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Text Box: Reading with Babies… It is never too early to start reading to your children—within a week of birth is wonderful. Be sure to be sharing books by the time they are six months old. Newborns are comforted by the warmth of the reader, the rhythm and sound of the words being read, and the movement of the pages as they are turned. By 3 months babies can focus on pictures and enjoy different colors and shapes. They begin to connect the shapes they see to the words that are being read. From 6 to 8 months babies begin to interact with books and like to turn, taste, and crumple the paper. They may even try to “talk” about the pictures in the books. Books with cardboard, cloth, or vinyl pages are good choices for this age since they can withstand exploration. Babies also enjoy books that are interactive—ones with buttons to push, flaps to lift, and pockets to explore. The pictures should be simple and bright with objects from the child’s world, such as toys, people, animals, and household items. You can make your own book of photos of family members or pictures cut out of magazines. Text Box: Three– and Four-Year-Olds… This is an age of rapid social development. With the acquisition of friends comes the conflict between independence and interdependence. The toddler’s world expands, and so does the ability to enjoy books and reading. Children of this age still enjoy stories about the real world. Books about nature are favorites. Folk tales and books with characters that are repeated in sequels are also appreciated.