Sharing a book creates a partnership between a young child and their carer that will promote their attention, social awareness and a habit of reading for pleasure. Anne O'Connor shows why. Photographs courtesy of Siren Films.

Orson is sitting on his mother's knee and together they are looking at a book. Mum points to the pictures and talks about them. Orson points too, and follows mum's finger as she names things.

When she asks him to find the teddy, he points and then looks at mum to check with her. She praises him with a 'well done'. Her reaction pleases him and he looks now to dad and grins at him.

Mum draws his attention to the picture of a baby going to bed and talks about how the baby gets a kiss goodnight. Orson gets a kiss too and mum says 'night night' to the baby.

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