Text is sparse (books may even be wordless) with the illustrations carrying the "story". These books range from those which have no plot (they display familiar objects and settings to the youngest reader) to those with simple, familiar, welcoming storylines.

As a Caterpillar, your child will learn to walk and talk and take first baby steps to independence. There's a wide gap between 6 months and 3 years . But even a child of a few months can listen to the rhythm of your voice and enjoy the visual feast of pictures. Music and word rhythms are a great way to introduce even the youngest child to the joys of language. As your child gains confidence in the use of his/her body and words, s/he will enjoy stories which reflect this growth and confidence: silly rhymes and nonsense words and stories where the child bests the parent.

Babies love looking at other babies. Toddlers happily let animals (such as Peter Rabbit) take their place in adventures which might hit too close to home if played by a child. (The line between real and pretend is not very distinct for this age group.)

When your little one can sit for a minute, don't be a slave to the written words in these books. Because attention spans are short, it's fair game to customize the reading to your particular child. You may have to fly through with only a key word or two. Equally, you may want to embellish the text with little side stories, sound effects and questions.

The key at this stage is to get across the idea that books are fun ways to explore and reflect ideas and experiences. Some books will enhance this notion with little physical tricks (such as opening doors in Where's Spot or the caterpillar's trail - in the form of finger holes - in The Very Hungry Caterpillar). In these two examples, these devices are illustrative mirrors of the story idea (as opposed to being commercial gadgets tacked on to take advantage of a trend.)

You'll get a sense from the great children's books that the author/illustrator respects that children are important people not to be talked down to. The sappy condescending drivel of Care Bears won't enter into great children's literature. There won't be a fear of using bigger words or touching on important themes. As with all age ranges, the key to success is to make your child an equal partner in the adventure. Get both of you involved with the book, and have fun!

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