TC Tidbit: The 2011 "Best Books for Babies" List

Best Books for Babies creates an annual list that provides a nationally recognized guide for parents, teachers, and caregivers in selecting quality literature for babies (infants through 18-months). A panel of librarians, child development experts, and academics reviews outstanding books, published in the United States each year, and judges them on elements such as clear, bright illustrations, age-appropriate subjects, and interactive capabilities.

Among the originators of Best Books for Babies was the late Fred Rogers, a Pittsburgh native best known as the beloved "Mr. Rogers"of TV fame. The project was originally sponsored by a nonprofit Pittsburgh literacy group called Beginning With Books, which closed its doors last year due to budget cuts.

But the project will continue under the auspices of three Pittsburgh groups: the Fred Rogers Company; the School for Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh; and the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children.