Imagine you have a treasure, a treasure that can promise a life of success and achievement. This treasure is inexhaustible, no matter how much you give away. Surely you would share it with those closest to you. And yet so many in today’s society fail to share the greatest treasure of all with their children — reading.

Between hockey, girl guides, ballet, soccer, school fundraisers, birthday parties, and all the rest, it’s no wonder that something as simple as books gets left behind. But this treasure — books, reading, learning — cannot be left to the schools to impart. It’s up to you, the parent, to share. It’s up to you to reach your child before it’s too late. It’s up to you to introduce your baby to the wonderful world of books.

Why read to your baby, you may ask? They won’t understand. Perhaps not, but taking time to share books with your baby will help them understand that books are important and special. If you show them that you love books, then they will in turn love books. This will set a pattern for the rest of their lives.

Reading to your child will also help them to develop language skills. Sharing concept books - books about numbers, letters, shapes, colors, etc. — is a wonderful and fun way to help your child learn. As your child grows with books around them, they will develop "reading readiness." By observing you reading a book, they become familiar with how you move through a book, how to turn pages, the direction of the text, and how letters make up words. So share this treasure with your child. It is yours to give. How?

Here are a few tips for sharing books with your baby, toddler or preschooler:
Always read something you love, something you can get enthusiastic about. If you don’t like it, neither will your child.
Make sure you and your child are comfortable while reading.
Try using nursery rhymes or poems for infants. They may not understand what is being read, but they will enjoy the rhythm and melodic tone of the story.
Look for bright vibrant pictures that will attract your baby’s attention.
Board books are durable, so let your baby have fun with them.
Let your child decide when reading time is over. If you force the issue it will no longer be fun.
Keep books for children on low shelves.
Ask toddlers to name pictures on the page. Get them to talk about what they see.
Children often have a favourite book that they like to read over and over. Encourage them to "read" it to you.

Another way to share this treasure with your child is to bring them to the library. Most libraries have a well-developed collection of children’s books as well as trained staff who can advise you on making selections for your child. Ask your librarian about programs for babies and toddlers.

Bringing your child to a library program has many benefits. Librarians work hard to provide interactive programs for children. These may include songs, games, action rhymes, finger-plays, felt board stories, puppetry and other storytelling animation techniques. Often parents will learn something new as well. It provides you with an opportunity to visit the library and borrow a variety of books on a regular basis, instead of hit-and-miss. Your child will also develop social skills and make new friends within the group. Also, your child will become accustomed to sitting quietly for the duration of the program, a skill that is useful in many other situations.

Recommended Books:
Babies (0-18 months)
Hug by Jez Alborough
Moo, baa, la, la, la by Sandra Boynton
The going to bed book by Sandra Boynton
Cow moo me by Stephen Losordo
Row, row, row your goat by Bernard Most
Good night gorilla by Peggy Rathman
The itsy-bitsy spider by Rosemary Wells

Concept Books
Ten, nine, eight by Molly Bang
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed by Eileen Christelow
A northern alphabet by Ted Harrison
Strawberries are red by Petr Horacek
Baby Einstein see and spy shapes by Julie Aigner-Clark

Toddlers
Each peach, pear, plum by Janet Ahlberg and Allan Ahlberg
Moongame by Frank Asch
Animals should definitely not wear clothing by Judi Barrett
Goodnight moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Polar bear, polar bear, what do you hear by Bill Martin

Preschoolers
Princess Prunella and the purple peanut by Margaret Atwood
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Click, clack, moo: cows that type by Doreen Cronin
Jillian Jiggs by Phoebe Gilman
Froggy gets dressed by Jonathan London
If you give a moose a muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff
We’ll all go flying by Richard Thompson

So, start early. Share one of the greatest gifts you can with your child. Share that wonderful treasure and set your child on the road to success, achievement and lifelong learning.

(Nina Dagneau is Chief Librarian in Fraser Lake. Born and raised in Mackenzie, she has been writing since she can remember. Her greatest writing interests are in poetry and historical fiction.)