This edited volume constitutes the first serious, sustained examination of the study of children s books for children aged from 0 to 3 with contributions by scholars working in different domains and attempting to assess the recognition of the role and influence of children s literature on the cognitive, linguistic, psychological and aesthetic development of young children. This collection achieves a balance between theoretical, empirical, historical and cross-cultural approaches by examining the broad range of children s books for children under three years of age, ranging from early-concept books through wimmelbooks and ABC books for small children to picture books that support the young child s acquisition of behavioral norms. Most importantly, the chapters proffer new insights into the strong relationship between children s books for young children and emergent literacy, drawing on current research in children s literature research, visual literacy, cognitive psychology, language acquisition, picture theory and pedagogy."