Books in the Exam Room "My First ABC Board Book" Crying babies, scared children – these are routine in a pediatrician’s office. However, if you find a way to engage a child, you immediately will have a new, trusting friend. During my time as a pediatrician, I have seen many physicians try to engage a child by giving them a tongue depressor to hold and play with. I, personally, have a different method. When I enter a patient’s room, the first thing I do is hand the child a book. In a moment, an expression of fear disappears. Children, even at a very early age, love books. At first, they are just fascinated by the different colorful pictures. As they grow and start to understand the story that goes along with the pictures, they begin to love reading. Truthfully, my intention is not only to make a new friend but to use the book as part of my examination of the child. My favorite book to give to patients is "My First ABC Board Book." For infants, I am interested in how they hold the book and if they are able to turn the pages on their own. With older children, however, I can have more fun. For the toddlers, I make the pages into a game; I turn to a page and ask the child to point to specific familiar objects. Preschool-aged children are fun to interact with as well. On each page in this book there is a letter and pictures of objects that start with the letter. I often ask the child what their favorite letter is. Most children will choose the first letter of their name. I then turn to that page and ask the child to make up a story about the pictures he sees. For instance, on the “R” page, there are pictures of a rose, a rocket, and a rabbit, so a child might say that the rabbit flew on the rocket to the moon so he could pick a rose. I can further engage the child and check their development by asking questions about their story, such as what did the rabbit do with the rose once he picked it? I enjoy hearing the creative stories that fill a child’s imagination. Using books in my practice has become a fun way of checking a child’s developmental milestones, both for the child and for me.        Why We Like This Book "My First ABC Board Book" by DK Publishing is a brightly-colored, sturdy board book. Letters are offered in both upper and lower case and are large enough to be easily traced by small fingers. The book, filled with a wide array of images to capture the attention of babies and toddlers, provides a way to develop a rich vocabulary. Jill Sharon, D.O., FAAP The Center for Health Education, Medicine, and Dentistry, Lakewood, NJ   Return