By Sara Quam
Carole Olson said her newly completed children's book makes her feel "a bit like a mom who has been watching her little girl take dance lessons. Mom sees all the progress and thinks her little sweetheart is another Pavlova, but she fears putting her out for review on the big stage, to find out otherwise."
Olson, formerly of Luverne, now Richfield, has put three years into the project that will reach many Rock County homes.
"Rock-a-Bye Baby Reader" is a children's book that is also for parents.
"The idea," Olson said, "is that we're trying to get parents and babies together."
The Rock County Collaborative and Friends of the Library financed the project that will eventually get to all children born in the county.
At the fair this week, the school's booth is giving away copies to Rock County children ages 0-5. The library's booth will sell them, and copies will be available at any time at the Rock County Community Library, Luverne.
Collaborative board member Karen Willers said, "The book says a lot about what we want to say about parents and babies, not just the mom, but dads, too."
Children who don't get the book at the fair for free can expect one through the school or other community groups later on. The Collaborative is planning to make home visits to newborns in the county and will make the book a part of its visit.
The book of love
Olson said the idea of the book came during a Friends of the Library board meeting, of all places.
The board was discussing a teacher in-service session in which Dr. Hilary Pert Stecklein, a pediatrician who heads Reading Rx, spoke. She emphasized the importance of early reading to baby's brains. She said reading to babies is a vital part of giving children a head start on reading and on learning. She also talked about how the mother's voice - heard for nine months - gets the biggest response from babies and has an ongoing effect.
Olson was inspired to get this information to Rock County residents but couldn't find an adequate publication, so she considered making a pamphlet. But pamphlets are not hard to come by for new parents, who are bombarded with "handy" bits of information from hospitals and other organizations.
Olson decided to make a legitimate book, something for families to keep and enjoy together.
Local faces and Olson's niece's artwork cover the pages. Olson said she gave the material a lot of consideration and ended up using nursery rhymes along with information for parents within the same book.
While making it, she thought about who would be reading it. "I wanted to promote reading as a good tool in a way that isnÕt preachy and isnÕt in a language thatÕs difficult to understand."
She wanted to make it accessible to parents who may have struggled with learning as students themselves. "And they are intimidated by the educational establishment. These young parents often donÕt exactly know what separated them from the kids who found school easy and fun. They only know they love their own new babies and would like life and learning to be easier for them. They are the parents who can break the old patterns."
Olson said many teachers and other professionals know how important reading is for children's development. She hopes that giving this book away will reach others who may not know its impact.
"I tried not to preach but rather to encourage. I avoided as much educational jargon as I possibly could," Olson said.
The concept of reading with children as young as newborns isn't just an intellectual concept. "You're not going to have a child quoting Shakespeare in preschool; thatÕs not the point," she said.
"We're trying to get them interested in books inside their little brains as early as possible. You aren't born knowing that symbols on a page mean anything," Olson said.
"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."
She suggests that people outside of Rock County may enjoy the book as a baby gift, rather than a tossable "congratulations" card.
The book has gotten good reviews locally but also from Stecklein. She said, "It's a wonderful tool to help families read together. It gives the essential message about brain development and the difference early reading makes. it's so calm and authentic. You have photos of regular people spending time together - reading, going to the library together."