Child’s Play: Introducing Music and Literacy through Picture Books provides students with a wide variety of picture book suggestions to enrich childhood education programs and curriculum. The literacy components within each picture book support children’s development of speaking, reading or viewing, listening, writing, and movement. Music components build children’s recognition and understanding of dynamics, form, melody, rhythm, style, texture, and timbre or tone color.

The picture book suggestions reflect diverse authors, illustrators, story characters, and contexts, and are organized into five distinct themes: animals, people, movement, objects, and mindfulness. Each chapter is further divided into five separate ages and developmental stages, offering recommendations for infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers/pre-kindergarteners, kindergarteners, and early elementary school students. Readers are provided with learning objectives and activity suggestions for each picture book, encouraging future and practicing educators and providers to engage their students and help develop their literacy and music skills.

Featuring kid-tested, teacher-approved picture book references, Child’s Play is an ideal supplementary resource for courses and programs in childhood education and development.