From birth through about six months of age, infants view the world in tones, rather than colors. It is well-known that young infants respond more readily to high-contrast images because they are more appealing to the baby’s developing senses. Images that provide 100% contrast–that is, black on white– are the ideal way to teach a baby to look and learn.
Educators recommend reading to babies from birth onward, and high-contrast images may benefit young babies by teaching them to look at and observe images while their eyesight is still developing. The following five books are ideally illustrated for your infants because of their high contrast.
Look at the Animals by Peter Linenthal
With stark contrast and pleasant images, this baby board book shows clever, amusing illustrations of several animals. Linenthal’s artistic style combines 1960’s pop art and German expressionism to create uniquely appealing, bold pictures of cute animals. The book may also help to expand a young child’s vocabulary, and older children are likely to appreciate the carefully structured, large-format illustrations.
Look, Look! by Peter Linenthal
Another of Linenthal’s works, Look, Look! seems almost as if it were engineered to bring about smiles in both adults and children. Look, Look! shows happy scenes that are abstract enough to be appealing to Baby’s eyes, but realistic enough to be recognizable. The structure and flow of the book, which is guided by a red ribbon of simple text, is a treat for the eye and mind.
Baby Animals: Black and White by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Phyllis Limbacher Tildes’ crisp, clean, stark illustrations of baby animals are very detailed, but are still sharp enough to gain and maintain the attention of young children. Phyllis Limbacher Tildes’ books are ideal for older babies (6 months to 1 year) who are beginning to recognize words, but still need crisp images to truly capture their attention and imagination. Baby Animals is especially unique in its format because it concludes by showing a pastel image of a baby lying under a mobile, viewing the animals that had been discussed.
Who Are They? by Tana Hoban
A master of extremely simple but recognizable illustrations, Tana Hoban creates beautiful scenes using sharp animal silhouettes. The eye-popping and skilled illustrations are powerful and cheerful, and can easily help to advance a child’s vocabulary and understanding of the world. This book is ideal from newborns through age three: the images can capture the attention of very young babies, and older children will have fun playing guessing games about the identity of the silhouetted animals.
Black & White by Tana Hoban
With its unusual accordion-like fold, Black & White is a book that belongs in the libary of any young baby. It is easier for children to “read” than traditionally formatted books and the layout provides an exciting surprise to babies who are accustomed to standard book layouts. The simple, bold illustrations in this book are sheer eye-candy to adults and children alike.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading to babies daily after six months of age, but it is certainly never too early to start. An ideal way to introduce your infant to the joys of reading is by reading them books with sharp, clear images and full black-on-white contrast.
