Summer Reads: Recommended Books for Kids
Lift the flap, turn the page, lift the flap, turn the page. This is what many of us think about when envisioning an interactive story time with our kids. But, there are numerous other ways to engage your child in books! Building a bond with books can start when babies learn to hold objects in their hands in order to explore their environment. As children grow up, so do their interests. Toddlers love to run around, but you don’t have to sacrifice summer fun for sit down time, turning paper pages one by one until your little one wiggles out of your seat. Children’s books are fun! Especially when you have insight into the best books to not only capture your child’s attention, but to captivate their interests enough to hear the words “read it again!”
Books for Babies:
Increasing Sensory Experiences!
Taste – Indestructibles: Baby Faces, by: Amy Pixton
Although books are great for reading, the nontoxic, no rip pages are perfect for your baby’s little mouth, in case your baby prefers to snack on the story, rather than listen…
Touch – Melissa & Doug Soft Activity Baby Book – Little Chef
What do babies do most? Eat, sleep, and read of course! Why not start exposing young minds to food in through books right from the start?!
Sight – Disney Baby Einstein: I see Me! A Mirror Board Book, by: Nadeem Zaidi
Your heart will melt when you see your baby smiling at him or herself in the mirror on each page. With interactive ideas, your baby can participate in simple actions and gestures, getting to see their own performance on the mirrors in this book.
Sound – Cuddly Cow: A Farm Friends Sound Book, by: Nosy Crow
The big buttons facilitate an accurate point of contact when those little fingers move around and reach for the place where exciting sounds emerge! Moo is a great first animal sound for your toddler to learn, since the “M” sound provides visual feedback and anticipation of what sound come next!
Smell – Don’t Touch, It’s Hot, By: David Algrim
Pretending to blow on the hot food in this book is a great oral motor activity for your little one. Some of the pages have scratch and sniff pictures, which smell oh so good!
Books for Toddlers:
I am TWO, give me something to do!
The Sea (Round and Round), by: Alex Burnett
Build an island with the puzzle pieces you take out of this story, and then watch a turtle race around the island that your toddler so proudly just built.
Little Cloud: A Draw-with-Chalk Book, by: Eric Carle
Is it a bird?! Is it a plane?! It can be both when you let your toddler draw their own pictures to complete the illustrations!
Once Upon a Time, A Change-the-Story Book, by: Nick Sharratt
Teach your children what it means to be an author, as they make choices about how the story plays out. You can read this book over and over, without having to repeat the same sentences again and again.
Under Construction, Piggy Toes Press, Illustrated by: Heather Brown
Driving vehicles around from room to room on the floor doesn’t have to be the only way to get your child talking about transportation. With five moveable trucks, this book is sure to dig deep into your child’s interests.
Sounds on the Go! With Vehicle Sounds!, By: Gail Donovan
Press a button…get ready for excitement! There is so much to chat about in this book with peppy transportation noises, vivid pictures, and yes….flaps!
Books for Preschoolers:
I’m turning three, don’t forget me!
Whoo’s There: A Bedtime Shadow Book, By: Heather Zschock
In case your shadow puppets never turn out the way you want, check out this book for captivating visuals that take life on the wall when you shine a light through each picture. What a relief!
Ava, The Animal Rescuer, By: Stacey Donovan
Listening to a story has never been so easy, or stimulating, when some of the words rely on your toddler’s participation in swiping an arrow to elicit Ava’s voice. She helps tell the story and leaves your little one eager to turn each page.
Magnetic Silly Animals: Mix and Match the Magnets to Make Silly Animals, by: Nat Lambert
What three year old doesn’t like to get silly? This book allows your child to mix facial features by choosing which magnets to stick onto blank canvases, which happen to be the faces of animals in this hardcover.
Shark in the Park!, By: Nick Sharratt
Don’t worry, your summer trips to the park will not become infrequent due to this great read. In fact, it is the perfect match for everyone’s favorite summer holiday, “Shark week,” on the Discovery Channel!
Poke-A-Dot! What’s Your Favorite Color, by: ikids
Increased repetition for learning colors is built into each page, as you poke your finger in order to pop a dot. Finally something to pop besides bubbles.
With any book you choose for your child, there are key tips to remember:
Don’t forget to build opportunities for kids to learn new vocabulary words!
Tip: Repeat, repeat, repeat new words!
Relate personal experiences to events that occur in the books.
Tip: Give your child the language to express more complex ideas by setting a platform for them to be successful
Make story time meaningful.
Tip: If your child has a difficult time focusing before bed, pick another time before a daily routine that you can enjoy literacy experiences with your child
All of these books and more can be further explored in the early literacy class, Reading Buddies, at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center. Taught by Natalie Lay, a speech-language pathologist and early literacy expert, a new book and themed activity combined with an art project each week helps to enhance this fun and exciting class – all while building those early literacy skills!