Book Tip of the Month: Snuggle, kiss, tickle and playfully touch your little one when sharing books together!

When cuddling up and sharing a book with your little one, be physically affectionate and playful. You can even relate your own actions to the book.

For example, point out body parts on characters in the book and touch or tickle your little ones.

"Here are his knees. Here are yours!"

"He gets a kiss from his mommy. So do you!"

Book Tip of the month: Little ones love book sharing when the adult is being playful and having fun!

When reading books aloud to children, try using different voices, adding actions, singing parts of the book, and talking about words that rhyme!

Here's an idea. In the book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom it says:

"Chicka chicka boom boom, will there be enough room?"

The adult can say:

"Boom and room sound the same at the end. They rhyme! I can think of more... Boom, room, zoom, doom, broom!"

Even if a book is in a language you don’t speak, you can still cuddle up and share it with your little one!

Sharing books with children is a great way for them to hear lots of words. And you don't even have to be able to speak or read the language that the book is written in.

Choose any book, cuddle up with your child and look at the pictures together. You can talk about what you see, and even make up your own story in your home language.

Books and Diversity

Science tells us that babies’ brains notice race in the very early months of life. Preschoolers have lots of questions about the people they see around them as they shape their view of the world. One of the best ways for children to learn about diversity is through books.

Babies love faces!

Babies notice faces before they notice other types of objects. This is why they love games like peek-a-boo and looking at themselves in mirrors. Babies also love seeing pictures of real faces in printed photographs and books!

If a child is…..