Baby Loves Coding!

Author Ruth Spiro
Illustrated by Irene Chan
Big, brainy science for the littlest listeners.

Accurate enough to satisfy an expert, yet simple enough for baby, this clever board book showcases the use of logic, sequence, and patterns to solve problems. Can Baby think like a coder to fix her train? Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby's sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two, as well!

Author's Note:
The goal of the Baby Loves Science books is to introduce STEM topics in a developmentally appropriate way. As a precursor to learning programming languages and syntax, Baby Loves Coding presents the concepts of sequencing, problem solving, cause and effect, and thinking step-by-step. Practicing these skills early creates a solid foundation for reading, writing, math and eventually, programming.
Ruth Spiro is an award-winning children's book author and freelance writer whose articles, essays, and stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her debut picture book, Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist (Dutton), won awards from Writer's Digest and Willamette Writers and was a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year. View titles by Ruth Spiro
Irene Chan enjoys making beautiful things. She is an art director, designer, artist, amateur photographer, and illustrator. View titles by Irene Chan
CHOO CHOO!
Here comes the train!

Blue, yellow, green . . . 
Where is the red car?

There it is! Baby can get it.

Baby takes three steps to the right,
three steps forward, and three steps to the left.

Then, Baby takes three steps all by herself.
HOORAY!

Baby always follows the same steps to get from the rug to the toy box and back again.

This pattern of steps is called an algorithm.
A baby with big eyes, dressed as an engineer, plays with a colorful toy train set. When Baby sees that the red car is missing from the track and spies it in the toy box, she takes “Three steps to the right, three steps forward, and three steps to the left. Then baby takes three steps all by herself.” Each time Baby walks to the toy box, Spiro explains, it’s the same pattern—and that pattern is called an algorithm. The train, specifically the tiny computer in its engine, also follows an algorithm, this one created by a programmer. Chan creates a lively environment with citrus shades offset by cooler tones. While its audience may not be quite ready to pick up a Python manual, this addition to the Baby Loves Science series introduces a few transferable concepts (ordering, cause and effect, pattern recognition) clearly and accessibly. Ages up to 3. —Publishers Weekly

About

Big, brainy science for the littlest listeners.

Accurate enough to satisfy an expert, yet simple enough for baby, this clever board book showcases the use of logic, sequence, and patterns to solve problems. Can Baby think like a coder to fix her train? Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby's sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two, as well!

Author's Note:
The goal of the Baby Loves Science books is to introduce STEM topics in a developmentally appropriate way. As a precursor to learning programming languages and syntax, Baby Loves Coding presents the concepts of sequencing, problem solving, cause and effect, and thinking step-by-step. Practicing these skills early creates a solid foundation for reading, writing, math and eventually, programming.

Author

Ruth Spiro is an award-winning children's book author and freelance writer whose articles, essays, and stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her debut picture book, Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist (Dutton), won awards from Writer's Digest and Willamette Writers and was a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year. View titles by Ruth Spiro
Irene Chan enjoys making beautiful things. She is an art director, designer, artist, amateur photographer, and illustrator. View titles by Irene Chan

Excerpt

CHOO CHOO!
Here comes the train!

Blue, yellow, green . . . 
Where is the red car?

There it is! Baby can get it.

Baby takes three steps to the right,
three steps forward, and three steps to the left.

Then, Baby takes three steps all by herself.
HOORAY!

Baby always follows the same steps to get from the rug to the toy box and back again.

This pattern of steps is called an algorithm.

Praise

A baby with big eyes, dressed as an engineer, plays with a colorful toy train set. When Baby sees that the red car is missing from the track and spies it in the toy box, she takes “Three steps to the right, three steps forward, and three steps to the left. Then baby takes three steps all by herself.” Each time Baby walks to the toy box, Spiro explains, it’s the same pattern—and that pattern is called an algorithm. The train, specifically the tiny computer in its engine, also follows an algorithm, this one created by a programmer. Chan creates a lively environment with citrus shades offset by cooler tones. While its audience may not be quite ready to pick up a Python manual, this addition to the Baby Loves Science series introduces a few transferable concepts (ordering, cause and effect, pattern recognition) clearly and accessibly. Ages up to 3. —Publishers Weekly

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more