ABSTRACT
Experiences with picturebooks play a major role in the daily lives of many young children. Th e child, sitting on an adult’s lap and held in a warm embrace, is likely to be engaged socially, intellectually and emotionally as the pages of the book are turned and as the book is returned to again and again. We know that early book-reading experiences positively infl uence language and concept acquisition (Bruner, J. & Senechal, M., 1997). In addition to the impact of book reading on language and cognition, we must also consider the emotional power of picturebook reading experiences. Children don’t just learn from books; they learn to love books. (Butler, 1980) Th e interplay of intellect and emotion, of sign reading and picture appreciation, all enter into the experience that we call picturebook reading.
