Baby Books: Developing a Love for Reading

Literacy and strong reading skills grow over time, beginning with the nurturing bedtime favorites from childhood. By starting out with the top selling books for babies, parents can assist in developing a child's love for reading. The best stories are easily understood, lighthearted, interactive, and thought-provoking, especially for the growing minds of flourishing tots.

Colorful and evoking of shrill, happy giggles, the following baby books are abundant in vibrant humor, cute characters, and amusing concepts:
 ______________________________________

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)

"In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf."

This is a story that generations will remember! Captivating and beautiful, the book follows the hunger pangs of a little caterpillar as he crawls and inches his way through the leaves of each page. Gnawing on everything in sight, the fuzzy worm fills his belly until he simpl can't eat anymore. Rolling into a cocoon, the book ends with a stunning transformation when the caterpillar emerges as a colorful butterfly. Little ones will appreciate the colors and splendor of the butterfly and the overall simplicity of the story, while parents will have fun answering the barrage of questions about transformation afterwards.

______________________________________

The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein)

"One there was a tree... and she loved a little boy."

A story of unconditional love and compassion, Silverstein tells the tale of a little boy who loved a tree, and a tree that returned the little boy's affections. Friends forever and growing old together, the boy and the tree go through the motions of aging. It's a journey through the lives of two living things -- one human and expectant, the other inanimate but compassionate. The overall story is tender, striking at the heart strings of the reader and listener as the boy returns as an old man to sit and rest with the tree one last time.