When buying books for babies, the color, gloss, and imagery of the paper are all very important because these factors can affect a baby's vision.
1. Paper should not be too white
Books printed on white paper look very nice and are printed very meticulously, but reading them can easily tire the eyes.
Whether reading or watching TV, excessive contrast has adverse effects on vision. Overly white paper increases color contrast and reflects light too strongly, over-stimulating the visual nerves and causing eye fatigue easily. This is why we recommend turning on lights when watching TV - to reduce the contrast. If a book’s paper seems overly glaring or if your eyes feel tired after less than 10 minutes of reading, then the paper color is definitely unsuitable.
2. Reflection should not be too strong
Good children's books have soft colors close to natural tones, with not too much glare.
The stronger the reflection, the more the eyes are stimulated. The eye's ciliary muscle will remain in an excessively contracted state, making the eyes particularly prone to fatigue. Over time, this could lead to functional regulatory myopia.
3. Colors should not be too bright
A baby's vision needs stimulation, but assuming that bright colors are good for visual stimulation would be a big mistake. Once babies get used to looking at overly bright colors, their ability to distinguish natural colors will weaken. It's like giving babies overly salty food; they will become less sensitive to flavors later. Therefore, newborns don't need to be shown colorful books right away. They can start with black-and-white books.
Nowadays, there are many variations in the color of book paper available on the market. Bright colors such as red and green can stimulate a reader's desire to read, but prolonged reading can cause eye fatigue. Therefore, it's better for book paper to have soft tones, such as light yellow or light pink, which won’t make the eyes tired quickly during reading.
4. Imagery should not be too detailed
Adults enjoy detailed pictures, but children's books should not be too intricate or complex, and the font should not be too small. Otherwise, babies will find it strenuous to read. They may unconsciously open their eyes wider and move closer to the book, which over time can affect their vision.
From a medical perspective, after a baby is born, their vision development is not yet mature. Vision continues to develop until the age of five. At the age of five, a baby's normal vision reaches 0.8-1.0. During this period, it's essential to protect a baby's vision. Since a baby's eyes are not fully developed, they should not look at overly detailed things. Therefore, larger fonts and simpler images are better.
5. Pay attention to both looking and smelling
Look: Check the book's binding. For paperback books, the paper should not be too hard or too thin, otherwise, it might cut the baby's hands. For hardcover books, choose ones with rounded or wrapped corners, otherwise, sharp corners can easily injure the baby.
Smell: Smell the book. Some publishers add chemicals to achieve certain appearances and textures (for example, making a page about shells feel like real shells). If the materials used are not environmentally friendly, they could harm the baby's health. Generally, harmful substances have a pungent smell. When purchasing, you can first smell the book. If the smell is unpleasant, do not buy it.
Educational books that teach daily norms, spatial concepts, etc., should also be prepared for babies.