Have You Heard About Wonderbooks?

Plano Public Library has a new way to pair print and audio for children: Wonderbooks.

A Wonderbook is a print book with pre-loaded audio content bound into the cover. Enjoy hearing your favorite stories, without having to worry about extra technology.

Each book has a self-contained audio player mounted in the front cover. Listen to the story through the external speaker, or plug in a pair of headphones. Just like a typical audio player, there are controls for volume, playing and pausing, and fast forwarding or rewinding content. A flashing red light lets you know when the book needs to be charged, which can be done with a standard micro USB cable.

83% of children love being read to and when toddlers are read to, thousands of cells in their brains respond in a matter of seconds.

Playaway

Readers can choose between reading mode and learning mode by sliding a switch on the player. In reading mode, the narrator reads the story aloud while you turn the pages. In learning mode, the story ends with a question and answer session to test your reading comprehension and knowledge.

If you can instill a love a reading at an early age, then a
commitment to lifelong learning is sure to follow.

Children’s Bureau, 2017

Pairing print and audio can be very helpful, especially when learning to read. For new or struggling readers, hearing a fluent narrator often helps match the words heard with the words seen on the page. Hearing words aloud also increases the ability to identify sight words, and helps readers understand tone and pacing. Research shows that multisensory learning, like pairing reading and listening, helps improve our comprehension, recall and fluency.

Wonderbooks are available for readers ages 3 to 13. This collection includes popular picture books, early readers, chapter books and nonfiction titles. There are even some stories in Spanish.

For a complete list of titles, head to our online catalog. For other book and audio options, you can try our book and CD sets or Playaway Bookpacks. Need help? Just ask any member of our library staff.