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Language Arts
Selecting a Good Picture Book
by Aparna Nambiar
Most of us have good memories of our early reading experiences. It began with listening to stories, then following our parent or caregiver read, then self-reading for enjoyment. Books open up a world of fantasy, interaction, knowledge, and creativity, weaving diversity into the fabric of children's everyday lives. It is interesting to note that the process of reading, which involves an understanding of stories, print, and how books work, begins as early as in the first year of life. Here are some pointers to keep in mind while selecting a good picture book to read to your child.
0 - 1 year
This age group is fascinated with pictures, especially of familiar people or objects and often needs help in handling books. Hence, select sturdy books with vivid pictures. It is best if there is only one picture per page as children are attracted by simple bright illustrations with sharp color and contrast. Their senses are not yet fully developed and they are not able to see too much detail yet. Choose books that offer elements of surprise with squeaks or pop ups to attract the early reader. Look for books that offer various tactile experiences that appeal to the sense of touch, like books made of different kinds of fabric. Books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin Jr. and Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown are examples of good picture books for this age.
1 - 3 years
Preschoolers love experimenting with turning pages—forward, backward, and then closing the book to begin again. This activity leads to labelling. They point to and touch pictures, providing labels themselves. They often search for missing objects in pictures. You will find children often enjoy books in phases, wanting one book to be read for many days together and later refusing to even look at it. At this age, they begin to identify books by their covers. By the end of the second year, they can describe what is happening in pictures and in the process, make connections from one page to the next. Often the most popular book is the family album as they recognise people first followed by events.
Keeping these in mind, it is good idea to choose books with sturdy pages that are easy
to hold and turn. Children enjoy looking at pictures, matching and naming objects, and listening to noises the pictures 'make'. Select books that have instructions to press at particular points to hear the sound of the object or animal shown. Look for books with pictures that are bright, attractive, distinct, and repetitive, and that can attract sound effects. Children like stories about familiar objects such as family, animals, food, cars, objects around the house, and everyday routines and needs, as well as books about calamities like breaking things or making a mess. Books that can be manipulated and have a tactile quality (buttons, hooks, snaps, etc.) are also enjoyable. Some worthwhile books for this age are Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura J. Numeroff.
3 - 5 years
This age group enjoys being read aloud to. Between the ages of two and three, children realize there is a connection between pages and that the pictures and words tell a story. Each time a favorite book is re-read, a bit more of this realization dawns. Thus, they insist on repeating the same story over and over again. They also often state preference for books and request stories by name. When stories are connected to special experiences in their lives, it becomes a temporary obsession. Later as their imagination develops, children begin to enjoy stories about experiences they never had. They read stories through pictures and enjoy dialogues in stories. Once they understand that characters can talk at any time, they create their own dialogues. Some children even begin to memorize and retell favorite stories. At this age, they begin to connect print and the spoken word and differentiate between text and illustrations. They even make predictions about stories based on illustrations and patterns.
It pays to select books with bright, attractive illustrations. Choose predictable books that enable children to anticipate the next word, line, or episode. Find books that follow a pattern, especially repetitions based on rhymes, events, routines, sentences, and words. Young children enjoy themes that are based on emotions, humour, fantasy, and real life, in addition to themes that address their anxieties and fears. Herein lies an opportunity for imaginative exploration, as in monster stories, silly rhymes, exaggerations, logical absurdity of words, storyline, and characters. Off to School Baby Duck by Amy Hest, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, and The Complete Adventures of Curious George by Margaret Ray are a few good books for this age.
There are many picture books to choose from. You may want to check out Caldecott award-winning books, which are beautifully illustrated stories or ask a librarian to make a suggestion. When it comes to selecting a good picture book, trust your judgment. Most importantly, choose books that you enjoy reading, too.
Suggested Readings
Iannelli, Dr. Vincent. "Younger Infants Child Development", About, Inc.
The New York Public Library. "Recommended Reading".
Huck, Charlotte, Susan Hepler, and Janet Hickman. Children's Literature in the Elementary School. New York: McGRaw-Hill, 1997.
Kuffner, Trish. Picture Book Activities: Fun and Games for Preschoolers Based on 50 favorite Children's Books. Meadowbrook, 2001.
