It is a fact that, at age three, children are developmentally ready to extend their social skills beyond the familiar world of their own home.

Boks provide many different ways to help children socialize. For a three-or four-year-old, a book has to be read to them. So, book=reading time becomes a social time, a time for sharing. Stories first shared between adults and children can then, in turn ,be shared among children. They can share impressions about what happens in the stories, or they might imitate some of the story's characters.

Jim Trelease, whose Read-Aloud Handbook has become a bestseller over the years, advocates making time every day for children and their families to read together. He also writes about spending less time watching T.V., because it can be an antisocial experience. A child sits alone absorbed in the visual images, but often oblivious to anything or anyone else.

Trelease writes, "A simple but boldly drawn picture book will help arouse the child's senses of sight and curiosity." Henry's Happy Birthday is such a book. It's a satisfying story which speaks directly to a child's experience. We think this book will make story time a happy experience for both you and your child.