Even before they start going to school, children gain important skills they will need for learning how to read. Picture books and stories that can be read to children prepare them for the first books they will read on their own.

But what makes a good book? The text, the illustrations, the story, the print, the spaces between the lines? What happens in our heads while we are reading? Why do children learn at different speeds, why do they mix up letters, and why do they find it hard to see where a word ends and where a new sentence begins?

This guide shows how important first reader books are for beginners. First and foremost, however, it provides tips by the authors on how you can help children in that important phase of their lives.