created by alessandra MCCARTHY | The Montessori Club


How to Choose Books for Children (ages 0-6+)

Children enjoy and benefit from books at an early age – having books read out loud by a parent, caretaker or teacher; reading books themselves when capable; just looking at the images in books and making up their own stories; etc.

Children as young as newborns can be introduced to books, and even earlier when read to in the womb. Though the content for a 1-month-old will differ from the content for a 4-year-old, here are some general guidelines for choosing books for children between 0 and 6+ years old:

Aesthetics:

  • To the extent possible, books should be in good condition — clean, have a sturdy cover, firm binding, durable paper, minimal markings — and be beautiful.

  • Pages should be uncluttered, e.g. not have too much text and/or too many images per page.

  • Books should have clear print.

  • The size of a book should be manageable for the child: it can be handled on his/her own.

Illustrations:

  • Reasonably realistic, simple and clear

Content:

  • Before reading the book aloud to a child/children, read it thoroughly yourself to ensure no surprises (e.g. the vocabulary and story content are appropriate).

  • Ensure the child can relate to or be genuinely interested in the topic(s) independently, vs our pushing themes/ideas/politics that are beyond the child’s ability to grasp.

  • Seek out stories that speak to the child’s needs and his/her past, present or near-future experiences.

  • Look for simple, factual information about our world and everything in it.

Here are five books that exemplify the above criteria:

  1. “Apples and Pumpkins” by Anne Rockwell

  2. “Follow the Signs” by John Serrano

  3. “From Grass to Milk” by Stacy Taus-Bolstad

  4. “Wash Up!” by Gwyneth Swain

  5. “Bread Bread Bread” by Ann Morris


*No money is made from the purchase of any of these books. They are included here purely for their value to young children and to us children at heart. -Alessandra & Jesse McCarthy