Editor Lockdown after lockdown, screens and video games are replacing classrooms and books. It is more important than ever to introduce your children to a variety of books and build on the habit of reading. As children, we all loved it when our parents read us story books before bedtime or during breaks. Make use of this opportunity and create a ritual of reading books together during your child’s bedtime. Here is our quick guide to some amazing stories that you can use to engage your child in many, many ways:
Books on ‘Me and my surroundings’:
1. Karen Beaumont’s silly but serious book ‘I Like myself’ is about a little girl who embraces exactly who she is. This adorable narrative shows her identifying all the things she likes best about herself – on the outside as well as the inside. Children can learn about self-acceptance, about loving and appreciating everyone around them.
2. ‘I am enough’ by Grace Byers is a New York Times best-selling picture book. The book depicts different girls who are all diverse – with different skin colours, some in wheelchairs, some wearing hijabs. It conveys the message about respecting others and being kind to one another. Children can learn about confidence, how to help others when they are sad, how to cope when they are feeling sad etc.
3. ‘Is that you’ book by Zooboo is a great way to introduce your child to all the wonderful people and things that surround him. It a lovely book about ‘Myself’ written by Sarah Kutiyanawala and illustrated by Shubhangi Raheja. Children will learn all about who they are and about their family members. A perfect book for newly born kids and their parents as they settle into their new world.
Books on ‘New words, colors, counting’:
4. ‘Brown bear brown bear, what do you see?’ is a great kids book by famous American illustrator and writer of children’s books, Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr. A great read aloud book for young children, it is all about colours, animals and birds.
5. ‘Which colour do you like’ by Zooboo is also a perfect way to introduce the little reader to colours and learn new words. Written by Ankita Shah and illustrated by Shivani Danave, this book teaches children about new colours and object recognition too. Because it is personalized with your child’s name, it keeps up their curiosity by asking them their favourite colours!
Books on ‘Nature’:
6. ‘The tiny seed’ is another good read-aloud book by Eric Carle. It shows a seed that travels through different seasons to mature into a plant. It is a good way to learn about seasons and nature. It’s also a cyclical book that is great for understanding the process of a life-cycle.
7. ‘What’s behind that door’ written by Sanskruti Gala and illustrated by Manasvi Rambhia is also a great way to learn about types of climatic conditions and their characteristics. This Zooboo book creates curiosity by asking the reading to guess what lies behind each page. Children learn about different sounds, seasons, opposites and new words.
Books on ‘Imagination’:
8. ‘Everywhere wonder’ by Matthew Swason is a book all about a young boy’s journey into imagination. It is a good book to start as a picture talk and show children different wonders in the world.
9. Another great book to build children’s imagination skills is Zooboo’s book ‘Get’s wings’. Written by Purabee Nair and illustrated by Juliee Mahimkar, the book is an innovative tale about the adventures of flying. It stimulates a child’s imagination skills by asking them what all they would do if they had wings and could fly?
Books on ‘Animals’:
10. While there are a lot of books on animals, here are some classic tales that are a must-read. ‘The Town Musicians of Bremen’ is a folk tale from Germany written by the Grimm brothers. It is an amusing story about four farm animals who are now old but think that they can earn a good living as musicians.
11. ‘The little red hen’ is another old English folk tale. A classic storybook by Paul Galdone, this tale is a must for all preschoolers. It teaches children about different farm animals and also talks about social values like helping, sharing, and the importance of hard work.
12. A wonderful book to encourage your child’s learning on animals is the Zooboo book ‘Bo-peep!’. Written by Namisha Sanghavi and illustrated by Blessy Paul, this book takes the reader through different animals in a nature park. Your kid will love learning about different animal features as he plays hide-and-seek with them!
Books on ‘Social skills’:
13. ‘The Three little pigs’ in its best known form appeared in the English fairy tales by Joesph Jacobs. The story has many versions and adaptations, so try to pick one which is the most age appropriate for your child’s reading level. It is introduced in almost all schools and teaches social skills like caring for your siblings and encourages problem solving skills.
14. A book that you can’t miss is Zooboos ‘Birthday book! Written by Sarah Kutiyanawala and illustrated by Dhwani Gosalia, this book is perfect to teach children counting, backward counting, and new words. It shows the protagonist involved in all the planning process of his birthday party. Thus it teaches children to be independent, make decisions and how to be a good host at home.
Bedtime stories or even just regularly reading books together with your kid is a great way to comfort your little one while also teaching them something new. Don’t hesitate to start building on your kid’s book collection right away. And the best part is that all of Zooboo’s books can be customised with your child’s name and character throughout the story!
