Belated Blog Book Tour

These days I'm running late with everything. I had told KJ Dell'Antonia over at Raising Devils that I'd blog about her recently published book Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos (coauthored with Susan Straub) after she kindly sent me a copy in the mail. To be perfectly honest, I've not read it all yet but I've had a good skim through and it's a keeper. The book's purpose is to arm parents of, well, babies, toddlers and two year olds, with lists of age-appropriate reading material and point out when and why to use board books, picture books, flap books and story books. It discusses what to look for in books (ones which capture the rhythm of language or discuss a hot topic (potty training) or have gorgeous artwork), how to read them to pique your child's interest (hint: not in a tired monotone) and provides lots of book suggestions. Now since I have a retired montessori teacher on speed dial (aka Grandma), Baby Girl and The Dude's libraries are pretty well stocked but I learned about a number of books that I might not otherwise have considered seeking out at the local library.

This is a great book for new parents. This book, along with a few of the books recommended, tucked inside a big cellophane wrapped basket would make a perfect baby shower gift (it's such an Oprah-to-Gwyneth thing to do). It would also be a great pick for well-intentioned grandparents to help guide their book-buying choices.

You can learn more about the book on this website.