The Best Books to Read to Your Children

It's a fact that most children love to be read to. In fact, if you start reading to your child when he or she is a baby you can practically guarantee that he or she will grow up to be a lifelong book lover. Very small babies enjoy interactive, plush or board books while toddlers can learn to talk through books that have labels (think "Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever" or "My First ABC Book").

As your child heads into the preschool years, reading is more important than ever. Your child will have distinctive preferences (like princesses or cars) and may want to read about things that he or she likes. Since you want your child to remain interested during story time, it's a good idea to let him or her pick out some of the books during your trips to the library.

And then there's the old standby's. Books that are classics or are destined to be. Remember, it's important for you to remain interested during story time too, so here are some suggestions for books that every child (and adult) should experience:

-- "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See" by Eric Carle. Carle is known for his boldly illustrated and lyrically written books. This book is especially great because your child can actually help read along. As you ask each animal what they see, the answer appears on the next page. And then you go on to ask the next animal what they see. Your toddler or preschooler will quickly catch on to the formula of the story and after two or three readings will want to help you "read" it. This book contains Carle's usual colorful illustrations-- everything from a purple cat to a big red bird.

-- "Chicken Soup with Rice" by Maurice Sendak. While most people favor Sendak's Caldecott award winning book "Where the Wild Things Are", I find "Chicken Soup" to be more suitable for younger children. The book is written in a fun, sing song rhyme tone, and the simple illustrations are fantastic. This book is also a great way for your child to learn about the different months and seasons.