Remember your favourite book when you were a child? The one you read so many times that the pages wore to a fine tissue?
You probably recall the colours on the cover, the curve of the title, the weight of the book in your hand, the snap and swoosh of
the paper each time you turned a page.
You undoubtedly remember the beloved main character that always faced the same challenge, and you wondered each time you read it, somehow, he would know this time not to cross the rickety old bridge or follow the breadcrumbs or listen to the wise little mouse. But he never did.
That story was the same each time you read it, and because of that, you learned to master it.
That favourite book created a memory so powerful you can still smell it when you think about opening it. You can still feel the joy, surprise, anticipation, and trepidation that the book ignited within you.
If you loved reading as a child, it’s because you read books that captured your interest, stirred up an alphabet soup of emotions within you, stretched your imagination like a big wad of bubble gum, and created life-long memories. Those books are the reason you still love reading
as an adult.
And you want your child to have the same experience with books and stories that you did so they’ll also grow up loving reading.
Photo Credit: Serving Kids Hope
What Makes a Good Children’s Book?
Books give us so much, from pure enjoyment to enhancing memory skills to how to deal with our emotions. They also build vocabulary, encourage object recognition, spark curiosity, and incite a love for reading and storytelling.
But these days, there are so many books to choose from. You walk into any bookshop or search on Amazon, and there are books galore. How do you know which ones are good quality? How do you know which ones your child will love?
The only rule when it comes to book selection is this: the book your child gravitates to is the one you want to read with them. Allow your child to be drawn to books, to pick up everything that attracts their attention, to leaf through pages, stare at pictures, ask questions, and make up their own stories. Every other “rule” is a recommendation.
If you want your child to cultivate a love for books and reading, consider these five tips that will support their overall development and have them asking again and again to “please read just one more book!” As much patience as that requires sometimes, this curiosity and passion are the seeds that grow avid readers and intelligent, creative minds.
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Is it Visually Stimulating?
Books that create imagery have the power to draw us into a story without a single word. Especially for very young children, select books with bright colours, playful text, and animated pictures. Notice if the colours are varied, offering a range of hues and shades of a particular colour. Are the colours arranged to help your child easily distinguish one colour from the next? For example, in a picture of a house, the kitchen could be yellow, the bathroom blue, the bedroom green, etc.
Picture books stimulate imagination and encourage your child to create a story just from describing the events they see. Although pictures are static on a page, they should have some shape and flow from one image to the next. If there is text, is it in sync with the pictures? Does it appear on the same page as the picture and do the images represent what is happening in a specific line of words?
Hidden objects also present mystery, surprise, and challenge for young readers. Is there a tiny mouse or a purple frog concealed within the
picture?
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Is the Language Creative?
Good stories are so much more than words on a page. Imaginative language rich in sounds and rhymes animate the story, brings the characters to life, and makes us feel like we’re right there.
Consider Dr Seuss, arguably the most famous children’s authors of all time. His books are filled with repetitive, nonsense words that roll delightfully off the tongue, make even the most reserved adult giggle, and still somehow manage to contain a moral lesson.
Playful, invented language dissolves the boundaries that can constrain and discourage young readers, and invites them to make up their own words and funny sounds (no rules, remember?). It engages.
Books that rhyme support phonological awareness, which is the skill of identifying the different sounds of oral language, such as words, syllables, onsets, and rimes. (Onset refers to the first sound in a word, and rime is the sound that follows, usually a combination of vowels and a consonant. For example, in the word cat, ‘c’ is the onset, ‘at’ is the rime).
Rhyming books encourage your child to experiment with different sounds and start to identify the sounds of different letter combinations. But let’s not forget the best part about rhyming books: they’re fun to read.
Don’t be afraid of books that have a rich vocabulary of new and challenging words, especially if your child can decipher meaning from the pictures. Keep in mind that a rich vocabulary is not the same as a lot of text. While you want variation, too much text can be visually overwhelming. Look for books whose words are simple but rich, like a chocolate brownie, and repetitive but varied, like a bowl of jelly beans.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle is an excellent example of word repetition and variety.
Does it Have Familiar Objects and Experiences?
Stories draw us in because we can relate to them. Choose books whose stories depict simple, familiar objects and characters that your child can easily recognize from their own life. Some of the most engaging children’s books give life and personality to animals and objects.
Remember how you felt reading about Winnie the Pooh and his forest friends? How easy was it to relate to Piglet and Pooh’s fear when they saw a second set of footprints on their quest to find a Woozle?
These types of experiences in books cultivate empathy as your child learns to identify and label emotions, and learn constructive ways to manage them. Expressive animal characters and animated, natural objects also cultivate sensitivity and respect for the natural world and
all its living things.
Does it Have Rhythm?
A well-written children’s book should have rhythm in its structure and story. For example, a rhythmic structure can help children learn how to emphasize syllables and predict how to pronounce certain words. As you probably recall, these are the stories you can recite from memory after just a few readings because they use repetitive words or sounds that give the tempo some swing, sort of like a song.
Children naturally respond to rhythmic stories, the same way they––and we––respond to catchy songs. It’s why nursery rhymes are so popular.
A story rhythm, on the other hand, is about the natural unfolding of events. While this applies more to books for older preschoolers and kindergarteners in terms of cognitive ability, the best simple stories also have a sensible, natural flow from beginning to end. American novelist, Kurt Vonnegut, calls this “the shape of a story”, and it provides children with the opportunity to predict what’s happening next. It captivates their interest, extends their intrigue, and provides them with a sense of triumph when they can foresee the outcome of a well-written story.
Photo Credit: Kinderling Kids Radio
Is it Too Hard for My Child?
A common fear among parents is that presenting your child with a book that’s too advanced may cause frustration and discourage reading.
Don’t worry. Remember, the book your child chooses is the one they should read.
Start by reading the story to your child first and stopping at different parts to allow them to fill in the blanks. Pointing to the words as you read and sound out difficult ones. Ask your child to describe the pictures or how they think a particular character is feeling or what they think will happen next. These actions model good reading behaviours. They also boost your child’s confidence to pick up the book on their own and give it a try.
Ensure your child has a comfortable balance of familiarity and challenge when learning to read. Give them a chance to master their favourite books. You’ve probably read The Gruffalo enough times to make your eyes bleed, but that repetition enables your child to develop their skill and confidence with the life-long task of reading. (Hang in there and plug in some Stevie Nicks to drown out its after-hours residue).
Two Bonus Tips for Selecting Children’s Books
For Older Children:
Non-fiction informational books, such as science-related reference books are excellent reading choices for kindergarten and primary children. Choose ones that have a variety of attractive, colour photos and small bits of text. These books satisfy curiosity and explore complex subjects with simplicity.
For Younger Children:
Tactile books are excellent for infants and toddlers who are still in the sensorimotor stage of development when their understanding primarily comes from having a direct sensory experience with an object. For example, a soft and fuzzy polar bear and rough tree bark or a snakeskin (not a real one!) invite your child to touch and respond, encouraging their joy of reading.
Interactive digital books for an iPad or tablet are also great choices for young children at any stage of literacy development. They can tap on pictures to learn words and hear different sounds, such as animals and music, and develop technological skills necessary for growing up in today’s digital world. E-books are also an excellent choice for children with learning challenges or learning English as a Second Language. Such books provide wonderful learning experiences that are fun for every child.
“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax all you need is a book!”
– Dr. Seuss
