ABSTRACT
The earliest reading exchanges recorded in this study take place at infant age 8 to 9 months. At this age, and during all the reading sessions considered in this book, Rhys and Ceri were read to on their own.1 Although the books used with each infant in the early months are not identical, there are three features which all share: their (small) size (23cm × 19cm is the largest used), their theme (there is a preoccupation with animals and the country or with a baby’s life events), and, in some, their complexity. Both children have occasion to look at pages comprising not just a single referent but also complete scenes in which a measure of discrimination among different items is required.
