Sesame Beginnings books are five age-appropriate books designed to teach reading.
“Level 1,” for ages birth to 6 months, features familiar Muppet characters offering monologues such as “Goo-goo” (Cookie happily munching a snack) and “Boo-boo” (a sad Elmo with a bandaged finger).
The books do get more compelling. “Level 2” (peekaboo with Muppets, pull back their hands to see which) is for 6-12 months, “Level 3” (Elmo and Cookie standing, turning, sitting, etc. with other Muppets following suit and encouraging baby to try) for 12-18 months, “Level 4” (games such as pat-a-cake) for 18-24 months and “Level 5” (songs such as “Sing a Song of Sixpence”) for 24-36 months.
The game and songbooks are especially handy for those who don’t recall where all the piggies go or how many blackbirds were baked in a pie.