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The Field Guide to ParentingChildren's BookstoreGreat Books to Read With and About the Children in Your Life
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Board & Specialty Books |
Hug,
Hug! by Lorie Ann Grover, Illustrated by Rebecca MaloneLittle Simon, 2008
Did you ever wonder how owls, seahorses, and other creatures hug? Some do it with their ears, or with a peck, but sure enough, every animal has it's own way of showing affection. The pictures are beautiful and seem so soft, you are likely to want to feel the Koala bear and even the camel.
One of the better board books; it's just about the most lovable book you could imagine.
Does a Cow Say BOO? by Judy Hindley, illustrated by
Brita GranstromCandlewick Press, 2008
Does a cow, pig, dog, or rooster say 'boo?' No, and readers are invited to participate in giving the correct animal sound. Just who does say "boo" will delight little book lovers. Pleasing, detailed illustrations with a group of cute and happy kids make this a good choice for preschoolers rather than babies.
Colors + Flavors Red + Green Stripes + Arrows Circle + Square
by Jill Hartley, Groundwood Books, 2008 (First published in Mexico)
Gorgeous photos alone, exuberant colors, unique items, and adorable children are the hallmarks of this board book series. Many photos include much detail, which will provide a fun challenge for young readers. A series of board books a cut above the rest -- Highly enjoyable!
Alphabet
Animals: A Slide-and-Peek Adventure by Suse MacDonald
Not since Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald in
1986 has there been an alphabet book in which animals spell out their
own letters in ingenius ways. Kids can identify the animal, guess which
letter it is representing, and then slide out a page with the correct
answer. Bright animals, insects, and birds leap off a single deeply rich
colored background. The last page of animals that didn't make it into
the alp
habet
sequence add more guessing fun, and each looks sad, mad, or dismayed.
Sturdy pages insure a long-lasting book and hours of fun.
Also by Suse MacDonald, the Caldicott Honoree-winning Alphabatics
click on book covers for more information at Amazon
What Kind of Rabbit Are YOU?
by Liz Goulet Dubois
Little Simon, 2008
You will find nearly every shape, color, pattern, and whatnot
you can think of in the wide variety of rabbits. Pop-ups are fun and
with moving parts. I especially liked the pretty blue flowered rabbit in
the wheelchair with the colorful moving wheel. Some are loud, some are
soft-spoken, some smile, some frown, but no matter what a rabbit looks
like on the outside, you have to get to him/her them on the inside to
decide,"Nice or not?"
For a small, colorful, board-size book, this one has a big
message delivered in a larger than life way! Yes--kids will love it.
What's Up, Duck? A Book of
Opposites by Tad Hill
S
chwartz & Wade/Random House,
2008
Duck and Goose are back in a wide-eyed look, as only they can
do, at opposites--far and near, clean and dirty, etc. The
sprightly Thistle and sweet blue bird join in the fun as well.
As you can tell from the cover, the characters demonstrate the
opposites; Thistle is loud while on the next page, blue bird
whispers quietly in Goose's ear. Colorful backgrounds follow
white backgrounds, but as always, Duck and Goose are the center
of attention. "heavy" is my favorite; With buckling legs and his
head straight up so all you see is the bottom of his beak, Duck
struggles mightily to hold Goose, who looks innocently at the
reader.
If you haven't been a fan of this captivating duo before, you
surely will be upon sharing What's Up, Duck? with the
young child in your life.
Bow Wow Hears Things by Mark
Newgarden & Megan Montague Cash
Harcourt, 2008
Another picture book character enters a board book, and Bow-Wow
is perfectly suited for this format. Simple illustrations with
clear, chunky-outlined characters transfer to the small page
with nothing lost. A small yellow bird asks Bow-Wow a series of
questions, each being a different sound. "Oink?' asks the bird,
"No," answers Bow-Wow. The little one eventually gets it right
and in a big way. Littlest readers will delight in all the
sounds the bird tries to make in the Q & A format, especially
since they will know the right answer. Very cute concept book
about sounds.
I Lik
e It When...Me Gusta
Cuando... by Mary Murphy
Harcourt, 2008
A cheerful little penguin and parent go about their day, as the
little one lists all the "I like it when..." things in a day: splash
about/salpicamos el agua, we play peekaboo/jugamos al escondite, etc.
