Emily's theory is reminding me of something our educational psychology prof taught us when I was in teacher's college: He announced that his youngest son always said he liked music class the best, then got us to speculate as to why. We came up with all sorts of reasons. Some of us just thought he liked music. Others said it was because it was a more concrete activity than doing multiplication tables.

After a few minutes of discussion, the prof revealed that his son like music class the best because he got to wheel the little cart with the musical instruments on it from his classroom to the next one at the end of the lesson.

Which is all to say: I know what the studies say, but unless the child is engaged with the reading activity, you're just storytelling to them with a prop. You entertaining them, rather than the "books are cool" part, might be what they like.

Suggestions: constantly focus the child's attention on the book. Get to them guess what's coming next. If it's a story they know well, change a character name on purpose, and when they catch you (they will) get them to prove you said the wrong thing by finding the name on the page. In other words, making being able to read both normal and something that pays off.