It is a toddler's job to explore the world. To manipulate, taste, hear,smell and then sort out everything that's been taken in. A child enters the second year of life as a baby and emerges as an individual. Toddlers experience the world with constant joy and exuberance.
Many times parents experience the second year of life with exhaustion. Reading is an excellent way for toddlers to keep experiencing while parents get a bit of rest.
Most board books enjoyed by babies are still perfect for toddlers. A toddler always seems to need the balance of familiarity to strengthen appreciation of the new. Toddlers will enjoy familiar books more completely and appreciate complexity in new board books. Because most growth comes from interacting directly with their environment, it is very important that they have books of their own. Some books will suffer, but it is a necessary part of learning. After all, babies have to get messy to learn to eat. The most durable books for this age are still the board books.
A toddler is beyond naming and ready for theme books. Theme books are less demanding than story books, but do unite objects and activities and situations. The best theme books come out of the toddler's experience. Helen Oxenbury's baby series, for example, All Fall Down, Clap, Clap, etc. is a larger formatted board book. It portrays babies of all colors in situations that are recognizable to the very young child. Ages 1-3. (Macmillan, $4.95)
One of our first favorite theme books was Anne Sibley O'Brien's I'm Not Tired. It tells of Jenny who doesn't want to take a nap, how sleep overtakes her and she finally wakes rested. This is a perfect book to calm a restless child at nap time. On particularly difficult days, I re-read the story using my daughter's name. It wasn't many readings before she was telling the story with me and recognizing her own sleepy signs. Ages 1-3. (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, $3.95)
Toddlers are an active bunch and there are many board books that meet this demand. Find the Puppy series by Steven Cartright, hides animals in landscapes familiar to the small child. There are many opportunities for naming objects as well as finding the hidden animals. Ages 18mo- 2yrs. (Usborne Publishing, $2.95 )
Soon after a child turns a year old, they become increasingly interested in body parts. In Aleksandra, Where is Your Nose? by Christine Salac Dubov, a young toddler answers body part questions by pointing to parts of her body. We enjoyed this book even more when I personalized it with my daughter's name. For body-part lovers, there's also a sequel, Aleksandra, Where are Your Toes? Ages 1-3. (St. Martin's Press, $3.95 )
Toddlers are fond of books in which they can play an active role. They like to find things, do things, and make noises. Sharing this way helps them walk into a story and begin to own it.
Nancy Tafuri has several books that make participation easy. Her Junglewalk has big bold illustrations that tell the wordless story of a small boy who falls asleep reading a book about jungles and then travels through them. In every picture a toddler can name animals as well as find both the boy and his cat who has turned into a tiger. Again, this book is easily adapted for an older child who can make up stories to go with Tafuri's exquisite illustrations. I know one pre-school teacher who tells her children that they must tell the story differently each time they "read" it. Ages 1-4. (Greenwillow, $12.95)
In Spots Feathers and Curly Tails, Tafuri asks questions about common farm animals and her illustrations show part of the animal in question. The following page reveals the entire animal and the answer, so that a young child when asked, "What has spots?" finds with a page turn that "A cow has spots." Toddlers have a love for animal noises and so will enjoy animating the illustrations even more fully. This book begins work on a very basic reading skill of going from part to whole and gives a toddler the same joy and surprise as a good game of peek-a-boo. Ages 18 mo.- 3yrs. (Greenwillow, $11.95)
It seems that most toddlers are enchanted with the sounds of the animal world. In fact, they'd often rather speak animal sounds than people sounds. This natural enjoyment is accented in Eric Carle's The Very Busy Spider. The spider, hard at work building her web, is continually disturbed by her noisy animal friends. Mr. Carle, who knows well the mind of a young child, has raised all the lines of the web, to add a tactile pleasure for the participating listener. This book now comes in a small carry-around size. Toddlers will also enjoy the participation of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar which comes peppered with objects a young child loves naming and with small caterpillar holes for little fingers to feel. Ages 1-5. (Philomel, $14.95, $3.95)
Donald Crews' Freight Train employs a bold, graphic style to show travels of the train. This is a great book for participation as you can make choo-choo sounds throughout. (I usually reserve most of mine for the page turns.) The train's journey is full of surprises and technical treats for the adult reader. The way the author-illustrator uses color does a wonderful job of teaching without preaching. Ages 1-5. Hardcover and paperback available. (Greenwillow,$12.95; Puffin, $3.95)
