Read to me

These come through nursery rhymes and poetry. Your child will learn favourites by heart and will be able to pretend he or she is reading. The brilliant, bold illustrations and fast-moving rhythms of Rumble in the Jungle , by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz (Orchard 1 86039 660 7) will help children to hear how language works. And Whizz, Bang, Orang-Utan , compiled by John Foster, (OUP 0 19 2761943) is a fabulous collection of rhymes to dip into. You'll find this will be a long-term favourite which is great to share with older brothers and sisters.

The more books children encounter the more they will begin to love a particular character

It's usually one that stars in a series of stories and the familiarity of such characters gives children confidence as they approach books. The very young love Kipper , by Mick Inkpen (Hodder) and soon after they'll like Lucy Cousins' Maisy - there's a lot to learn about life from Maisy. Try Maisy Goes Swimming (Walker 0 7445 0428 7) if you can cope with the giggling that is sure to follow as the tab is pulled to remove Maisy's orange bloomers! Interactive books with tabs and flaps really do involve children in the reading experience. Also don't forget Mr Bear, his stories are told by Debi Gliori (Orchard) and are warm, family-based tales that reflect real life. And of course there's David McKee's Elmer , the patchwork elephant who, as well as being fun, has a lot to teach children - these stories are published by Andersen Press and Red Fox.

There's always a place for the special one-off title, perhaps telling a longer, more complicated story

These offer a chance for very young children to develop their reading stamina. Helen Cooper's beautifully illustrated Pumpkin Soup (Picture Corgi 0 552 54510 4) is as good as its title suggests and teaches children about friendship and sharing. Mr Wolf's Pancakes , by Jan Fearnley (Methuen 0 416 19584 9) is a new look at the fairytale wolf - and like Each Peach Pear Plum, invites you to tell favourite traditional tales. For real fun it's hard to beat Winnie the Witch , by Korky Paul and Valerie Thomas (Oxford 0 19 272197 6), the first story about Winnie and her cat Wilbur. This book has stuck in the minds of many children and the witches they draw often wear orange and yellow striped stockings just like Winnie's!

Children who share all these stories and poems will acquire many skills to take into reading. They will know how books work, that they need to read both words and pictures. They will be developing concentration, stamina and language skills and - most important of all - they will know that books are great fun.