Reading Time is a high-contrast fold-out book that offers parents the opportunity to exercise their baby's body and brain while enjoying some special together time.

Like Tummy Time (BookTrust's Book Start Pick for 2021), the book opens out and stands up in front of newborns during the all-important tummy time, a practice encouraged by healthcare professionals because it prevents flat spots on the back of a baby's head, and encourages them to use muscles needed for rolling, sitting and crawling. However, these early months are also when a baby's brain is developing faster than at any other time in their lives. Reading together is proven to accelerate language and literacy, giving children a head start in life.

The book has bold black-and-white images with splashes of colour for a baby's developing vision. The images are some of the first words children learn to say, such as cat, car, book and teddy, so it serves as a first words book, but it also has a soothing, rhythmical nursery rhyme based on I see the moon, the moon sees me which babies will love to hear their loved ones read. And there is mirror at the end to personalise the shared reading experience - I see Mummy/Daddy/Grandpa - as they look in the mirror together.

So go on. Read to your newborn. It's good for them!

0 to 9 months, printed on FSC board