Shared book reading is defined as the interactive process of engaging children with text and illustrations. Through shared book reading, children learn to enjoy the reading process and appreciate different genres of literature, such as story books, alphabet books, and rhyming books. They acquire foundational skills that lead to reading success, including learning new vocabulary words, understanding stories, playing with sounds through rhyming and alliteration, and becoming aware of print. To get the most out of shared book reading, research suggests children must be engaged in the process. Educators and caregivers can help get children involved by asking them to guess what the story is about before reading and discussing new vocabulary words as they are encountered. After the story, they challenge children to recall story details and the sequence of events. Children are encouraged to connect components of the story to personal experiences and answer predictive questions like, "What do you think will happen next?" But none of these techniques can be successful if children are not focusing and controlling their attention (National Education Goals Panel, 1997). Specifically, to benefit from shared book reading, children need to pay attention implicitly and explicitly to the text and illustrations by listening and looking. This article discusses a variety of techniques and recommendations on how to promote attention during shared book reading.