Nyack Basics by Valley Cottage Library: Read and Discuss Stories
Information and materials related to the Nyack Basics Campaign
Why is this important?
Reading turns kids into confident thinkers. Make books a regular part of your relationship from the very beginning. With infants, point at the pictures and speak with excitement. With toddlers, just make it fun.
Use voices, point to items in the story, or do dialogic reading. In dialogic reading, the adult helps the child become the teller of the story. The adult becomes the listener by asking questions about the book for the child to answer. Dialogic reading is just children and adults having a conversation about a book.
You can help children remember more about a story by:
- asking "what" questions
- asking open-ended questions
- expanding upon what the child says
Videos in English and Spanish about Maximizing Love and Managing Stress in everyday life.
For Infants
- Read regularly and with expression. Your baby won’t understand for a while, but that’s fine. They will hear your voice, see the pictures, and develop good feelings about books.
- Keep it simple. Board books with hard covers and thick pages are made especially for babies. Choose books that are short and have simple, bright pictures.
- Snuggle up. Hold your baby in your lap so they feel cozy and can see the pictures.
- Involve them. They might want to hold the book, turn the pages, or pat the pictures. They might even chew on the book. It’s all part of learning!
- Describe the pictures. It’s not important to read all—or any—of the words. Point to the pictures and describe the colors, shapes, and what the characters are doing.
- Follow their lead. When they start to lose interest, try another book or stop. Short periods of reading will work best.
Books for Infants
The Bike Ride by Call Number: BB ORMERODISBN: 9781760128982Publication Date: 2017-11-01Meet Maudie, a plucky young girl, and her friend Bear, a gentle giant with a heart of gold. In The Bike Ride Maudie's endless planning is as tiring as the bike ride itself.
Bob and Flo and the Missing Bucket (Board Book) by Call Number: BB ASHDOWNISBN: 9780544867116Publication Date: 2017-06-27It's Flo's first day of preschool. She has her lunch in a bucket and a new bow. Then she meets a fellow penguin named Bob. And soon her bucket disappears! Can you help Flo find her bucket? With simple, bright illustrations and a gentle humor, Rebecca Ashdown's perfectly pitched preschool tale shows that while buckets may get lost, friends are made to be found.
Bob and Flo Play Hide-And-Seek (Board Book) by Call Number: BB ASHDOWNISBN: 9780544859593Publication Date: 2017-06-27It's a rainy day, so Bob comes to preschool with his umbrella. His umbrella is so big that Flo and new friend Sam don't even see him at first! Yet Bob isn't such a good hider when they decide to play hide-and-seek. Can Flo and Sam help Bob learn to disappear?
Day at the Farm by Call Number: BB REYISBN: 9780544988743Publication Date: 2017-09-05Curious George and the man with the yellow hat spend a busy day at the Jackson Family Farm in this sturdy, colorful, tabbed board book. Help George find the milking pail, gather all of the eggs in the hen house, and even come up with a plan to keep the crows away from the crops! Interactive flaps on every spread reveal hidden details to delight little ones on repeat readings.
A Day with Pepe and Milli by Call Number: BB KAWAMURAISBN: 9780807564813Publication Date: 2017-08-01Follow best friends Pepe and Millie throughout the day as they get dressed, cook, swing, and so much more! With Pepe and Milli something is always going on. Includes sliders and lift-the-flaps perfect for toddler interaction!
Goodnight Moon by Call Number: BB BROWNISBN: 9780694003617Publication Date: 2007-01-23In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room--to the picture of the three little bears sitting on chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one--the little bunny says goodnight. In this classic of children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day. This board book edition is the perfect size for little hands.
Guess How Much I Love You by Call Number: BB MCBRATNEYISBN: 9780763642648Publication Date: 2008-10-14How much will the youngest readers love this board book edition? Now with a refreshed cover in a format perfect for little hands. "Guess how much I love you," says Little Nutbrown Hare. Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him: as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. But Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much. Well then, Little Nutbrown Hare loves him right up to the moon, but that's just halfway to Big Nutbrown Hare's love for him.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Call Number: BB CARLEISBN: 9780399226908Publication Date: 1994-03-23THE all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life? Including a special feature, dye cuts, this beautiful board book edition, perfect for teaching the days of the week, offers readers an interactive experience.
For Toddlers
- Have a routine. Try to read together every day. Before bed is a great time to read, but choose a time of day that works best for your family.
- Warm up. Before you open the book, check out the cover. Read the title. Look at the pictures. Ask your child what they think the story is about.
- Change your voice. Try different voices for different characters.
- Help them follow along. Point to the words and pictures. Talk about the colors, shapes, and what the characters are doing.
