ABSTRACT
Early childhood professionals devote considerable time and talent to insuring their work with young children and families is relevant. The more adept the author and illustrator are in presenting a novel, true way of thinking about our lives somehow, the higher the quality of our Mirror Books. Window Books do something similar—but require more of a stretch. In a broad Piagetian sense, Mirror Books, when chosen to closely match children’s schemata and social-emotional development, require assimilation to comprehend and appreciate. Window Books require accommodation. Dialogic reading, an interactive read-aloud approach for use with older toddlers and preschoolers, structures picture book engagement in such a way that children wind up “telling” the story as much as listening to it. When used in concert with developmentally appropriate instruction, culturally relevant literature of both types supports children in creating their own life roadmaps.
