The Reading Chair
New children’ s books too good to miss
Stories can help foster a caring community of learners. Many children’ s books highlight community and friendships among characters, and reading with children can help nurture a sense of belonging and togetherness. This edition of The Reading Chair features books about living in connection with others that educators can consider using in their own settings.
We were struck by the strong sense of community and belonging in these books. Social interactions with family and friends abound. Peek-a-Boo! and Bird Bath are fun romps among friends. L Is for Love follows a hardworking family through a long day as they head to the city together to sell their lemon harvest. Old Clothes for Dinner?! keeps readers at the edge of their seats as a girl chokes down a dinner she is unsure about to avoid hurting her grandmother’ s feelings. Just What to Do evokes readers’ empathy when the main character realizes there’ s no one right way to support a grieving friend.
Reading these books with children can invite conversations about community and connections as educators also support skills and a love of literacy. Indeed, children will enjoy reading these books again and again.
— Isabel Baker and Miriam Baker Schiffer
Peek-a-Boo!
By Guido Van Genechten. 2025. Clavis Publishing. 20 pp. Ages birth to 2.
Peekaboo never gets old, and this fresh take features a little boy, Drew, playing the game with his stuffie pets and farm animals. A dog hides under couch pillows, a mouse behind a drinking glass in the kitchen, and a cow in the tall grass out back. Rather than making regular animal sounds, these animals offer an engaging twist, with lines like“ Peek-a-woof,”“ Squeak-a-boo,” and“ Peek-a-doodle-doo.” Finally, Drew has gathered all his friends up, and it’ s his turn to hide. The book features large board-book pages and appealing pictures made with bold colors and clean lines. Educators can ask children to think about how they play games, take turns, and enjoy other interactions within their learning communities.