Baby Walk by Anne Miranda shows a trek that seems almost dictated from a toddler's experience. The young child goes down a slide, chases pigeons, climbs and falls down. All is presented in a flap book which capitalizes on the child's love of peek-a-boo games. (Dutton, $8.95)
Songs always urge participation and one of the first songs toddlers love is Old MacDonald Had a Farm. It combines the participation of animal sounds, singing and Carol Jones has even added more sharing by designing her text with circle cut-outs that reveal only part of an animal. In this version a child can guess what animal comes next. Ages 1-4 (Houghton Mifflin, $10.95) Ms. Jones follows this format in a second book, This Old Man. (Houghton Mifflin, 1990)
Several other much-loved song books have been recently released in picture book format. Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed by Eileen Christelow is mostly true to song, except a lovely surprise ending that explains where the monkeys got all their monkey business. (Clarion, $13.95) Skip to My Lou by Wescott illustrates the well-loved song with much hilarity. (Little Brown, $12.95) Rise and Shine puts Noah and the ark into a singing format and the illustrations by Fiona French are rich and explanatory. (Little Brown, $12.95) Paul Zelinsky turns the pop-up book into an art form with his The Wheels on the Bus (Dutton, 1990). The wonderful action designs of his creation are a perfect representation for all the action of the song. Photographer Bruce Macmillan does an excellent job of enlivening Sarah Josepha Hale's Mary Had a Little Lamb. His choice of black child, white lamb makes a lovely contrast both aesthetically and in terms of the song's history. (Scholastic, 1990) Mr. Macmillan has also illustrated Everything Grows, by well-loved children's singer, Raffi (Crown, 1989). Other illustrated Raffi songbooks include Baby Beluga by Ashley Wolff (Crown, 1990).
Some of the precursors of true stories are the small slice of life picture books that show life through the eyes of a toddler. The Sam series by Babro Lindgren gives us a hero who is a terrific representative for the toddler contingent. Sam has a side-kick dog who adds humor in adventures that range from bathing to toilet training. Hardcover only. Ages 1-3. Hardcover only. (Morrow, $$4.95-$6.95 )
Shirley Hughes is an author-illustrator won my heart because she portrays sloppy houses, crying babies, and mothers who wear jeans. (This is reality in children's books) She is an artist to grow with for she writes for all ages. You can start when you child is a toddler with her small books like Noisy which are loved by young audiences for the sounds of her words and rhymes and because their small size is perfect for carrying. Ages 1-3. (Lothrop, $4.95)
There seem to be numbers of authors like Babro Lingren and Shirlyy Hughes who are able to write from the perspective of very young children and perfectly capture their world view. If your child enjoys this type of book, the selections are many. Here follows a listing of some authors and an example of their work to whet your child's appetite. Rachael Isadora (I Hear,Greenwillow) , Jan Ormerod (Messy Baby,Lothrop,) John Burningham (The Baby,Harper and Row), Shiego Watanabe (I Can Do It By Myself , Philomel).
Books for this age don't always have to have a child protagonist. They might simply describe things that come from a toddler's day. Nancy Tafuri's The Ball Bounced is a brilliantly illustrated story of the path a ball travels. Everything and everyone in the story is familiar to the child listener. Ages 1-3. Hardcover only. (Greenwillow, $11.95)
Long have I admired Vera Williams' beautiful artwork and repected her concerns about multiethnic representation in her books. It is never too early for babies to view stunning artwork or see many races represented. Ms. Williams must agree for now she has created a book for them called More, More, More. In the bok we see views of three different babies--Little Guy, Little Pumpkin and Little Bird being treasured and cuddled by the adults they belong to. The art is bold and colorful and the words are warm and loving and will inspire giggles and play for families. Ages 1-4. (Greenwillow,1990)
One of the early ways that children begin to experience drama is through rhyme and rhythm. Both create an expectation that is a strong foundation for drama. Quick as a Cricket , by Audrey and Don Wood, is one of the first books that toddlers love. The Woods are both from theater backgrounds and this is apparent in their text that is so full of rhymes and rhythms that it is song-like. Each page has a full-color illustration of an animal who represents a size, feeling or attribute. Quick as a Cricket serves also as a primer of emotions, its verses create a springboard to talk about feelings and create a good way for a child to anchor down emotions when they surface. Ages 1-4. ( Child's Play, $10.00)
