Field Guide to Books

Hardcover Books

With hard covers and paper pages, these are the backbone of any preschool library. They stand tall when presented at story time. Their hard covers and quality construction tell a child, “You are holding something important here.” They are robust and inviting when lined up on a shelf, with spines that children can identify and that prevent them from toppling. We hear again and again that children are quicker to respect hardcovers and to fall in love with the stories inside them. Hardcovers are special and bestow a feeling of dignity upon reading.  

Board Books

With pages and a cover totally made from cardboard, board books are designed with babies in mind. They have rounded corners and wipeable, non-toxic coatings that are forgiving of a teething toddler. Board books are small in size with pages that are easy to turn and hard to tear.

Paperback Books

Paperbacks have soft covers and are lightweight and portable. Some titles are only available in paperback. They are less expensive, but also less durable.

BIG Books

Big books are supersized paperbacks that are intended as a literacy tool. Those with simple rhyming text in a large font allow children to follow along and to begin connecting printed text and spoken words.