Nursery Equipment: Books - A good read

Sharing a wide range of wonderful books with children under three can set the nursery's youngest on the path to excellent communication skills and a love of reading. Selecting books for this age group is far more challenging than you may imagine, however. Buying from the 'babies' section of your local bookshop or borrowing only board books from your local library is no guarantee that your choice will be right for the youngest in your care.

All too often books are packaged and marketed for 'babies' but are, in fact, only suitable for much older children. Quality titles are out there, though, and here are some pointers to help you build a collection that is right for children under three.

CATEGORIES

Your collection should include:

• rhyme and song books

• storybooks with rhyming text

• storybooks with narrative text

• information books

• dual-language books

• home-made books
  

FEATURES

Look out for:

• formats that will endure wear, tear and chewing

• familiar subjects such as babies, children, families, animals, transport, colours and numbers

• novelty features that encourage interaction and play, such as mirrors, flaps, pull tags, textured areas, buttons with noises or music and repeat words or phrases

• themes that encourage joining in with simple refrains, making sounds, etc

• clear, bold, life-like pictures and illustrations

• a clear, bold, easy-to-decode print style

• few or no words on a page

• pictures and text that are inclusive

• a manageable shape and size so that young children can browse the books themselves.
  

KEY QUESTIONS

When assessing a book for your collection, ask yourself:

• Is the book developmentally appropriate? Reading books that are too advanced does not support learning, as a child has to engage with both illustrations and text if they are to learn and find meaning. (Consider too whether your collection will keep pace with the rapidly developing intellectual and communication needs of under-threes.)

• What language will a child learn from it? It is easy to assume that books have little to offer children with no or minimal verbal language, yet they can introduce children to many elements of both language and visual literacy. Look out, then, for books with different styles of illustration and books that will help teach children the sounds of the English language; the use of stresses, pauses and intonation; rhyming language and rhythms, and a larger vocabulary. Well-designed books with big, clear text that you can follow with your finger will make children aware that photographs, illustrations and text hold meaning.

• What else might a child learn from it? If inclusive and presented in a way that children can relate to, books will help children learn about themselves, their emotions and the world around them. Funny stories will introduce children to the conventions of humour, while high-quality illustrations will influence their creativity and imagination.

• Will children like it? Here, much hinges on the quality of presentation, as in the early days understanding comes from the illustrations, not the text. If it is to draw children in, it will need to be clear, bold, relevant, interactive and, most probably, have some elements of humour.

• Do I like it? Choose books that you will enjoy sharing repeatedly. Look out for ones that give you the scope to vary the way that you read them by, for example, inventing your own words or rhymes.

• Will it make me a good storyteller? Given the limited text in books for this age group, the joy of reading lies with the power of the storyteller, rather than the story. Choose books, then, that will enable you to stress words, vary and exaggerate your voice and make facial expressions, gestures and sounds. Your task will be made easier if the children can join in, so assess how interactive the book is before buying it. Will the two-year-olds enjoy the repeat words or phrases?
  

Special features

Features to watch out for when choosing books for specific age groups:

0-12 months Look out for: chunky board books, flexible vinyl bath and cloth books; books with textured areas, flaps, pull tags and buttons with noises; lifelike pictures; black-and-white images (babies are drawn to high-contrast art, especially in the first six months); books with mirrors (babies as young as five months love to see themselves in a mirror).

12-24 months Include: picture books introducing basic themes, such as colour and animals, and inviting conversation; pop-up books; large pictures and simple storylines.

24-36 months Include: less sturdy books with slightly more detailed stories and pictures; interactive books filled with humour, rhyme and repetition; books that discuss concepts such as size and numbers.

Prepared with the help of Opal Dunn, author and literacy specialist

MORE INFORMATION
Publishers specialising in books for the under-threes include:
- www.boxerbooksltd.co.uk
- www.childs-play.com
- www.evansbooks.co.uk - owns Zero to Ten
- www.books.ladybird.co.uk
- www.littletigerpress.com
- www.mathewprice.com
- www.picthallandgunzi.com
- www.rodcampbell.co.uk
- www.tangobooks.co.uk
- www.templarco.co.uk

Publishers specialising in titles for over-threes:
- www.barefootbooks.co.uk
- www.bloomsbury.co.uk
- www.franceslincoln.com
- www.hachettechildrens.co.uk - owns Hodder Children's Books and Orchard
Books
- www.harpercollins.co.uk
- www.panmacmillan.co.uk
- www.puffin.co.uk
- www.randomhouse.co.uk
- www.walkerbooks.co.uk