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Children can learn a great deal from picture books. There are many types of picture books available that not only show an object but also allow children to touch the picture to see just how the object feels. There are even some that give the children a sense of smell of a specific item.

Buy your child some different types of picture books or better yet take them to the library and check a few out. Be sure to have a variety of books. There are many that include animals, fruits, vegetables and much more. Picture books can be found in many different forms. Some just have pictures with a word or sentence under them to describe the picture. These are great for children because they can learn what the picture is and also the spelling of the word. The words are usually very simple words and in large letters. This makes it easier for smaller children to understand. The can grasp the idea of what a picture is about. Then, as they learn about different letters, they can begin to put the letters and sounds together to make the words.

Other types of picture books have not only pictures and words but also an idea of what the item feels like to the touch. For instance a picture book about animals may have a cat on one page. It shows the cat and how it looks, spells the word cat under the picture then also has a piece of material attached to the page that feels like the cat’s fur. These types of books really peak the interest of small children.

It also teaches them that the way they perceive something to be isn’t always the way it is. If you have a picture book that shows a snake this is one time a child might find it feels different from what they have been told. Everybody believes snakes to be very slimy creatures. They aren’t slimy at all. With a picture book that has a piece of material like a snake’s skin the children will learn that some things aren’t as we think they may be.

Picture books can teach children many things about the world around them. They can find out what different fruits and vegetables feel like. What animals are soft to the touch or have a course fur. They can learn why things are a certain color, have a certain look to them or smell a certain way. As they say - a picture is worth a thousand words and in the mind of a child a picture can be worth more than that. It can be a way to learn and appreciate the world around them.

Submitted by Nicole