Hello! For Week Three in LIS 721 01 Material for Children
class, we learned about picture books, specifically, the importance of how picture
books connect to the development of babies and toddlers’ emergent literacy
skills. For my Reading Response this week, I will be sharing four board books that
I found and borrowed, each of which I believe fit within the descriptions of
the four assignment categories: Alphabet book, Counting book, Concept book, and
Engineered book, which are designed to be fun for children as much as they are
meant to help them learn about the world around themselves.
Wardley, Rachel, et al., editors. My First ABC Board Book.
DK Pub., 2004.
ISBN 978-0-7894-9900-4
The first book I selected for the category of Alphabet book is called My First ABC Board Book, designed by Helen Melville, edited by Rachel Smith and Nicole Zarick, and published by DK Publishing, Inc. As Kathleen Odean described within the introduction to her text “With enough exposure to books, children begin to see that stories have structure and sequence and that some can be predicted” (Odean, pg. 6). The board book itself is rather simple in design. It features brightly colored, bold uppercase and lowercase letters on each board page, alongside an assortment of different images which correlates to each letter in the alphabet, such as a picture of an elephant under “E” in the book, for example. I appreciate that the alphabet book has not a singular definition, highlights multiple objects and animals whose names start with each letter, which can make it a fun interaction with parents for babies and toddlers as they match the letters to familiar concepts in their lives.
Bunting, Jane. My First Number Board Book.
Edited by Kristen Ward et al., DK Publishing, Inc., 2004.
ISBN 0-7894-9903-7
For Counting, I have chosen My First Number Board Book, edited by Nicola Deschamps, Kristin Ward, and Susan Calver, with consult by Jane Bunting. Published by DK Publishing. I chose this book as the board features brightly colored images of objects a young child may see in their daily life, such as puppies, socks or leaves to count. The book is easy to follow, not going beyond the number twenty and comes with a few activities to engage toddlers when introducing concepts of numbers, such as simple adding and subtracting, alongside colorful images of nature, animals and toys.
Zarick, Nicole, et al., editors. My First Animal Board Book.
DK Pub., 1999. ISBN 0-7894-2783-4 1
For the Concept category, I chose My First Animal Board Book, designed by Helen Melville, edited by Rachel Wardley and Nicole Zarick, with illustrations by Kenneth Lilly. Published through DK Publishing, Inc. I found this board book to be a delightful introduction to different animal species for small children, as each page is filled with a diverse range of animals. I found it interesting that each page categorized the animals based on whether they were grouped by being similarly domesticated pets, wildlife, by different colors, or sharing similar attributes, such as where they lived in nature, or had similar speed and powerful strength. The board book primarily features real-life photographs of the animals, giving young readers a detailed look at the creatures which share our planet.
For the fourth category, Engineered, I have selected What Do You See? Written by K.R. Knight and illustrated by Francesco Santalucia. Published by Dalmatian Press, LLC. I chose this book as it features pages with forty different flaps for young children to explore and interact with as they read through each board page with their parents. The illustrations are colorful, featuring cheerful images of animals in nature, each hiding fun surprises behind the movable flaps within the book.
I selected each board book thinking of the interactive play,
colorful, fun images and educational potential for the baby and toddler-age new
readers to discover, learn and enjoy alongside their parents and guardians to
help. As Odean further describes within her text, “Once a baby can reach out
and grasp a book, board and cloth books come into play” (Odean, pg. 12).
Works cited
Bunting, Jane. My First Number Board Book. Edited by Kristen Ward et al., DK Publishing, Inc., 2004. ISBN 0-7894-9903-7
Knight, K.R., and Francesco Santalucia. What Do You See? Dalmatian Press, LLC., 2002. ISBN 1-57759-955-1
Odean. Great Books for Babies and Toddlers, pg. 1-31.
Wardley, Rachel, et al., editors. My First ABC Board Book. DK Pub., 2004.
ISBN 978-0-7894-9900-4
Zarick, Nicole, et al., editors. My First Animal Board Book. DK Pub., 1999. ISBN 0-7894-2783-4 1
