Written by an experienced speech therapist, 'Small Talk' books show parents how they can help boost language development in their babies aged 6 to 18 months, in practical ways. The books are set in familiar places and around familiar events, such as a trip to the park and bedtime. The text is lyrical, rich in sound and perfect for reading aloud.

There's so much to talk about at bedtime! Join this happy family to see how you can have fun sharing first coversations with your little ones.

Give your child the gift of conversation with Small Talk! You are your child's most valuable resource when it comes to learning to talk. In Small Talk, speech and language therapist Nicola Lathey and parenting journalist Tracey Blake demystify the six stages of language learning, from "Pre-Babble" to "Complete Sentences," so you can tune in to what your child is saying—or trying to say! You'll also learn: • Why the babbling stage is so important • How to encourage your baby's first words • Communication techniques to calm your toddler’s tantrums • The truth about pacifiers, baby signing,and the impact of TV on language development • Causes for concern and where to turn for help. Written by experts who are also parents of young children, Small Talk helps you to give your child the best head start by encouraging language and vocabulary development early on. Simply set aside as few as 10 minutes for Small Talk Time every day. With 50 games and activities to choose from, it’s time to start Small Talking!

Following the success of the Little Book of Investigations, this book goes one step further in size, scale and scope. It covers explorations indoors, outside and in the local community, from the water in the tap, the dust on the floor, the mud in the garden, to exploring connections, constructions and other early technological experiments. The natural world, minibeasts, weather, growth, change over time and making changes to materials and the environment are included in this easy to use book. The inventive activities will all also provide opportunities for children to sustain their thinking with other children and adults while using the skills of observation and experiment.

Includes, beginning Sept. 15, 1954 (and on the 15th of each month, Sept.-May) a special section: School library journal, ISSN 0000-0035, (called Junior libraries, 1954-May 1961). Also issued separately.