- Ask questions. “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why is the girl happy?” Respond to your child’s comments and questions. Show your interest in their ideas.
- Don’t be too serious. Your toddler may want to turn the page before you have finished reading it. If they can’t sit still for the whole book, that’s ok.
- Re-read. Toddlers learn through repetition, so it is normal when they want to read a favorite book over and over. Notice how proud they feel when they master the story. But try for variety too, because new books offer new things to see and learn.
Books for Toddlers
Books Always Everywhere by Call Number: JP BLATTISBN: 9780385375061Publication Date: 2014-05-27Babies and toddlers join in an exuberant celebration of books of all shapes and sizes in this charming picture book. For little kids, books can be anything from a chair, to a tower, to a hat. But once little ones discover the magical world that can be found inside a book, the best thing a book can be--is a book! This joy of discovery is evident on the faces of these little kids as they open up a book and find a favorite story.
Henry Finds His Word by Call Number: JP WARDISBN: 9780803739901Publication Date: 2015-02-24Baby Henry is under a lot of pressure to say his first word. His parents are all excited about what it will be, but Henry doesn't see what the big deal is. He says things all the time like 'bbbghsh' and 'boop,' but no one seems to understand what he means. So, Henry decides that he better start searching for a word. Luckily, just when he needs it most, his first word comes looking for him.
The Little Fire Truck by Call Number: JP CUYLERISBN: 9781627798051Publication Date: 2017-10-10Join firefighter Jill and her fearless little fire truck as they zip all over town to put out smoky fires and rescue those in need, with the help of the fire crew in this picture book companion toThe Little Dump TruckandThe Little School Bus. There's lots of challenging work to do, but this trusty team is always ready to rescue!
A Lovely Day for Amelia Goose by Call Number: JP RONGISBN: 9780763623098Publication Date: 2004-04-12Boing! Splash! Sploosh! A warm pond, a good friend, and hours to play — what could make for a lovelier day? It’s a lovely day, and Amelia Goose is off to the pond to play with her friend, Frog. They bounce and splash and play hide-and-seek in the reeds. They sit on the log and swim with the fish. What fun! Yu Rong’s bright, graphic images and playful sound words make a satisfying read-aloud for very young children — and a celebration of simple pleasures with friends.
Maisy Goes to the Local Bookstore by Call Number: JP COUSINSISBN: 9780763692551Publication Date: 2017-03-28Kids love Maisy -- and Maisy loves books! Follow her as she discovers the wonders of the bookstore for the first time. Today Maisy is going to the bookstore to buy a new book, but there are so many to choose from! There's a big brown book about bears, a long blue book about fish, a noisy book about trucks, and a book about things to draw and paint. Just as Maisy finds a beautiful book of rhymes that her friend Tallulah will love, out pops Charley from behind the shelves. "Ahoy, Maisy!" he says, holding a book about pirates. Now what kind of books will Cyril and Eddie choose?
Millions of Snowflakes by Call Number: JP SIDDALSISBN: 9780395715314Publication Date: 1998-09-21"One little snowflake falls on my nose. It makes me shiver from my head to my toes." A little girl plays outside on a cold winter day, counting each snowflake as it falls softly to the ground. Bundled in her warmest snowsuit, she savors the snow, tasting each flake as it falls on her tongue, and makes snow angels. Simple rhyming text captures the joy of a winter afternoon while teaching basic counting skills.
Small Elephant's Bathtime by Call Number: JP FEENEYISBN: 9780553497229Publication Date: 2015-03-10Small Elephant likes water . . . but not when it's in a bath. Small Elephant's mommy tries to make the bath more fun with toys and bubbles, but he is not fooled. He is too busy to take a bath. He has said no many times. He is getting very cross. And then he disappears! (Elephants who cannot be found cannot take baths.) But Small Elephant's daddy has a way to make the bath fun. He may look silly doing it--but it just might work!
Wee Little Chick by Call Number: JP THOMPSONISBN: 9781416934684Publication Date: 2008-01-08Wee Little Chicken is the smalles of all his new brothers and sisters. Will he let that stop him from climbing the highest, running the fastest, and chirping the loudest? No way - when he puts his mind to it, Wee Little Chicken just might show all of the animals on the farm that wee little is just the right size.
What Shall We Do with the Boo-Hoo Baby? by ISBN: 9780439153119Publication Date: 2000-10-01A dog, a cat, a duck, and a cow try to think of things to do to soothe a crying baby.
Will You Be My Friend? by Call Number: JP TAFURIISBN: 9780590637824Publication Date: 2000-03-01Bird comes to feel less shy when Bunny helps her rebuild her ruined nest, showing her what a good friend can be.
