First book: Happy Baby 123, by Roger Priddy

Our first book for Aahna was Happy Baby 123 (board book), by Roger Priddy in Dec 2010 (when Aahna was 5 months old).This is a part of a series of "Happy Baby" books, by Priddy Books.

We started Aahna on semi-solid food when she was 6 months. She ate all her food on a high chair until she was 2 years. Happy Baby 123 was a much-loved book, especially during meal time. We used it so much that most of the pages have come loose (I intend to get it re-bound and preserve the book for all the memories it brings back and would bring back of our early days with Aahna). It is a rather simple book (probably the reason for its success), with a growing number of different things as we move from 1 through 10 - "1 cute tiger cub", "2 wet faces" (of children), etc. The last time we read it was when Aahna was probably about 2 years.

Your first books for children should undoubtedly be board books, as tearing pages out of the book is one of their favourite activities. I have had to patch up numerous books with wide transparent tape in later months when we moved to paperbacks / hard covers. At the same time as Happy Baby 123, we also bought a cloth book, Peter Rabbit Snuggle. But this didn't go far, probably because it didn't have the appearance of a book. Peter Rabbit stories were to be a major hit in later years, though.

Because our knowledge of Children's books picked up when Aahna was well into her second year, my knowledge of books for infants is rather poor. But Happy Baby 123 and its companion book, Happy Baby ABC (which we later bought), were well used and much loved by Aahna.

Some thoughts on reading to children

When I wandered into the Landmark bookstore in Hyderabad with my father in Dec 2010 (Aahna was 5 months at the time), he suggested we buy some books for Aahna. Though my initial reaction was still negative, this time I acquiesced and we bought a couple of books.

I wonder why I had such strong views against buying books for Aahna. Though I believed books to be a source of immense joy for myself, I clearly didn't think they would be the same for Aahna. I was probably equating books for Aahna with school books, with studying. When I was in high school and had just discovered (rather belatedly) Secret Seven, Famous Five and Hardy Boys, reading them was taboo at home. My parents believed they were not educational (defined as that which would help me get better marks at school). I did manage to read a fair number of these books, but in the safe confines of the toilet. Though I defied them, their belief probably took hold in my mind - for children, books have to be educational. The selection of children's books in most bookstores also takes this view - alphabets, words, numbers, etc. And this is precisely what I didn't want Aahna to get started on so early in her life. Start her on the race to know earlier and more in order to get ahead.

Looking back now, I realize that children's books are as diverse and varied as adult books. Some of the best books are those that help children understand themselves and their world in an engaging way through stories, beautiful pictures and simple yet elegant prose. And when I went beyond the regular set of books in our bookstores, I found books that were truly enriching and immensely enjoyable. Not only for Aahna, but for Pallavi and myself too. I will write about some of these books in this blog.

There is another important purpose  books serve - they teach the child to express herself through language. Children have high linguistic aptitude and they learn to communicate in at least one language by the time they get to school. I read somewhere that the second best thing a parent could do for a child (love - hugs and kisses - comes first of course), is to talk with them. That is how they learn language. But in our daily conversations with children, our subjects are limited and we employ but a small sub-set of our vocabulary. Books provide us with varied subjects and an expanded vocabulary to engage with the child. This teaches her, in addition to knowledge, a skill - an ability to express herself through language. And I believe this skill to be immensely valuable, no matter what they chose to do.

Books for children - too late, or too early?

My initial reaction to the Total mall incident sprang from being told that I was late in introducing books into Aahna's life. As a parent, I wanted to do the best for my child. As does every parent. While I didn't want to overload Aahna, neither did I desire to miss age-appropriate opportunities for stimuli. And when I was told that I have missed / lost an opportunity, my initial response was that it was not an opportunity at all. Atleast not one I was seeking for my child.

There were also a couple of things I was unaware of at the time - the immense joy (for both parents and child) contained in reading aloud (for me books were self-read, because I have never been read to in my own life); and the availability of thousands of age-appropriate books for all ages, including infancy.

Looking back, I clearly see that it can never be too late to introduce books to children. We started reading aloud to Aahna well into her second year and they are now indispensable for her - a carefully selected subset from her library finding a place in our suitcases every time we travel.

Just as it can never be too late, I believe it can never be too early to introduce books to children. There can be something to discuss with your child in every book provided it contains some pictures. Even a newspaper can provide subjects that are age appropriate to discuss with your child. And for that matter, reading aloud from a picture-less book may also be worthwhile - even though you may not be able to hold an infant / toddler's attention for too long.

The beginning - A salesman and my incredulity

It was in Aug 2010. Aahna was barely 1 month old at the time. In a large open space in front of the elevators at Total mall, Sarjapur Road, a short, lean, bespectacled gentleman had laid out his wares - an assortment of children's books. He waylaid me as I was heading towards the elevators, on my way to buying our weekly groceries. He made his pitch. I said my daughter was just 1 month old and it was too early to consider buying books for her. He said in fact it was too late. I was incredulous. Books for a 1 month old? I like reading - but, wouldn't we be pushing it, buying books for Aahna so early in her life? Are we going to get her started in the race when she is barely 1 month old? Didn't we want to keep her initial years free from pressure and expectations. And in any case, she wont be ready to read for a number of years yet. I went my way.

I saw him there for a few more months after that, and then he cleared out. I haven't been to Total mall in a while now. But I guess he has moved on. To another mall I hope, not to another profession.