Bring a book to your next baby shower. It’s really a wonderful opportunity to do something big… to make a difference.

We have a request and it’s really not hard, 
Bring baby a book in place of a card.
Whether Cat in the Hat or Winnie the Pooh
Sign the inside—with a message from you.
If we start early, there is hope, indeed
our little one will soon learn how to read.

Reading, like thinking, expands the heart and mind; it provides food for our thought and nourishment for our soul. In fact, a good book can change a life. Famous American novelist, screenwriter, and television producer, George RR Martin, writes:

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” 

So the book you gift a child can inspire more than just its young recipient. In addition to entertaining the mind, a story that captures the heart and imagination of the child being read to also nurtures the mind of the reader.

And that’s not all, research shows that “reading to your baby at least once a day, starting as early as the day they are born, promotes brain development while teaching vocabulary, tones, and emotions.“ Also, reading aloud can strengthen the bond between the parent and child (Grow: A new concept for showers—books for babies).

So, next time you’re invited to a celebration—be it baby, birthday, or baptism:

In lieu of a card, bring your favorite kid’s classic,
A library of books is more than fantastic!
By signing your book, they’ll remember and share 
Your special gift, when you're not even there.