Pick of the Week: One Special Day

One Special Day: a story for big brothers and sisters by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Jessica Meserve (Disney/Hyperion Books, 2012)

From Kirkus Reviews: 

"ONE SPECIAL DAY (reviewed on January 1, 2012)

The never-ceasing flow of new-baby books gets an imaginative jolt in this clever and creative title. Spencer may be a boy, but in him you’ll find qualities worthy of the entire animal kingdom. He’s fast as a horse, tall as a giraffe, funny as a monkey and more. Yet when his parents come home with a new arrival, Spencer finds a new way to describe himself." (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lola-m-schaefer/one-special-day/)

This book has already been shared at storytime with success and would make an excellent book for any new big brother or sister. Enjoy!

Pick of the Week: Itsy-Bitsy Babies

I am a fan of Jan Ormerod's illustrations, especially ones of babies, so when I learned of a new book collaboration between Margaret Wild and Ormerod, I was excited. When the library received copies of Itsy-Bitsy Babies, published by Little Hare Books, I was definitely not disappointed. This book was featured in Infant Storytime this morning and is a great one to read aloud with babies and toddlers. Rhyming text and adorable illustrations feature the things babies love to do - peekaboo, clapping, and playing.

Itsy-Bitsy Babies by Margaret Wild and Jan Ormerod

Pick of the Week: "Shwatsit!"

Shwatsit!: No one knows just what it means by Christin Ditchfield, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (Golden Book, 2009)

This little baby girl knows just what she wants, but no one else in her family can figure it out. She eats breakfast,  sees her brother off to school at the bus stop, goes shopping with Mom, heads to the park, and more. All the while, her family is trying to guess just what "shwatsit" means! Young children will love trying to figure out what it means, and once they do, it's fun to look back through the book at the clues given. Parents and older siblings will appreciate what it's like to try to decode a baby's or toddler's first word attempts.

No Infant Storytime on Wednesday 4/29

The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library will be closed on Wednesday, April 29th for a staff in-service day. We will miss seeing, singing with, and reading to all of the babies at Infant Storytime, but look forward to our next storytime together on May 6th at 10:00 a.m. at the Corvallis Main Library.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy sharing songs, rhymes, bounces, and books at home and on-the-go with your little one!

All About Babies!

The wonderful thing about working with babies is that everything is new and wonderful to them. They are little scientists - making new discoveries everyday, trying new things, experimenting, and learning is joyful! Stop by Infant Storytime at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library on a Wednesday morning and you'll see a great, diverse group of babies all gathered with their caregivers and discovering language, songs, books and each other! It's so much fun, especially when we come to the part of our program where we're up and moving around the room with the little ones. Each baby has a chance to see and "meet" another little one. The delight in their eyes is evident when they've made that connection, as if to say, "Hey! You're a baby like me, too!"

Parents of babies also quickly find that many times their child's favorite first book is a board book full of baby faces, like those found in Margaret Miller's Baby Faces board book series. The board book shown here is by David Salariya and is aptly titled All About Me! A Baby's Guide to Babies (Random House, 2008). You can find this selection, as well as Margaret Miller's board books in the library's board book collection.

For more information, see this resource on simple ways you can help boost your baby's brain development through love and play from Oregon's Child: Everyone's Business.

Community Parenting Class - Live & Learn with Your Baby

Live and Learn with your Baby - WEB Version

This popular class will be offered for the first time on the WEB. The class for parents of infants to beginning walkers provides fun and easy ways to support infant development and gives parents the opportunity to discuss parenting issues with other parents.

When: Ten weeks beginning the week of March 30th. Individuals may join at any time.

Cost: $10.00 for the ten week session

Who: LBCC Parenting Education Faculty Felicia Reid-Metoyer

Call 917-4949 for registration information

For information about the non-WEB version of this class and other LBCC Parenting Educaiton classes visit www.linnbenton.edu/go/parenting-education or call us at 917-4949.

Please note that community events and classes shared on this blog are not necessarily endorsed or sponsored by the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.

Pick of the Week: My Baby & Me

My Baby & Me by Lynn Reiser and Penny Gentieu (Alfred A. Knopf, 2008)

What can a little baby do? Maybe not everything their older brother or sister can do, but they can do plenty! This is a great book for sharing with either babies or toddlers. They'll each get something different out of the book - whether they identify with the baby or the older sibling in each layout. Lynn Reiser's rhyming text and Penny Gentieu's fabulous photographs are the perfect match for a picture book to share with the very youngest of children. Great for one on one or even group storytime sharing!

Pick of the Week: Hello, Day! by Anita Lobel

Hello, Day! by Anita Lobel (Greenwillow Books, 2008)

Finding a beautifully illustrated picture book that works well as a read-aloud to babies and toddlers is a real treat. Anita Lobel's book, Hello, Day!, hits the mark. With vibrantly painted illustrations of farm animals awaking on a sunny morning, each animal greets the day in its own unique way. The simple plot concludes with the sun setting and an owl appearing to say goodnight. A great morning or bedtime read!

Bring on the Babies!

Did you know that the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library owns board books for our very youngest patrons? These books are not cataloged, so stop by your library to see what we have available to check out.

