Customer Reviews

Great Books for Babies and Toddlers: More Than 500 Recommended Books for Your Child's First Three Years

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If you have ever wondered whether all books for babies and toddlers are created equal, then wonder no more. Kathleen Odean has done all of the footwork for parents of young children and for youth services librarians responsible for collection development in this area, with this well-researched and annotated guide to the best of the best. Also included are tips on reading aloud, activities with books, books in Spanish and so much more, all to ensure that the maximum benefits are derived from the recommended literature. This is certainly an acquisition that leaves no room for regret.

In looking for things to read to our daughter once she was born, my husband and I searched our memories for childhood favorites, talked to friends and librarians and poked through Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook but found it to be a little light on suggestions appropriate for an infant. Kathleen Odean has done a wonderful job of describing several hundred books appropriate to read to 0-3 year olds and suggesting age ranges for each book.

I do wish that in addition to her "Favorite Picks" which give quick lists such as "Favorite Bedtime Books" that she had also included a list of books that rhyme and an index of titles by age since paging through to find things for a particular age is time consuming. All in all we are very pleased with this book and look forward to being introduced to many new books and authors as our child grows older.

I used this book to build a 100+ library of books for my 17-month old daughter. There are so many children's books available that a guide like this is indispensible for distinguishing between them. This guide pointed me towards some fantastic books and authors that I would not have encountered by simply browsing my local library or bookstore. Some examples of fantastic authors that my daughter and I love whose books were recommended by this guide include Frank Asch, Pat Hutchins, Eve Rice, and Patricia Hubbell.

Odean, Kathleen. 2003. Great Books for Babies and Toddlers. New York: Ballantine Books.

Odean brings together a love of reading and what to read to babies and young children. The author begins by talking about the importance of reading to babies and young children. She goes on to remind the reader how to look for books according to the child's age. Odean gives annotations of over 500 titles and divides the books into two sections: "Nursery Rhymes, Fingerplays, and Songs; and Picture-Story Books for the Very Young." Each entry has the bibliographic information, such as the author, title, illustrator, and publishing information. Entries also include age range and brief description. The author gives libraries a nice plug, telling readers to take advantage of the local library for not only books, but also services such as storytime. A "Further Reading for Librarians" is brief. Among the information in the "Reference and Tips for Parents" section, Odean lists music, websites, and titles in Spanish. Three separate indexes are available, Author and Illustrator, Title, and Subject. Kathleen Odean has produced for babies and toddlers what Jim Trelease produced for pre-schoolers and elementary students, a wonderful jewel of a tool to help parents select books for their children. What a nice resource to offer parents and care givers the opportunity to select books just right for their children. Overall, this book is packed with tips and resources that even new librarians would enjoy and learn something new. This title would be an ideal purchase for public libraries to add to their parenting section.

I first saw/got this book at my local library, but after renewing it three times I decided it was time to buy it! Now this book along with a few others is my standard "new baby gift." While everyone else is giving cute clothes that will last a few weeks or months, I'm giving a gift that will last for years!