Libraries have always supported literature and literacy, and one of the main ways we foster that is by trying to reach youth while they're young. We offer a wonderful collection of books and resources for families to utilize to help support and grow that passion for reading and learning, and we're pleased to have the ability to offer yet a new collection of interactive picture books to enjoy. Thanks to a contest we won with PlayAway, the library was able to start a collection of one of the company's latest offerings...Wonderbooks.
Wonderbooks are read-along picture books that help promote literacy learning by offering a ready-to-play audiobook inside. With these titles, you don't have to hunt down a children's books and its companion audiobook, or even its digital companions. Instead, Wonderbooks offers a picture book that comes equipped with a small device installed on the cover where youth are able to play the story while following along with the book. We've added popular titles from some of the best children's publishers and authors out there including Epossomondas by Coleen Salley, Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein, The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak, and Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, just to name a few. These stories, and more, can be listened to out loud, or by use of headphones.
That's not all these books offer. Once finished, kids can go back through the book, switching to a Learning Mode option that will provide question and answer sessions to strengthen their reading comprehension through "open-ended, educator-vetted questions about the story they just heard. And for a little more fun, you'll be provided with a link to access resources you can print from the Internet for even more companion materials.
As stated on the Wonderbook site, "research shows that hearing and seeing words at the same time can improve reading success rates. Wonderbook gives kids an edge with vocabulary development, phonics, and comprehension, plus encourages deeper engagement with every book."
Each branch offers a selection of 30 titles and we invite you to stop by the library to check them out for your kids to try out. Or feel free to visit us online at www.abilenetx.gov/apl, select the button to perform a "Catalog Search," and then search for "Wonderbooks." There you will see all the titles we offer so that you may place holds on some of your favorites. Don't miss out on your chance to take advantage of this new collection, and let us know what you think about it.