A study investigated the book handling and print concepts knowledge of 37 preschool children in a college day-care center. Subjects ranged in age from 2 to 5 years. As part of their normal day, the subjects were taken aside and a story was read to them. They were then asked questions about the physical make-up of the book, rules and concepts of print, parts of a story, and comprehension. The 5-year-olds were able to complete all the tasks, with the means for the other three groups moving progressively lower with age. Although there appeared to be a developmental trend, there was considerable variation within age groups. Some 3- and 4-year-olds knew a great deal about books, print, and reading, while many needed more experiences with books. The results suggest that preschools need to encourage this prerequisite knowledge for beginning reading by providing colorful and inviting picture books, a comfortable area for reading, and frequent periods in which the children are read to. (HTH)