 15 months - 6 years
Availability: Easily available on Amazon (link)
Pricing: Medium or high (Paperback format is easy on pocket; Hardcover may last longer as this is a book which can be cherished for quite a few years)
Rating: 10 / 10
7. Pepper Is Jealous from Sterling Publishers
With highly age-appropriate storylines and messages for toddlers, I highly recommend the 'Pepper' series of books in the toddler library. They're very popular in the curriculum at my children's playschool and I had great success with this book at home. I plan on exploring more from the series. Introducing at the right age is important; Older kids may find the series to be preachy and may not be hooked. You can explore more from the series (link).
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