Hands-On Reading

Babies and toddlers love kittens, but the feeling isn't always mutual. Fortunately, Roger Priddy has recently published a new touch-and-feel board book called Meow! Meow! which might provide a satisfactory solution for this conundrum. As it says on the cover, "The CUTEST kittens EVER are waiting to meet you!"  Whew, finally!

 Meow! Meow! has large photos of kittens with simple and bright two-toned backgrounds to make it easy for young eyes to focus on the pictures.  Furthermore, its rhyming text catches a child's attention.  Children need to hear all kinds of different speech as they develop, and rhymes and poetry help them to become aware of sounds in letters and words.  This kind of sound awareness is important for a successful start in school.

Meow! Meow! has several different interesting textures to feel. When your child reaches for a picture, talk to him about what he is doing.  "That's the kittens' basket.  It feels bumpy!"  The number one thing babies and toddlers thrive on is interaction with their parents.

At birth, a baby's strongest sense is the sense of touch.  That's why your baby or toddler wants to grab everything within reach.  (And the reason everything goes straight to the mouth?  That's where his strongest sense of touch develops first!)  Touch-and-feel books are a great way to help your child explore books in the way that's most natural and enjoyable for her. 

Of course, the library has other touch-and-feel books available for checking out, as well.  Find one that meets your child's interests, and together you can enjoy some hands-on reading!