A love of books is as natural to a toddler as jumping, climbing, and cuddling. So when Meredith didn't show more than a slight interest in reading, something both Frank and I adore, we were a little disappointed. We continued to plug away, buying books on every childhood subject imaginable: farms, animals, ballet, trucks, ducks, and colors. And we read to her, as often as possible. Frank’s mother is a pro at story time, developing characters with different voices and exciting inflections. What Frank and I read, we would do our best to show Meredith in the real world: airplanes, trucks, and ducks, though they usually look quite different in children’s books. But, still, books remained just another distraction from toys, jumping, and climbing.Then suddenly, seemingly overnight, she got it! One day, she was happier playing with her tea set; the next, we couldn’t peel her away from her book shelf. And now she loves reading, together or alone. We often find her in her room, snuggled on her green chair, with a pile of books at her side. She also loves time alone in her crib with a stack of her favorites. There she’ll stay, sometimes for more than an hour, “reading” to herself. Many times, she’ll ask NeeNee (the snowman) or another stuffed friend to “sit in my lap” while she reads about what she sees. Turns out, our daughter has discovered what her parents have always known and loved: books hold the key to adventure, discovery, and surprise!
