By Sara Strong
The Rock County Community Library is expecting a new shipment of the popular "Rock-a-Bye Baby Reader."
In its second edition, the book, by former Luverne resident and Star Herald reporter Carole Olson, got a redesign and is also getting attention for its use as a friendly introduction to reading.
Forty Minnesota counties have placed orders and, with more educational conferences coming up, "Rock-a-Bye Baby Reader" could become a favorite for many families.
The book promotes reading to infants as an important introduction to reading and learning — and it gives parents an extra reason to hold and communicate with their babies.
Counties that ordered the book plan to give it to newborns as part of the standard gift package families often receive. People can privately purchase the book as well, through the library or through Third Week Books, 1112 W. 66th St. #1, Minneapolis, MN 55423 or by contacting thebabyreader@yahoo.com.
"It’s simple, inexpensive and can make such a difference to children," Olson said. "I tried not to preach, but rather to encourage."
Locally, new parents are still getting copies of the book through the Rock County Collaborative, which distributes the book through home visits. Families participating in Early Childhood Family Education also get copies of the book.
Karen Willers, who chairs the Collaborative’s Pre-natal to age 5 Work Team, said, "I think people are excited to get their copy."
Getting the word out
"We included more diversity in the pictures this time," Olson said of the book’s redesign.
Her partner in Third Week Books, Cheri Schneider, also revamped the graphics she created for the first. Olson credits Schneider with keeping the project fresh and pushing for its growth.
The book’s second edition also brought a separate Spanish version. Its title roughly means "an awakening to learning."
Rock County participants in English-as-a-second-language classes get copies of the Spanish version.
Some of the Spanish and Mexican folk tales are similar to the content in the English book, the standard children’s rhymes and stories.
Through child development experts, Olson learned that reading to babies is a vital part of giving them a head start to learning. The mother’s voice — heard while in the womb — gets the biggest response from babies and has an ongoing effect.
Olson said that in writing the book, she considered intellectual development secondary to family bonds.
"That’s the main thing to remember — that when parents read, they’re holding their children and talking to them, not showing them a video."
Olson hopes her book is enjoyed by families with newborns, long after the first set of brochures and info packets are thrown out.
"I wanted to promote reading as a good tool in a way that isn’t preachy and isn’t in a language that’s difficult to understand," Olson said.
Knowing that some new parents weren’t read to as children, or were intimidated by the educational process, Olson made the book’s message clear: Loving babies and reading to them makes learning easier for them.
"This book is not supposed to be a treatise on how to develop geniuses, just an encouragement to get moms and dads to turn off the TV set, hold their kids and read with them."