Say Daddy!

Beginning on the day he was born, each member of a little bear's family shares a special book with him. Daddy hopes his little bear's first word will be Daddy; Mommy coaxes him to say Mommy as each relative makes a similar request. Everyone dances and cheers as the baby utters his surprising first word!

Mother shares a book about love while Brother shares a book about friendship. Next Aunt Grace shares a book about adventure. Everyone in this family is eager to share books and have the newest member''s affection and attention. But all kidding aside, this family knows the bond that is created when reading aloud with someone you love. When Daddy closed the last page, he smiled at me for hours and said, ''Say Daddy! Say Daddy!'' He hoped that would be my first word! But wait. Did we hear correctly? ''Book,'' I said. ''Book!'' Educator Michael Shoulders, who has devoted his career and life to spreading the word that "reading is magic," offers a gentle tale reinforcing the bonding power of a good book and the importance of developing lifelong reading skills. Having been involved in education in many different roles for more than years, Dr. Michael Shoulders travels extensively, visiting schools and speaking conferences across the country. He has written several books for Sleeping Press including D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet. Mike lives Clarksville, Tennessee. Teri Weidner is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Her previous children''s picture books include Give Yourself to the Rain and Look Both Ways: A Cautionary Tale. Teri lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.