Veronika’s big brother loved books from the earliest age, engaging directly with them and sitting still for story time. Veronika has way more of her own agenda, which means I often find myself reading solo while she crawls around the room. But she does love to pull out a book and flip through pages on her own.

To encourage this early “reading”, I set up a cozy book corner that can be her own special space. Think: blankets, pillows, and anything else that makes the nook cozy.

Next, add a dedicated book basket. You can decorate it, but I had a hunch Veronika would just view the decorations as invitation to tear them off, so left the basket plain.

Now fill it! I put in copies of her Hello magazines, as well as books that engage with more than just pictures: tactile elements, jigsaw puzzle books, you name it.

Imagine my delight, then, when I saw her scoot over to the corner, pull books from the basket and “read” to herself.

Veronika does this with a little drone or humming noise, almost like she’s pretending to read the words as I do.

She loved the big flaps of one book, and was quite content to read for a while.

This is definitely our new go-to story spot! Do you have a story nook in your home? Please share in the comments!