This theme issue focuses on literacy education and prereading activities for very young children who may be at risk for reading failure. It contains several papers, with the following titles and authors: "The Beginnings of Literacy" (Joan Brooks McLane and Gillian Dowley McNamee); "A Book Is a Child's Companion" (Jeree H. Pawl); "What's It Mean To Share a Story?" (Colleen E. Morisset); "Shared Reading in Daycare: Successes and Challenges" (Grover J. Whitehurst and Janet E. Fischel); "Reach Out and Read: A Pediatric Program To Support Emergent Literacy" (Kathleen Fitzgerald and Robert Needlman); "Stories for the Shelter: Introducing Books for Very Young Children to Parents and Staff" (Nancy Johns and others); "Parents as Teachers: Nurturing Literacy in the Very Young" (Mildred Winter and Joy M. Rouse); and "Family Literacy: Serving Undereducated Families" (Bonnie Lash Freeman). The issue concludes with notes about the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs and descriptions of recent publications. (JDD)