History

A handful of public libraries in BC have operated local Books for Babies programs in their communities for several years.  Support for a province-wide program - Books for BC Babies - was formed in November of 2004 at the Premier's Literacy Summit in Vancouver.  The Government's goal of making British Columbia the most literate jurisdiction in North America supported providing a book to each of the over 40,000 babies born in the province annually.

The program ran for four years, from 2006 through 2009.  During that period, government grants were supplemented by funding and in-kind support from the Raise-a-Reader foundation, the Overwaitea Food Group, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The downturn in the global economy and resulting decreases in provincial government revenues resulted in the loss of government funding in 2010.  By this time, the value of the program had been demonstrated and library staff and literacy volunteers began investigating alternate sources of funding for the program.

The first packages were given out in 2006. Each year we selected a new book and CD to include in the Books for BC Babies package, and each year a new book and CD was selected. From 2006-2009, Books for BC Babies also provided bilingual books in various languages.

2006

Book: Baby Beluga, by Raffi

CD: Baby Beluga, by Raffi

Raffi’s ‘Baby Beluga’ was a natural choice as the first annual book because of its BC content, its BC author and the fact that it was a song and was celebrating its 25th anniversary. We were able to get a special printing of the book, and Raffi agreed to do a four song CD as a companion item.
BabyBeluga.jpg

2007

I Heard a Little Baa existed as a picture book, but we asked the publishers to create an abridged board book version for our program.

Book: I Heard a Little Baa, by Elizabeth MacLeod, illustrated by Louise Phillips

CD: Babytime Songs & Rhymes, by Fred Faulkes (lyrics in .pdf) 

IHeardALittleBaa.jpg      BabytimeSongsandRhymesCD.gif

2008

 Book: Welcome Song for Baby, by Richard Van Camp

CD: Dances and Dreams by CBC (order)

Books for BC Babies asked Richard Van Camp to write a story for newborns - the result was Welcome Song for Baby, a board book produced especially for the Books for BC Babies program. It was used in infant literacy programs across the country, and won a National Parenting Publications Award.
Dances & Dreams was produced by CBC Radio in collaboration with Books for BC Babies.

WelcomeSongForBaby.jpg     DancesandDreamsCD.gif 

2009

Book: Mother Goose: A Canadian Sampler

CD: Zoom, Zoom, Cuddle and Croon by Kathy Reid-Naiman (lyrics in .pdf)

Mother Goose: A Canadian Sampler was originally published as a picture book, featuring the work of many Canadian illustrators. Books for BC Babies approached the publisher and commissioned a board book version.

 mothergoose.jpg ZoomZoomCD.gif

2010

The Books for BC Babies program did not run in 2010.

 

2011

Books for BC Babies knows that creating physical activity opportunities and the nurturing of motor skill development during infancy establish the foundation for children’s lifelong physical activity behaviours. So for 2011, the Books for BC Babies program is building on the inspiring legacy of the 2010 Winter Games and incorporating more infant physical activity messaging and activities into the resource.

Book: To be determined

CD: To be determined