Invite an infant to sit on your lap to read a book. Introduce the book by pointing to the cover and encouraging the infant to look at the picture with you. Example: “See the pictures of the babies? Our book is about baby faces.” Open the book and begin looking at the pictures and reading with the infant using the following strategies:

• Invite the infant to help you turn the pages of the book. Turn pages as slowly or as quickly as the infant seems to prefer. It is not necessary to look at each page.
• Point to and describe some prominent features of the facial expression. Example: “Look at this baby. Here are the baby’s eyes. The baby has big eyes!”
• Describe what the infant is looking at. Example: “You are looking at a baby who is angry. The baby’s eyes are closed. Her mouth is open. The baby does not look happy.”
• Talk about pictures that seem to be of particular interest to the infant. You may wish to provide additional context or information. Example: “The baby is sad. She is crying. I wonder why the baby is crying.”
• Describe and respond to gestures and/or vocalizations. Example: “You are smiling and kicking your legs! You are looking at the happy baby. You are smiling like the baby in the book. I think you are feeling happy!”
• Help the infant connect book information to his/her own experiences and developing knowledge. Example: “You are touching the baby’s ears. The baby has earrings in her ears! Where are your ears? Let’s find them!”
• Use your voice and facial expressions to relate to book pictures. Example: Make a sad face and use a sad voice when talking about the picture of the baby who is sad. Draw attention to your face and voice. “This baby is sad. She is crying. I am making a sad face, like the baby in our book. I am using a sad voice.”
• Recognize the infant’s participation in the book reading. Example: “We had fun reading this book together, Kiara. You looked at the pictures of the babies. You smiled, just like the happy baby. You helped me turn the pages! I think you liked this book.”

Invite an older infant to read a book with you. The infant may wish to sit next to you or stand close while you read. Introduce the book and invite the infant to hold the book and turn the pages. Provide assistance if needed by keeping all the pages in your right hand except for the page to be turned. This will help the infant to turn one page at a time. A standing infant may want to use one hand to help turn the pages.

Once the infant is comfortable and ready to read, point to the picture on the book cover. Example: “Look at the pictures of the babies. Our book is about baby faces. Let’s look at the pictures of babies in our book! Would you like to help me turn the page?” Some infants may help you turn the page, or turn the pages independently. Begin reading and looking at the pictures with the older infant using the following strategies:

• Point to and describe some features of the faces and facial expressions. Example: “These are the baby’s teeth. These are the baby’s eyes. Let’s find the baby’s nose!”
• Invite the infant to point to objects that you label. Example: “The baby has a mouth. Where is the baby’s mouth? You can point to the baby’s mouth!”
• Spend more time talking about some specifics of pictures that appear to be of particular interest to the infant. Example: “You are pointing to the silly baby. The baby has a scrunched-up nose and a big smile. The baby is making a silly face! Can you make a silly face?”
• Describe and respond to gestures and/or vocalizations. Example: “You said ‘eyes.’ You are pointing to your eyes! You have eyes, just like the baby in the book!”
• Use a voice and facial expression that reflect the picture you are describing. Example: Imitate the face of the baby who looks surprised. Draw attention to your face. Say “I am trying to look surprised, just like the baby in our picture.”
• Recognize the infant’s participation in the book reading. Example: “You helped me hold our book, Elias. You pointed to the baby’s nose. Then you pointed to your nose. You turned the pages to see the next baby face! We had fun reading this book together.”