The best books for your toddler are books that:

• Tell simple stories

• Have rhymes that are easy to memorize

• Contain lessons about things that relate to your child’s everyday life. Examples are books about saying goodbye, going to bed, eating well, understanding others’ emotions, going to school.

Reading and book ideas:

• Try to read with your toddler every day, more than once if possible!

• Read in front of your child so he or she sees that you like to read too.

• Make reading fun. It’s okay if your child changes the words or meaning of a book. It’s better for them to have fun than to “get it right.”

• Talk or sing about the pictures in books. You don’t always have to read from the page.

• Let your child turn the page. It builds fine motor skills and helps them stay involved.

• Point to the words on the page as you read them (running your finger from left to right).

• Create voices for the different characters to make the story exciting.

• Ask your toddler questions about the story or the pictures (for example, “why do you think he looks scared?” or “What rhymes with blue?”).

• Answer questions your child asks about the story along the way. Don’t worry if you don’t get to finish the actual book!

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