Jasper’s new book: Early Words through the eyes of a child

Nine-month-old Jasper loves his new book. He holds it and flips the pages. He puts it in his mouth. And he points and smiles as he looks at all the bright pictures.

Jasper has just come home from his latest visit to the doctor in Winnipeg, who gave his mom, Katie, a brand-new board book along with some great tips on early literacy.

“I love that it slows things down for a second, allows Jasper a moment to come and sit and pause,” Katie says. “Our family is Indigenous, and storytelling is at the heart of who we are. It is really special to have received a book with Indigenous language in it, so Jasper has his own stories he can share and appreciate and look at.”

Katie says receiving the book was a great reminder of the importance of sharing books and telling stories together. It also gives Jasper’s big brother something fun to do with the baby. Katie adds, “Jasper is already grasping the concept of flipping to the next page, which is cool. He loves the faces. During COVID the only faces he saw were his family, so it was nice to see faces in books. It’s a different world he can look into.”

The book that Jasper received came through the Early Words program. While she wasn’t expecting to head home from the clinic with a book, Katie loves the idea.

“It was such a lovely surprise,” she says. “It is nice to know that families have opportunities to grow their libraries, and it’s not something you have to sign up for or apply for. If the books are going to everyone, it doesn’t alienate people and that is beautiful.”