Also loved by the young child is the Woods' Little Mouse, Red Ripe Strawberry and the BIG HUNGRY BEAR. The story is loaded with dramatic playfulness that will be enjoyed by a toddler. An older child will feel more of the emotional component and will understand the concept of sharing. And a parent will likely break out in a belly laugh when viewing how the little mouse disguises the strawberry. Ages 18mo- adult. (Child's Play, $10.00)
Bill Martin and John Archambault are masters of drama. Up and Down on the Merry-Go-Round focuses on a favorite toddler activity. There is care given to racial representation, a background of family warmth, a clown, but the greatest strength is how the words really make you feel as if you are on a carousel. The ups and downs of rhythms capture child and adult and we soon found ourselves repeating huge chunks aloud. Ages 1-4. Hardcover only. (Holt, 1988)
Your children, like mine, will probably wander around your house chanting Chicka Chicka Boom Boom after a reading of Bill Martin and John Archambault's newest rhythmic masterpiece. Fun begins as alphabet letters scramble up a coconut tree. An older child will enjoy identifying letters while the youngest delight in the wonderful sounds. Lois Ehlert's bright bold illustrations add to the frivolity. Ages 1-5. (Simon and Schuster, 1989)
Machines at Work by Byron Barton is a book for vehicle and non-vehicle lover alike. The illustrations are bold and strong, the subject matter appealing to many small children, the rhymes and rhythms captivating and chantish and there are even female protagonists that drive and work the machines. Ages 1-4. Hardcover only. (Harper and Row, $7.95)
Rhyme and rhythm are loved by toddlers anytime and there are many quieter, lulling books that one may want to use when calming is more the order of the day. A Fairy Went A-Marketing was published by Rose Fyleman in 1918, but was newly illustrated a few years ago by Jamichael Henterly. It tells the whimsical story of a gentle fairy who loves nature with a profound respect. Obvious and implicit in the book is the fact that poet and illustrator share her views. Their work is a marvelous marriage of like sentiments. Ages 1- adult. Hardcover only. (Dutton, 11.95)
Night can be a difficult time in a toddler's day. Books often provide a soothing, warm, comfort that allow for the relaxation a child needs to sleep. By their structure alone, the rhythm and rhyme of songs and poems that toddlers love so much make a natural preamble for sleep. There are many poems, collections and illustrated song books that are approachable for a very young child and appeal to an older child as well.
The most famous bedtime story of all, Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon, has lulled children to sleep for generations. It is the story of a little bunny saying goodnight to everything in his room. It sounds dull, but less is more. The pages calm through a gentle sameness of illustration which darkens ever so gradually. A soothing rhythmic text accompanies and quiets a child into slumber. I have heard more family stories of praise for Goodnight Moon than any other book. Ages 0- 3. Available in paperback and hardcover. (Harper and Row, $8.95, $2.95)
b.p. Nichols' Once: A Lullaby has now been illustrated by Anita Lobel. Her fine detailing makes this already lulling goodnight book all the more cozy. In each illustration we see different animals bedding down for the night, each making its own special sound, inviting children to participate. The sleepers' headboards dominate each picture and show the baby watched over or cuddled by loving parents. This is the final clincher in an already, warm comforting environment. There is music to go with this rhythmic book, but for those who can not read it, the words fit perfectly to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Ages newborn to three. Hardcover only. (Greenwillow, $11.95)
As usual, humor abounds in Sandra Boynton's Good Night, Good Night which tells is rhyming story of ark-bound animals who bathe, dress, brush, exercise, climb into one big bed and "rock and rock and rock to sleep." Everything from the rocking boat to the song in the middle seem to support a gentling into sleep. Rhyme comforts a newborn as well as a new reader. Ages 0-4. Hardcover (Random House, $6.95) A very similar book is available in a board book format as the Going to Bed Book (Random House, $3.50)
Nancy Larrick's collection , When the Dark Comes Dancing, is a blend of poems and lullabies that are enjoyable to the newborn and may calm a reading parent as well. Larrick precedes her collection with an excellent introduction that is full of helpful hints. Illustrations are vivid and dreamy all at the same time. Ages 0- adult. Available hardcover only. (Philomel, $16.95)
Illustrator Susan Jeffers contributes well to the poetry of bedtime with her magical representations of two bedtime classic; Eugene Field's Wynken, Blynken, and Nod (Dutton, $11.95, $3.95) and All the Pretty Little Horses. (Scholastic, $2.95)
I recommend having a fixed story hour every evening. A time with no interruptions in a warm,cozy setting where a child knows that for at least a bit of time they have your undivided attention. As the day grows quiet, and loses its flurry of activity, bedtime is the perfect time to relax and bring the quiet inside you and your relationship with your child.