Many educators and psychologists emphasize the importance of reading picture books to children from an early age. Research and experience have shown that reading picture books has a stimulating effect on the socio-emotional and cognitive development of the child. In the life of a child, it has many roles and functions, because a picture book introduces the child to the world of knowledge, arouses emotions, develops speech and encourages verbal expression, enriches the vocabulary, with it the child develops the ability to observe, remember, the ability to think logically, increases concentration, stimulates the imagination.
A very important (and necessary long-term) impact of picture books is the child’s familiarity with written media, and with this, the motivation to adopt reading techniques, which will be the basis of his success during schooling.
“A picture book should be part of your child’s daily life, a connection, a supporter and a hero,” experts emphasize. Parents play the biggest role in encouraging pre-reading habits in children. Although at a young age they may not understand what is being read to them, the child hears the pleasant voice of their parents and in this way, during “shared” reading, a sense of closeness and connection is built.
It is desirable that early picture books contain colorful illustrations with few details and little text – text in which a few words are repeated, with text in the style of a counter or in rhyming verses. Usually, picture books for the youngest are made of soft materials that are not sensitive to pressure and tearing, so that the child can use most of his senses when spending time with the picture book. The illustrations and design of the picture book play a big role in choosing a picture book, and by looking at valuable illustrations, the child develops an aesthetic sense and taste from an early age.