Little Book Baby

Katrina Germein

Cheryl Orsini

HarperCollins, 2024

24pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781460763407

Little Book Baby wakes soon after dawn, beginning the day with a cuddly book-yawn.

This little baby loves sharing books!

Books on the tram with Dad, books at picnics with Nanna and Pa, and even bath-time books with Mummy. Morning, noon and night, books make everything better.

If ever there were a book that encapsulates my philosophy and practice about reading, then this would be it.  From my first days of teachers’ college in 1970 and the imminent birth of my first child (who will be 50 this year) I have known and acknowledged the power of sharing stories with children from the day they are born. It’s the reason that literacy in early childhood was my passion throughout my face-to-face teaching years; the reason I began this blog with its focus on books for the very young; the reason that I now share books in my community for little ones to find; and the reason that my grandchildren are all avid readers.

To have the word-wizardry of Katrina Germein and the delicate artistry of Cheryl Orsini capture what has been my life’s work in this story that features the essential elements of early reading such as characters and situations that resonate as well as rhyme, rhythm and repetition, so new parents can appreciate not only the importance of sharing stories with their child but the myriad of opportunities throughout the day that there are a few minutes to do so, is just magical.  Being a new parent is a busy time for all, but here is almost a daily diary of opportunities to build the special bond that reading together creates so the oft-heard excuse that “I’ve no time” becomes obsolete. 

Apart from that bond of the closed circle where the sole focus is the reader, the child and the story,  there is so much evidence available about the academic advantages of children hearing the language they are learning, learning new vocabulary, using their imaginations, and all those other early reading behaviours that there are many programs now available to give parents access to books to share, many accessible through local libraries. and free. Just one book a day means a child can hear 1000 stories in less than three years, and author Mem Fox believes that  through three stories a day – a first-read, a familiar and a favourite – illiteracy would no longer be a problem.

So, for soon-to-be parents, this is a must-have to offer at the book baby shower, and for teacher librarians, it is one to recommend to new parents through your networks as you support their pre big-school endeavours.  And what better day to share it than on World Read Aloud Day. Read it to your Kindy kids and get them to tell you where they like to read.  Use this poem by Dr Seuss to create one by the class surrounded by photos of their favourite places. Encourage them to participate in one of Dr Booklove’s reading challenges. 

For more ideas see Reading with Your Child ,  Concepts About Print, and The Art of Reading Aloud and for particularly suitable stories do a category search of this blog for early childhood, early reading behaviours,  or language/reading development or just look for stories with rhyme, rhythm and repetition.