Over the past few months, we have been hosting class visits from local schools, highlighting the unique services and resources at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library.
After the tours, we let the students peruse the stacks and select a book to check out. One of the collections we like to showcase is our Wonderbooks.
What’s a Wonderbook, you ask?
Wonderbooks are a fusion of print and audiobooks designed for children to read along with a recorded narration. Inside the cover of the book is a record player children press to have the book read to them. We find this is a fun feature most kids get a kick out of; it is easy for them to follow, whether they want to just listen or read along.
Whether a child prefers to simply listen or actively read along, the Wonderbook’s user-friendly control pads, featuring a power button, play/pause button, reset button, and rewind and fast forward buttons, makes navigation a breeze. There’s even a headphone jack for those who wish to enjoy the experience privately.
Adding an extra layer of engagement, each Wonderbook boasts two modes: reading mode and learning mode. In learning mode, the narrator poses intriguing, open-ended questions about the story, fostering meaningful dialogue between parents and children.
Our diverse Wonderbook collection spans picture books, chapter books, and graphic novels. There’s something for every child at every reading level. We have 188 Wonderbooks in circulation currently.
Noteworthy among our selections is The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, a New York Times bestseller and recipient of the 2013 Newbery Medal. This heartwarming tale, based on a true story, revolves around the friendship between a captive gorilla named Ivan and a baby elephant, Ruby, who has been taken from the wild.
Here at the library, we advocate early literacy programming, and these books help to encourage a love of reading. As per the children’s bureau, if you can instil a love of reading at an early age, a commitment to lifelong learning is sure to follow.
As noted in an article from Book Buddy Media quoting Dr. Frank Serafini, author of Audiobooks & Literacy, “As developing readers listen to audiobooks and follow along with a printed version of the story, they learn to match the sounds of oral language to their written counterparts. This matching of sounds to symbols is the basis for reading instruction … (and supports) struggling readers by helping them focus on meaning rather than the decoding of text.”
Wonderbooks are a wonderful way to get your kids excited about reading if they already aren’t. We invite you to explore our entire collection during your next visit to the library — where the magic of storytelling comes alive.
Wonderbooks are a PlayAway product. We have many other PlayAway products here at the library, including launchpad tablets for kids and audiobooks for adults that are preloaded for patrons to take and listen to on the go.
The next time you’re in the library, be sure to check out our entire PlayAway collection.
And, if you’re looking for more books for early readers, check out our Pathway to Reading Book List here.
We also have digital read-along books online with Tumble Books, which can be accessed at home or the library with your library card. Check it out here.
’Til next week, happy reading.
Natasha Philpott is the marketing and communications coordinator at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library. She can be reached at [email protected].
