We’ve been talking about writing for babies in these last few posts, which seems pretty boring on the surface, but it’s really interesting from a human development and writing style perspective. So, let’s talk about something you can relate to this time — board books.
- Cover of Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book)
I’m sure if you have kids or are anywhere around them, you’ve seen these types of children’s books. They’re sturdy. They take a lot of chewing, slobber, and just torment that normal books aren’t subjected to. Babies don’t really know any better, right?
And I’m guessing that if you’re even as old as me you remember Little Golden Books. They’re usually for preschoolers, but there are some for babies.
One I’m guessing you’ll remember is Dorothy Kunhardt‘s Pat the Bunny. I like it because well… Pat and all. My husband is Pat, too, so you can see it’s all in the family. Ha!
But I remember this book vividly when Shannon (NO! I would NOT name her Pat, too.) was tiny.
Remember what we said yesterday? Babies need sensory information, and Pat the Bunny is a perfect example. Inside, there are all types of tactile sensations.
The information is simple, too. There are familiar things — sister, brother, peek-a-boo, flowers to smell, and so on.
And the text is simple. “Judy can pat the bunny,” for example. Words of two syllables or less, and short sentences.
It’s all about learning language and the world of babies, eh? Babies get that. They learn what a bunny is, as they have probably never seen one, but when they do… they’ll know what it is!
Other great board books are the Eric Carle books: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, and Where’s Spot? All of these are lots of fun for the little ones. But now, we’re talking around 2 or 3 years old. You’ll notice that we’re getting into more “complicated” issues. Caterpillar is a giant word for babies. So, not all board books are baby books. We’ll be talking about the preschoolers next, but for one more post, let’s continue to be babies.
