Babies are always young enough to enjoy books. In fact, experts recommend looking at books with babies from birth. However, once they are six months old, a baby's eyesight is still in progress. Their focus, depth of perception, and range of colors are minimal. Until they are three to four months old, their range of vision is only around six to eight inches, which is the perfect distance for them to focus on your face when you're feeding or cuddling. Scientists believe this is a biological trait to encourage bonding and attachment, while your baby feels safe in your arms.
Although babies love gazing at their parents, they also need stimulation and entertainment. Babies have a very limited range of color, and their vision is limited to black, white, and possibly shades of gray from birth. As they start to develop their color vision at three to four months, they begin with red. Experts agree that showing a baby a high-contrast, black and white image will immediately capture their attention, and the baby will become deeply absorbed.
Books with simple, black and white images with clean, bold lines are perfect for young babies. Black and white books help babies develop their optic nerves, encourage cognitive development, and gradually teach them about the world without overstimulating them.
"Anything with very obvious contrast – such as black and white edges and lines is an optimal stimulant for the visual system. This type of stimulation basically gets the system up and running," says Professor Usha Goswami, Director of the Center of Neuroscience in Education at Cambridge University.
With a black and white baby book, snuggle up close or sit your baby on your lap, and look at the pictures together. Talk to your baby and explain the pictures to help them understand what they see. You can even take their hand and point to things on the page and turn the page together.
In conclusion, black and white books are perfect for babies, as they are a great source of entertainment and stimulation while aiding their cognitive development.
