Guest post by Kellie Diguangco, Book Curator, Art Instructor, Mother to four little gentlemen. You can also check her out on Instagram.

The right books can inspire a love of reading, and some books are so good children choose books over technology. What? Yes!

I often hesitate when putting age recommendations on picture books, because I don’t think that there is a time when we stop loving them. Picture books open a great big world to us with their beauty and allow our imaginations to be free. At age 3 we start the process of learning to read, from age seven and up we read to learn.

I have listed some books here that are great starters for sparking a love of reading.

The Hungry Caterpillar is a true classic, lovely and bright. It’s a great starter book because it has images children are familiar with such as oranges, apples, strawberries and one lovable caterpillar. The repetition of the book allows the child to participate because they know what’s coming. It is a great introduction to the life cycle as well.

I Know A Lot is a very empowering book. It is a series and we have them all. My four year old, will “read” this to me and his little brother. The rhythm and logic allow for a child to make guesses “rocks are….heavy” which allows this book to be a great confidence builder for a budding reader. The more confident, the more likely they are to try more books or search for other things they know or can guess at.

Flora and the Flamingo is not just a beautiful book but a wordless book. Wordless books are a great invitation for a child to tell you the story. There are obvious emotions taking place between the Flamingo and Flora. Your child can express the feelings, use problem solving skills, and it is a great way to check for vocabulary, knowledge and sequence. Did I mention it’s also beautiful?

Who says books can’t be interactive? Tap The Magic Tree is better than an app! A beautifully illustrated introduction to the changing seasons, simply tap the buds to see what blooms! This book gets children excited as they get to interact with the pages of the story to see what happens next. A great tactile invitation to a book because you get to tap, rub and shake.

This next one is a great read for those a little bit older. Beware Of The Storybook Wolves is genius! It’s a great story based off a real child’s fear. It’s all about letting the imagination run wild and free. Who wouldn’t love the characters of their books to come out and chat with them, except the hungry wolves part perhaps. This book is award winning and one read through you will see why.

There are so many lovely books to share, to spark the imagination and to simply make us feel happy with their delightful illustrations. A picture book is so much more than just a book. It’s art, it’s a teaching tool and the best part is that it’s a way for you to be physically close with your child. Reading books together is very intimate and a good book can form a warm bond.

Not all books are created equal. I find this quote so true “Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself” – George Bernard Shaw.

Happy Reading.