It is not unusual for programs to design a handful of backpacks that are meant to be borrowed by families so that books can be shared in a systematic way. If you wanted to try and get something like this together, it can be done fairly easily.
First, you need some backpacks. They don’t have to be (they probably shouldn’t be) big or too sturdy. They are really meant as a means of transporting the books to and from child care. I bet you could find some really appropriate small backpacks at the dollar store for- you guessed it – a dollar!
Then you need extra copies of favorite books. I might have a backpack for Eric Carle books, one for Ezra Jack Keats, one for Maurice Sendak, one for Arnold Lobel, one for Robert McCloskey, one for Beatrix Potter, one for Margaret Wise Brown, and one for Ann Jonas. These are just some of my favorites, you would make your own.
In addition to putting one book in each backpack at a time (just in case the entire backpack goes missing) you might also put some other resources inside for parents. You could include a handout about tips for reading aloud with children, or extension activities that will support the book concepts. This doesn’t have to be too broad or complicated. The idea is to get books home and into the hands of families. They will be so appreciative.
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