Reading to our young child can be an overwhelming experience.
First off, picking a book, you’re not always sure he’ll like it.
And even so, he can lose interest pretty quickly.
And sometimes those books you chose feel dumb to you and you yourself lose interest to reading it to your child.
No, you crave beautiful books that are recognized for sustaining both parent’s and children’s interest and are filled with learning material.
Luckily, there are 4 new books that could be of interest to you.
Why early reading is so important
Parents are the first and foremost important people in the child’s universe. They nurture and lead to learning the culture.
The first years are also crucial in the brain development. Developing cognitive and literacy skills can help children get a head start, because studies shows the more powerful a child’s vocabulary, the more success he’ll know later in life.
Depending on the level of education of parents and caregivers, children can hear a difference of 30 million words by the age of three. This difference is also called the ‘Word Gap’.
When adults have a positive, engaging interaction with a baby, like talking, singing or reading, they help strengthening neural connections in the growing brain.
If children don’t have this verbal advantage, this could lead to a struggle that last a lifetime. “We believe that the poverty of vocabulary should be discussed with the same passion as child hunger,” says Atlantic Magazine.
What you can do to give your child a flourishing vocabulary
Keeping them safe, feeding them nutritious food like organic food, making sure they exercise enough is a good start.
But you should also have an environment full of talking, singing and reading.
Anthropology research has found that letting children hear adult conversation help them learn a language quickly.
Don’t be afraid to use rich words, large vocabulary, and descriptive scenes.
And learning other languages can help expanding their horizons too. Research has shown that people who speak at least two languages have a lot of advantages, as noted below.
4 great children books to look for this year
1. Mama, How Does The Wind Start To Blow? by Jeanne Styczinski
What I loved about this book is its introduction to numbers as well as a lovingly crafted creative story that promotes a mother’s love.
Each page features a number from 1-10, and at the end there are items to be counted. I loved that numeracy is introduced in a non-pushy way, and that it can be read often while still engaging interest.
With its cute story from beginning to end, it is highly recommended for young children aged 0 to 5 years.
To be noted, this book received the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award.
24 pages, $9.95.
Buy Mama, How Does The Wind Start To Blow here
2. Geraldine The Giraffe – La Jirafa Geraldina, by Hymara Hernández
A retired early age educator, author Hymara Hernández offers this year a beautiful English and Spanish book.
What I love about this selected one is that it deals with an issue we can frequently encounter – getting children to take their medicine when sick.
This book is a useful tool to help children stay healthy.
“There is nothing better in life than making a child smile,” author Hymara Hernández says. “If I can help their parents and doctors keep them healthy and keep smiles on their faces with Geraldine’s story, then I have succeeded.”
The author also stresses the importance of learning a second language, like being able to communicate with more people and being more marketable professionally.
With both languages side by side, the book can allow young readers to teach themselves, without needing a translator or dictionary.
My children loved hearing the translation in a new language, Spanish. And I loved reading it out loud, practicing a language I don’t often have a chance to speak.
28 pages, book formats starting from $19.99.
Buy Geraldine The Giraffe here
3. My Amazing Dad, by Ezekiel Kwaymullina
“Being different is what makes this dad EXTRA special.”
This book, with its engaging colors, is interesting from the get-go. All my kids were intrigued when we received it.
What really interested me was that it’s a story that promotes a strong bond between children and their dad. It shows their dad for what he is, amazing in his own special way.
The Australian award-nominated author as well as award-winning illustrator have both done a fantastic job at celebrating the unconventional father who knows how to turn every day into something special and exciting.
It represents well modern-day families in which the dad is not necessarily the “breadwinner” but is definitely a devoted and loving dad.
A sweet and funny book!
24 pages, ages 3-6, $16.99.
4. Nurtured and Nuzzled – Criados y Acariciados, by Sue Garcia
My one-year-old absolutely loves this story! She’s a fan of babies, and there are plenty. Each page contains a bilingual English-Spanish story of how animal babies are carried, cuddled, snuggled, sheltered, nurtured, and nuzzled.
Mrs Michel decided to publish in dual language because of its value and importance:
“Reading and math scores of students in dual language programs are higher than those of monolingual students. This is seen across the board, regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, proficiency in English, or special education skills,” she says.
“Bilinguals are better multi-taskers, focus better on tasks, and demonstrate higher test scores, improved mathematical abilities, and increased sense of self-worth and identity. Being able to function in more than one language gives kids access to key 21st century skills.”
The beautifully illustrated book even comes with a Teacher’s Guide, a resource book in both languages of 59 pages that you can download online, full of activities like flashcards and explanations, to expand on the ideas in the book. Audio narrations also are available on their website to help with pronunciation or just listening to the story.
I personally loved the natural living approach that is important to share with our kids.
Baby Maternity Magazine Top Choice Award!
24 pages, ages 0-5, $9.95.
Looking for amazing books to make reading time a special moment with your child, I believe you can’t go wrong with all those choices.
And you will make discoveries happen that will last for a lifetime.
Happy reading time!
Resources
Nurtured and Nuzzled, Teacher’s Guide
We received these books in exchange for an honest review. This article contains affiliate links that help support our amazing as well parenting website, thanks! 🙂
Founder at I'm Momming
Marie-Eve Boudreault is first mom to 4 awesome kids. But she's also known as "The Work-At-Home Mom" Specialist. She has inspired thousands of parents (140,000+ social media fans) on the path of working from home, natural parenting, and thriving living. Make sure to subscribe to her FREE Momming Masterclass if you want to create the thriving family life you dream of.
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