BOOKS FOR BABIES
Whangarei District Libraries & Storytime Childrens Bookshop

Regular and consistent reading to and with babies and young children has a sustained, positive effect on children’s literacy development and on their overall engagement
with learning and society.

Over the past twenty years, Books for Babies have emerged in all corners of the world to encourage parents and  caregivers to spend time telling stories and reading with their babies and children; and thereby to enjoy the advantages those activities can bring.
- 123 Read With Me/123 Lis Avec Moi,  Canada
- Boekbaby, Belgium
- Bookstart, Japan www.bookstart.net
- Bookstart, Korea
- Bookstart, Taiwan www.hsin-yi.org.twwww.hsin-yi.org.tw
- Bookstart, Thailand www.thaibby.in.th
- Bookstart, U.K. www.bookstart.co.uk
- Fundalectura, Colombia www.fundalectura.org
- Lesestart, Germany
- Reach Out & Read, U.S.A. www.reachoutandread.org

Similar programmes have emerged in New Zealand, and Books for Babies schemes have enjoyed growing support from local governments and sponsors alike in such diverse places as Horowhenua, Rodney, Southland, Tasman, Thames and Waitakere, as well as in all the main centres.

In Northland, the Books for Babies scheme was initiated in 2007, distributed by Plunket and jointly funded by the Whangarei District Libraries and local children’s store, Storytime.  The scheme presents every baby born in Northland with their very own first book.  As part of the package, parents are also provided with some gentle advice on how to incorporate books into theirs and their babies’ lives.

Now we’ve gone a step further.  With the publication and release of the board book, books for babies, creators Annemarie Florian and Heather Hunt have produced a resource well-suited for these international and national initiatives.
Footnote:
The Bookman understands this title is only available from the Whangarei District Libraries and Storytime Childrens Bookshop.