Begin Smart Books Offers a New Developmental Read-and-Play Program for Babies and...

Begin Smart Books Offers a New Developmental Read-and-Play Program for Babies
and Toddlers

Innovative, Age-Leveled Books Now in Bookstores, Just in Time for Father's Day

NEW YORK, June 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Begin Smart(TM) books, available
beginning today at Barnes & Noble and other fine bookstores nationwide, give
parents access to a unique array of books based on current research about how
babies develop in the first two years of life.

Distributed by Sterling Publishing Co., Begin Smart books are age-appropriate
in both content and format and carefully leveled in six-month increments. They
feature bright bold colors, unique designs, and a variety of formats. Each
title is designed to attract and keep babies' attention, and to give mothers,
fathers, grandparents and other caregivers an opportunity to bond and interact
with little ones in ways uniquely afforded by reading together.

Begin Smart books were developed by children's author and publisher Harriet
Ziefert, who envisioned books truly geared to the emerging skills of infants
and toddlers. Most of the existing titles she found in the marketplace had age
ranges spanning several years - for example, newborn to three - and she
concluded, after many years of observing babies, that such leveling made no
sense in relation to what she saw in reality.

"I decided to begin smart," says Ziefert. "I chose to learn everything I could
about infant development and use 'the observed baby' as my starting off point.
I did not begin with a list of skills, or a group of stories, or a particular
character, or concepts to be learned. I began with the conviction that
everything is new to a baby and the best books for babies are the ones that
help them make sense of the complicated world around them."

Begin Smart titles are grouped by age: newborn to 6 months; 6 to 12 months; 12
to 18 months; and 18 to 24 months. A variety of sturdy and engaging formats
give babies many opportunities to touch, explore, learn, and react with
feeling.

One 18 to 24 month Begin Smart title, Daddy and Me, is the perfect gift for
Father's Day (June 15), said Frances Gilbert, Children's Editorial Director at
Sterling Publishing.

"Fathers, mothers and caregivers will be delighted to know that Begin Smart
books respect their babies' milestones of development. They are perfectly
leveled to match a growing child's skills and natural curiosity," she added.

Reflecting the importance of safety and quality in a children's product, the
materials, construction and inks all meet the exacting safety standards of
ASTM (for the U.S.) and CE (for Europe).

The initial set of Begin Smart books are in bookstores now. Every book in the
series offers these helpful features:

-- Color Coding - Books are clearly color-coded by age.

-- Developmental Skills - Every book includes a list of skills which are
aided by that book.

-- Parent Notes - The parent notes expand on the list of developmental
skills and suggest several ways to read the book.

-- Promotional DVD - A 12-minute video shows the books being used by
moms,
dads, and grandparents and offers tips about how to read to babies of
different ages.

-- Website - www.beginsmartbooks.com -- On the Begin Smart website,
parents
can find advice from child development experts, tips for creative ways
to read the books, and an overview of the entire program.

Begin Smart(TM) is a trademark of Begin Smart, LLC.
All titles are distributed by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

SOURCE Begin Smart

Beth Adibi, +1-301-509-3071, beth@adibicomm.com, or Meaghan Finnerty,
+1-646-688-2504, mfinnerty@sterlingpublishing.com, both for Begin Smart