How to Choose Picture Books for Your Kids
Children can fall in love with books long before they can read the words. Good picture books are an important part of your child's development, but how do you choose from the thousands of titles available?
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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1
Try to find books that will hold your child's interest. If your child loves trucks, find a book about a construction site. If your child loves horses, hundreds of horse books are available.
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2
Look at the quality of the illustrations. A picture book is primarily a visual experience for children, especially prereaders.
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3
Read the text. Is it a good story? Is the topic appropriate? Will it hold your child's interest? Is the content consistent with your parenting style?
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4
Decide how much text is right for your child ' how many words per page should there be? This will depend on your child's age, comprehension level, and attention span.
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5
Think about how many times you will probably have to read any given book. Will the story still be interesting to your child ' and to you ' after you have read it at least thirty or forty times in one week?
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6
Talk to a children's librarian. He or she will be able to point you toward the most popular and highest quality children's picture books, and can help you choose something that is just right for your child's age group.
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7
Search for award-winning books. There are many organizations ' most notably the Newbery and Caldecott awards ' that reward excellence in children's books and illustrations.
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Tips & Warnings
Go to a local bookstore with a good children's book department and spend some time browsing ' you may find some wonderful books at random, even if you don't have a particular author or title in mind.
When you find a book that you and your child enjoy, look for other books from the same publisher, or request a catalog from the publisher.
When you find an illustrator you like, find out what other work he or she has done.
