Books in Baby Fingers series

Parents try to understand their children's needs and desires-but sometimes, they just can't figure them out. And that can lead to frustration for both the adult and the baby. Giving very young children the tools to express themselves can alleviate this unhappy situation-and make youngsters feel proud of themselves. Teach them the signs in this appealing collection and, before long, they'll be asking for help, requesting some juice and cereal, saying they want a nap, and (best of all) letting you know they'd love a nice, big hug. The long-term benefits are profound....the immediate benefits are priceless!

Imagine feeling happy, sad, or scared and not being able to tell anyone. That’s what it’s like for children before they’ve mastered language. Signing changes all that, and gives babies and toddlers the skills to understand their own emotions and to recognize ours. Kids’ self-esteem will soar as they perform these very simple gestures and convey the fact that they’re tired, curious, hurt, bored, surprised, or in a very silly mood. Whether their baby’s smiling and making the sign for “love” or gesturing to say he’s feeling ill, parents will feel grateful to know!

That first wave “goodbye” is a developmental milestone for baby—and a big thrill for parents. So imagine the joy moms and dads will feel when they discover that babies and toddlers can interact with them using actual language even before the children can speak! That’s the magic of introducing sign language early on: it allows even the very young child to communicate complex words and concepts. Baby Fingers: Hello, Goodbye presents the basic vocabulary children need to begin conversations. The simple phrases include “good morning,” “how are you?” “hug me,” “let’s go,” and one that will mean the world to every parent: “I love you.”

Routines are extremely important for small children, and with these easy-to-make signs, babies and toddlers can gain a better understanding of everyday, familiar events. The signs will take kids right from breakfast in the morning (“hungry!”) to bath and bedtime, with its “blanket” and “teddy bear.” Along the way, children will learn American Sign Language for “play,” “toys,” “share,” “park,” “bath,” and more. And that skill helps stimulate language development and good communication. For every word, a big, friendly photograph shows a young child clearly signing, and Lora Heller offers smart tips on how to encourage your toddler to join in.

Using sign language, babies everywhere are successfully communicating their needs and desires even before they can talk. They are jump-starting their communications and language skills while deepening parent-child bonds. With this adorable board book of simple signs, created by a leading expert in the field who runs her own school in Manhattan, parents can take advantage of a major new trend—one that’s become so popular it was profiled by The New York Times. On every page, cute babies demonstrate the gestures that mean Mommy, Daddy, love, dog, cat, home, sleep, tired, hungry, music, milk, and banana. And because babies very much like looking at photos of other babies, they’ll have fun even as they learn.The author lives in New York, NY.