This book studies the many different ways in which the lives of the first, third, and fourth generations intersect and the reciprocal benefits that can accrue from establishing positive intergenerational bonds. The unifying feature across the chapters is that the authors view these relationships as a powerful influence on Quality of Life (QoL). The book takes the stance that older adults figure prominently in the QoL of young children, with the latter group defined here as ranging in age from infancy up to and including eight years of age. It examines how bonds with older adults can affect young children's functioning across developmental domains--physical, emotional, social, and cognitive. It addresses questions of importance to those who have a commitment to the very young such as: "What benefits can young children derive from positive bonds with older adults?", "How do young children understand the aging process and develop respect for the elderly?", "How can published research be used to guide both informal and formal interactions between the older generation and the newest one?" and, finally, "How can various stakeholders such as professionals, families, organizations, and communities collaborate to enrich and enlarge the kind and amount of support that older adults provide to the very young child?"

Mary Renck Jalongo is a professor emerita with 37 years of experience at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). In 1991-92, she was named IUP's professor of year, an award based on teaching, research, and service. Dr. Jalongo has written, co-authored, or edited more than 40 books, many of them successful textbooks in early childhood education such as Early Childhood Language Arts (6 ^th edition), Creative Thinking and Arts-Based Learning (7 ^th edition), and Exploring Your Role in Early Childhood Education (4 ^th ed.). Her professional journal articles have earned eight national awards for excellence in writing, including four EDPRESS awards.

Dr. Jalongo's work with two of the leading organizations in the field--Association for Childhood Education International and the National Association for the Education of young children--includes two ACEI Position Papers, four books, articles, and brochures. She is a former teacher of preschool, first grade and second grade students and has designed curriculum for children of migrant farm workers, Head Start, public television, nonprofit organizations, and correctional facilities. In 2019, she was recognized for 25 years of exemplary service as the editor-in-chief of Early Childhood Education Journal that is published six times per year. She continues to serve as editor-in-chief of the Springer Nature book series, Educating the Young Child, that has published 17 titles since 2007.

Patricia A. Crawford is an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh, where she holds appointments in the Early Childhood Education and Language, Literacy, and Culture programs. She began her career as a teacher of young children and received her PhD from the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to returning to her native Pennsylvania, Dr. Crawford taught in teacher education programs in Maine and Florida. She has worked with teachers and teacher educators in many places throughout the world.

Dr. Crawford is the current editor-in-chief of Early Childhood Education Journal, and serves as an editor of the Educating the Young Child book series, both published by Springer Nature. She also serves on editorial boards for The Reading Teacher, Dragon Lode, and the Journal of Research in Childhood Education. She has written widely on connections across the areas of early childhood, literacy, and teacher education, and has a particular passion for exploring topics related to the content, power, and potential of literature in the lives of children.