The Children’s section of the library is rich in non-fiction books for youngsters of all ages. In my many years as a mother, grandmother and teacher, I’ve often searched the stacks for quality non-fiction with the goal of introducing or enhancing relevant subject matter. 

When I searched out some exemplary non-fiction texts for very young children, I was delighted to find they are better than ever! At this age, the appeal of the book itself is a major consideration. We capture the attention of little ones with bright, shiny objects, color, creative illustrations, and especially sensory images. Books for little ones need to be touchable and delectable in every way. After all, these books, if chosen wisely, will become the gateway to reading. 

Non-fiction books for babies and toddlers run the gamut from alphabet and number books, animal books, and books about cars and trucks, cities, sports, and just about anything you think would pique your little one’s interest. You can find non-fiction series, non-fiction rhyming and non-fiction stories over a wide range of topics. 

The perks of including non-fiction in your repertoire of read-alouds are many. Non-fiction books

• Teach or expand a child’s knowledge
• Introduce a variety of topics
• Often include opportunities for the child to interact with the book. For example, he can push a button and hear a related sound, open a flap, pull a cardboard lever, or touch a piece of material or rubber, designed to correlate with the text. What a delightful way to introduce reading. 
• Usually, these books are created of sturdy material. That means you can leave favorites in the crib or play area so little ones can examine them independently. Another perk of this feature is that it may just buy you a few more minutes in the morning or after nap time. 

Last week, I searched out some books that I felt exemplified much of what I’ve discussed. Here are a few to get you started…

Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet offers a wonderful way to introduce children to colors. How fun it would be to read the book, then demonstrate with paints how mixing them up produces the various colors.

Below, I show examples from two different series. The “You Must Never Touch” series, the “Tiger Tales” series are both full of information and offer a chance for kids use their sense of touch and hearing as you read the books.

Last, but not least, one of my favorite series, is written by Matthew Van Fleet. This series features a book called, Dogs, one called Cats and one called Tales. When two of my grandkids were little, they had the Dog book. We read it together countless times and, through the exquisite photos, met many breeds of dogs. An added bonus was many touch and interact with the book. In spite of the sturdy construction, this book was enjoyed so many times, it finally met its demise. That’s just about the best compliment a board book can get!

As you choose library books or purchase books for your child’s personal library, check out the multitude of non-fiction titles and let the learning begin.

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