At the beginning of every month, a new Early Literacy calendar—compiled by Free Library of Philadelphia’s children’s librarians—can be found on our blog. It is filled with suggestions of activities, books, and songs parents and caregivers can use to practice the five necessary Early Literacy skills of reading, writing, talking, singing, and playing.

For our next Picture Book Highlights selection—a series of posts in which we put the spotlight on a brand-new book that has been ordered for all agencies—we've picked a book that fits perfectly with this goal.

It is never too early to start engaging children with music and play, and Naoko Stoop's new book Sing with Me! is an ideal choice to share with babies. The author illustrated 13 familiar nursery rhymes and songs using her traditional style of painting on plywood. She includes instructions on hand movements to accompany each song, making it easy for parents and caregivers to act out while singing with their little ones. 

Visit your neighborhood library to find this book and more!