Reading a story is a wonderful way of talking to and playing with your baby.  It gives them an early introduction to communication and social skills, and you are giving them the most precious gift of all – your time.

Bath books, Board books, Touch & Feelbooks are a great way to introduce books to your new baby. They can chew, splash and explore as they begin the early process of learning to love books.  For this age, books ideally should have big bright bold colours and clear uncluttered pictures.

You can extend the play activity by making sounds, using facial expressions and gesturing to show size and movement.  At an early age babies respond by holding the book, pointing to pictures that grab their attention and having a good chew too.

Ducky’s Bathtime by Lucy Cousins (Picture Book)

Oh, goody! Hooray! It’s bathtime today! Quack! Quack! Quack!

Join Ducky for bath time fun! This waterproof adventure is the perfect book for bath time, high chair fun and on the go.

Buy Ducky’s Bathtime on Tarabookco.ie

Guess How Much I Love You by Anita Jeram (Board Book)

‘I love you right up to the moon – and back.’

The story of Little and Big Nutbrown Hares’ efforts to express their love for each other has become a publishing phenomenon, selling more than fifteen million copies worldwide.

Buy Guess How Much I Love You on Tarabookco.ie

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Picture books with short text, Lift the Flap books, Nursery rhymes  are good for 6-18 months. Pick books that are well illustrated and ones you will enjoy as well.  Playing and reading with books shouldn’t be confined to certain places or times, books can be enjoyed everywhere, bathroom, bedroom, playroom and even the car.

The physical contact of your baby sitting on your lap while you read aloud is a reassuring and pleasurable experience for both of you.  Children can experience worlds and lives beyond their own through stories.  It helps them cope with different emotions such as fear and anxiety while being reassured in a safe and secure environment.

You can help and encourage them to link the pictures to the text and the spoken word by pointing, asking and answering questions.  Predicting what will happen next will add excitement to the story.  Be sure to praise them when they point to a picture, turn a page or make an effort to copy your sounds.

Rhymes are an essential part of literacy development, repetition enables children to memorise sounds and words.  They encourage and develop listening skills, increase their attention span, stimulate and stretch their imagination.

I Kissed the Baby by Mary Murphy (Picture Book)

All the animals love the baby – and so will you!

“I saw the baby! Did you see the baby?” “Yes! I saw the baby, the teeny, weeny thing.” “I tickled the baby! Did you tickle the baby?” “Yes! I tickled the baby, the wriggly, giggly thing!” Join in the fun in this shout-out-loud picture book for the very youngest of children.

Buy I Kissed The Baby on Tarabookco.ie

Bedtime Rhymes (Board Book)

The Usborne Bedtime Rhymes is a nice book to share at bedtime.

Featuring six rhymes by Sam Taplin and featuring artwork by Anna Luraschi, this book aims to have babies and young children ready to cosy up at the end of a long day.

Buy Bedtime Rhymes on Tarabookco.ie

Developing a love of books with your very young child not only gives them a lifelong love of reading, it is a proven fact that early introduction to books gives children an advantage in school with vocabulary, literacy, comprehension, numeracy and social skills.

Try to read to your baby every day even if only for a few minutes, have fun with Please be Quiet! or make lots of farm animal sounds with Webster J. Duck.

Most of all, have fun!