Need some suggestions? Try one of these staff picks:

Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe by Tana Hoban

Crisp, bright, simple photographs are the signature style of Tana Hoban. Introduce simple color identification and vocabulary to the youngest children.




Shapes (Little Scholastic) by Justine Smith

Very simple, bright books bring concepts like shape and color to babies. Visually appealing and stimulating for little eyes.




That's Not My Puppy... by Fiona Watt

This board book series by Fiona Watt for Usborne Books is a hit with little ones. Watt brings us simple plot lines, touch-and-feel sensory fun, and vocabulary just right for young children.



Blankie by Leslie Patricelli

One of the most treasured of all childhood things, this book celebrates the love between baby and blankie. Simple, cute illustrations and just the right amount of drama.



Country Babies Wear Plaid by Michelle Sinclair Colman and Nathalie Dion

These wonderfully illustrated board books celebrate babies of all styles - this one featuring the world of babies growing up in the country. Other titles include "Urban Babies Wear Black" and "Beach Babies Wear Shades" and "Eco Babies Wear Green"). Cute titles that parents will appreciate too.


Toes, Ears, & Nose! by Karen Katz

This lift-the-flap book offers a neat opportunity for babies to learn the names of different parts of their bodies. Babies love the interactive element of lift-the-flap books and Karen Katz's illustrations are gorgeous.



My Colores Mi Colores by Rebecca Emberley

Very simple, colorful illustrations identifying a variety of objects in both Spanish and English words. A great book to share with bilingual babies.




Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson

Author Karma Wilson brings a new board book full of adorable illustrated babies and loving rhymes - making this one a great bedtime, lap-sharing book!




Baby Dance by Ann Taylor and Marjorie Van Heerden

Rhythmic language and beautiful illustrations pair up for a celebration of song and togetherness with your small baby.




Baby Faces by DK Publishing

Babies love looking at other babies. These baby faces display a variety of emotions to read and talk about too!




Baby Pets by Margaret Miller

Margaret Miller is one of the best author/photographers out there for the smallest children. The Look Baby board books should be a welcome addition in every child's first library experience. Baby Pets, Baby Talk, Baby Faces, Peekaboo Baby, and I Love Colors are all titles in this series to look for. Gorgeous photographs and simple text make these great for an introduction to books for very young babies.


Out to Play by Michel Blake

Michel Blake and Candlewick paired to create Easy-Open board books that are just right for small hands to manipulate and turn the pages. Black and white photographs combined with bright colors make the illustrations pop in these simple board books that center around the environment of a baby and toddler.



Bear and Kite by C. Wright

Precious classic illustrations, rhyming text and the concept of opposites create a visually appealing board book to share with older babies.




Baby Talk by DK Publishing

Thick lift-the-flap pages and cute photographs are the highlight of this board book. As mentioned above, babies just love looking at other babies! The flaps are easy for little hands to lift (and won't tear as easily as many other lift-the-flap style books) and the question/answer format make great "conversation" starters for parents reading to their little ones.

Remember, you know your baby best. Look for the best times to share books with your little one throughout the day. Let her play with the books and if she show signs of disengaging with you, stop and try again another time. Keep the experience fun and a time for bonding!

Beginning with Books

Want to raise a reader? Begin introducing books to your baby right from the start. Think your baby is too little to enjoy a book or get anything out of the experience? Think again. Babies are busy developing important connections in their brains during the first years of life - especially the connections devoted to language skills. The more your baby experiences language, the better equipped he will be to eventually learn to read. Talk and sing with your little boy and he'll have an attentive audience to begin talking and babbling with you. Share books and rhymes with your baby. He'll gain vocabulary and begin to understand how his native language works (for instance, recognizing the individual sounds that make up words). The experiences you share with him today will are a valuable investment in his future!

When your little boy is a baby, it doesn't matter what you read to him. The point is that you are reading aloud and sharing the beauty of language with him! So pick up the newspaper, your favorite magazine, a recipe, the latest novel, or a picture book. If he sees you reading - and enjoying it - he'll associate reading with pleasure.

Check out board books - sturdy books made just for babies and toddlers - at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. Carry them in the diaper bag and have them ready to share during those waits at the doctor's office or in line at the grocery store. Keep a book or two in the crib for your baby to play with on his own. Have books in the toy box.

When your boy flips through the pages quickly, touches, chews, and tosses his board books, this is reading! It may not look like it, but this is the beginning of reading - figuring out how a book works! Don't force your little one to sit still for a book. If he looks away or disengages, put the book down and try at another time. Eventually, he'll be able to pay attention for longer periods of time. In the meantime, keep it short and fun!

And you'll be helping grow a reader...

Need a few suggestions? Look for board books with simple, bright illustrations. Too much action or detail on a page can be overstimulating. Photographs of other babies, people, and common experiences are always appealing to little ones. Try touch and feel books, as babies are sensory learners. Nursery rhymes and books based on songs provide the beginnings of phonemic awareness - a skill he'll need to become a reader someday. Common themes such as bedtime, dressing, and family life are really interesting to babies. For more ideas, just ask a Youth Services Librarian!