One of the joys of writing books for children is hearing about the relationship bonding that takes place with a caregiver and child. It’s especially heartening when it’s a book you’ve written and/or illustrated.

Another reward is being part of the link between growing up with books, and later language development and success in school. In a recent New York Times article, Bedtime Stories for Young Brains, Dr. Perri Klass writes about several recent studies on what happens when you sit with a child and read to them. Magnetic imaging studies show that even when read to without pictures, children form visual associations with words through their past experiences. Investigations into language content in books reveal that reading picture books with children increases the vocabulary they hear, more so than the daily conversational words they encounter. Based on this research, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy that calls for all pediatric care givers to promote literacy starting at birth.

Combined with the inherent comfort and security of a loving ritual complete with snuggling, reading with a child can make a lasting difference. For the complete article, Bedtime Stories for Young Brains, go to: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/bedtime-stories-for-young-brains/