A simple celebration of a major milestone: learning to read! It will take a lot of hard work: learning the letters, turning the pages, saying the words. But that hard work will pay off—maybe sooner than this little boy thinks! The story ends with a hopeful message to toddlers that someday, they can be readers too.
"A gentle way to encourage little ones to want to read." —Alice Toepel, Winnebago County Literacy Council, Oshkosh, WI
"Compelling, brief narrative accompanied by brightly colored, descriptive illustrations draw the young board book reader into the story with ease . . . Children will love paging through their own board book about reading their first book." —Midwest Book Review
PercussionistMark Powersresides in Portland, Oregon and is often an Artist-in-Residence at schools around the country. Regularly found writing both text and musical notation, Mark focuses on literacy with his students and loves any opportunity to be a "reading buddy."Maria Montagis an artist from Cincinnati, OH.
I Want to Be a Reader! is designed to send a positive message to children about reading from an early age, instilling confidence for the day that they will become independent readers. The book also plays into the recent trend of self-aware picture books (books where the characters know they are in a book and/or speak directly to the reader), but as a board book, it brings this trend to a younger audience. A great book for promoting literacy and fostering independence.
![I Want to Be a Reader! [Board book]](/itemImage/2/0/7/0/2_115634.jpg "I Want to Be a Reader! [Board book]")