Books as Mirrors, Windows and Doors: Rethinking Your EYFS Book Corner

I was recently at The Voice Of Early Childhood Conference were I had the opportunity to listen to the inspirational Laura Henry-Allain. I have always believed in the power of books in Early Years but that visit and keynote talk inspired this blog. The concept of books as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors was first articulated in 1990 by Rudine Sims Bishop, a scholar and educator known for her work in multicultural children's literature.

In early years settings, the book corner is often seen as a quiet space—a place to rest, reset, and share a story at the end of a busy session. While this is important, it can sometimes limit how we view its true potential.

A well-thought-out book corner is not just a cosy area with cushions and a small selection of texts. It is a space that can shape children’s understanding of themselves, others, and the world around them.

One of the most powerful ways to approach your book provision is to think about books as mirrors, windows, and doors. This concept offers a simple but meaningful framework that can transform both your environment and your practice.

🪞 Books as Mirrors

Books can act as mirrors, reflecting a child’s own life, culture, family, and everyday experiences back to them.

This is particularly important in the early years, where children are beginning to form their sense of identity and place in the world. When a child sees themselves represented in a book—whether through characters, settings, language, or experiences—it reinforces a sense of belonging. It tells them, often without words, “you matter, and your story is important.”

Mirror books support:

• Emotional security

• Positive self-identity

• Confidence in sharing their own experiences

  
  

In your book corner, this might mean carefully selecting stories that reflect:

• The cultural backgrounds and home languages of your children

• A range of family structures and relationships

• Familiar routines such as mealtimes, celebrations, or daily transitions

  
  

It’s also important to consider how these experiences are represented. Are they authentic? Respectful? Free from stereotypes?

Taking time to observe your children can help guide your choices. What do they talk about? What matters to them? What experiences do they bring into their play?

When children regularly encounter books that feel familiar and relevant, they are more likely to engage, revisit texts, and begin to see themselves as readers and storytellers.

🪟 Books as Windows

While mirrors help children look inward, books as windows allow them to look outward.

Window books provide opportunities for children to explore lives, cultures, and perspectives that may be different from their own. In doing so, they begin to develop curiosity, understanding, and empathy—key foundations for life in a diverse society.

For many children, books may be their first introduction to:

• Different countries, traditions, and ways of life

• People with different abilities or experiences

• New ideas, environments, and possibilities

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These books should be chosen thoughtfully. Rather than presenting difference as something unusual or “other,” the aim is to normalise diversity and present it as a natural and valuable part of the world.

In your setting, this could look like:

• Sharing stories from a wide range of cultures throughout the year, not just during specific celebrations

• Including characters from diverse backgrounds in everyday narratives

• Offering non-fiction texts that introduce real people, places, and communities

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Practitioners play an important role here too. The conversations you have around these books can deepen children’s understanding—encouraging them to ask questions, make connections, and reflect on similarities and differences.

Window books gently expand children’s horizons, helping them to see beyond their immediate environment while fostering respect and openness.

🚪 Books as Doors

Books as doors invite children to step beyond both the familiar and the observable, into worlds of imagination, possibility, and creativity.

In early years practice, this is where books truly come alive.

A well-loved story rarely stays contained within its pages. Instead, it becomes the starting point for rich, child-led play and exploration. Children begin to re-enact narratives, take on roles, adapt storylines, and create entirely new worlds inspired by what they have experienced.

Door books support:

• Imaginative and creative thinking

• Language development through storytelling and role play

• Sustained shared thinking between children and adults

  
  

You might see this in your setting when:

• A story inspires a role play scenario that lasts for days

• Children use small world resources to retell or adapt a narrative

• Mark making emerges through drawing maps, writing lists, or creating signs linked to a story

  
  

To support this, consider how your environment connects to your book corner. Are there opportunities for children to extend their ideas beyond the book?

Simple enhancements can make a big difference:

• Props or story sacks linked to favourite books

• Open-ended materials that encourage storytelling

• Spaces that allow children to act out and revisit narratives

  
  

When books act as doors, they don’t just support reading—they become a central part of the learning environment, influencing play, communication, and creativity across the provision.

📚 Bringing It All Together in Your Book Corner

Creating a meaningful book corner requires more than simply providing a selection of books. It involves intentional choices, ongoing reflection, and a deep understanding of the children in your care.

As you review your provision, it can be helpful to ask:

• Do our books reflect the children in our setting? (mirrors)

• Do they introduce new perspectives and experiences? (windows)

• Do they inspire imagination, storytelling, and play? (doors)

  
  

Balance is key. A strong book offer will include all three elements, ensuring children have opportunities to feel secure, expand their understanding, and explore creatively.

Alongside your book selection, the environment itself plays an important role. Consider whether your book corner is:

• Warm, inviting, and comfortable

• Clearly organised and accessible for independent use

• Regularly refreshed to reflect children’s current interests

  
  

Involving children in the process—through observing their choices, following their interests, and even allowing them to help select books—can make the space even more meaningful.

And remember....... books do not just belong in the book corner, books can be spread throughout the environment, every corner can have a book. Books and stories should spill out of the book corner into construction, into role play, into art, into physical play, everywhere the child is.

🌍 Why This Matters

Books are not just a tool for developing early reading skills. They are a powerful part of how children come to understand themselves and the world around them.

By thinking of books as mirrors, windows, and doors, we move beyond a surface-level approach to reading and begin to recognise the deeper impact our choices can have.

We create environments where:

• Every child feels seen and valued

• Differences are explored with curiosity and respect

• Imagination is nurtured and celebrated

  
  

Ultimately, a well-planned book corner becomes more than a space—it becomes an experience.

One that supports identity, builds connections, and opens up endless possibilities for learning and play.