READING BEGINS AT BIRTH David B. Doake Richmond Hill (Ont.), Scholastic-TAB, 1988. 79pp, paper, $9.95 ISBN 0-590-71758-8. CIP Adult/Professional Reviewed by Marilyn Aldworth. Volume 17 Number 4 1989 July The "Bright Idea" books are a series of professional books written by specialists who focus on up-to-date, down-to-earth information and implications for parents and educators. David Doake is a bona fide expert who did research for his doctoral thesis at the University of Alberta on the subject of emergent reading behaviour in pre-school children. He is also a parent and his young son. Raja, serves as one of the models for his observations on how children learn to read. The premise of this book is really quite simple-just "surround children with books and chances are books will become a natural part of their lives," especially when teachers and parents work together to provide plenty of authentic literature to be shared in a variety of ways. The recipe for success is to read to your child for at least an hour a day from the very earliest moment, There is a photograph in this book of the author's wife reading to their son at the ripe old age of 6 hours and later at two months, six months, etc., with their son showing an obvious interest in the printed page. Doake provides many illustrative examples of how and how not to handle reading. He gives a good background for the whole-language movement and offers sound reasons why it works. Some title suggestions are given and a bibliography is included. Doake writes in a natural style that is absorbing and informative. I found this to be an excellent resource book that should be required reading for all parents-to-be and pre-school teachers. Definitely recommended. Marilyn Aldworth, North Vancouver School District, North Vancouver, B.C.