Here are some ways to Say Hooray with the baby in your life.
As mums ourselves, we wanted to create a book our babies would have loved – something fun that also fed their growing brains! Say Hooray engages babies on multiple levels by stimulating their senses and helping them build an understanding of language, the world around them and themselves.
Say Hooray also has the potential to be a wonderful shared experience for families with young children welcoming a new baby. The book’s rhyming, rhythmic text lends itself to being read aloud by young and beginner readers, allowing siblings to connect with their new baby brother or sister, and act as a great bouncing point for conversation and connection.
Here are some ways to Say Hooray with the baby in your life.
Touch and movement
Show your baby how to do some actions from the book – blow a kiss, wave goodbye, play peek-a-boo. Can they do it too?
Sight
The high-contrast colours and simple illustrations feature things your baby sees in their own environment. Help your baby point to familiar objects like blocks or balloons. What colours can you show them?
Listening to rhythm and rhyme
The text builds familiarity with language through repetition and rhyme. Older children learning to talk may enjoy ‘reading’ with you by saying ‘hooray’ on each page. Can they finish your sentence with a rhyming word?
Sing a song
Have fun and grow language skills with songs related to the book – ‘If you’re happy and you know it, shout hooray!’
Sounds
Can your baby see the dog? The aeroplane? What sounds do they make?
Recognising themselves
The book’s characters feature a range of attributes and skills so your baby can see themselves reflected on the page. Does your baby have a new tooth? Is it nearly their first birthday? Do they use any Auslan signs?
From the Illustrator:
Illustrating this book has been a genuine pleasure. It is hard to find a more delightful subject matter than adorable babies discovering and accomplishing new things. While working on this project, I spent a lot of time reminiscing about when my own children were tiny – it is such a wonderous time for parents! I think these happy memories translated onto the page because the end result is a vibrant explosion of colours and pattern. A little celebration of a book with lots to explore, perfect for little ones. Hooray!
From the Author:
I wrote this book when my first child was about six months old. I constantly marvelled at the new things he and his friends seemed to do and learn daily, and wanted to capture the joy I felt watching them become little individuals in a text that was simple and fun. Babies really are amazing – the amount their brains grow and develop in those early years is extraordinary and definitely worth celebrating!