Single characters pop off plain but deeply colored backgrounds, and
speak a few words, too. Despite two languages describing the same thing,
the pages are remarkable uncluttered and easy to read both in words and
pictures. VERY cute!
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Button Nose by Nina Laden Chronicle, 2008
Have you ever buttoned a dog's nose? Or zippered a croc's mouth? An original idea put together well in a soft, cotton book, is sure to entice little ones to practice these skills for the sheer joy of it! |
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Little Monkey by Kimberly Ainsworth, illustrated by Michelle Berg; A Little Green Book Little Simon, 2008
A machine-washable, eco-engineered book for babies is a mouthful to say, but the book is soft and cuddly and cute. Polarfleece covers and soft cotton pages provide a enjoyable tactile experience. Passable rhymes tell of an active monkey, and end with a question for the readers.
A "green" book will please parents because the packaging is from 100% recylced material, and the polarfleece is from recycled materials, too. The fine print shows it was manufactured in China, but it's a start at the greening of children's publishing. |
This
is NOT a Pumpkin
by Bob Staaker
Little Simon, 2007
It looks like a pumpkin; it's round and big; you
can turn it upside down, but no matter what it's not a pumpkin. So,
what is it? Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy guessing, and I'm
not going to spoil the surprise here. Large illustrations of
pumpkins with shadow are center stage on white backgrounds while the
other half of the two-page spread offers phrases related to the
picture.
Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy guessing, and preschoolers will
want to "read' this to a younger child--knowing the surprise while
reading to someone new is just as much fun as the first reading.
Fish,
Swish! Splash, Dash!: -
Publisher: Little Simon (June 26, 2007)
A colorful and clever counting book; count 1 to 10 on the right-hand side pages, then flip the book over to count from 10 back to 1 on the other side. Die-cut pages with solid , bold colors reveal one amazing fish after another. Destined to be a favorite of the little ones.
Random House Books for Young Readers, 2007
- Have you ever seen an elephant on a little potty or a mouse on a big potty? You'll love it! I'll bet you didn't know that potties can be used for firefighting or walking in space. Adorable Charlie Brown type children and animals using potties in all sorts of imaginative ways makes this a potty book above all others.
- In addition, parents will appreciate the coated wipe-clean pages and wee ones will have hours of fun on the potty with the reusable stickers in the back.
by Sarah Weeks, illustration and paper
engineering by David A. Carter
Harcourt, 2005
A riddle using color asks kids to guess what's under each kind of hat.
Upon lifting the flap, the answer to the riddle pops up. Even adults
won't be able to guess the surprise under the rainbow hat at the end.
Lots to do in this one volume and sheer fun while you're at it!
by Julie Markes, illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung, HarperFestival,
2004
IT'S A LIFT-THE-FLAP BOOK--What a great idea for those little ones
looking to make their own you-know-what! An adorable cast of moms, dad,
and wee ones including pandas, kangaroos, tigers, monkeys, penguins, and
elephants all search for the little one's droppings. With more than one
flap to look under for every baby animal, little toilet-learners
everywhere will have a grand time searching and hopefully will be
inspired to create a present in the toilet for their own parents.
Bottoms
North-South, 2005
This little board book focuses on the other end of things and asks readers to identify each animal from behind. A cute idea!
What
Do You Do? by Mandy Stanley
Little Simon, 2005
Rhymes and the repeating title question are offered to a wide variety of
creatures from a tadpole to a cheetah. Cheerful, brightly colored pages
with answers to the mysteries on each animals' page. The sequel to What
Do You Say? by the same author/illustrator
Quiet
LOUD
written and illustrated by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick, ISBN 0763619523
Amazing how a few strokes of a brush can create a face so spirited,
vivid and expressive. The cutest baby of the year explores first hand
all manners of quiet and loud with one colorful, pleasing, large and
simple concept illustrated on each page. Irresistible!
Specialty: Lift-the-Flap, Pop-Ups, & More
by Matthew Van Fleet
photographs by Brian Stanton, Simon & Schuster, 2007
Ages 2 and up
Quite
possibly the cutest pull-the-tab/lift-the-flap/touch-and-feel book ever!
Wonderful photographs of a wide variety of dogs and the things you can
do with them make this a stand-out book. You can wag a puppy's tail,
feel a fluffy poodle, play with floppy ears, shake the water off a dog
in the bath, feel a sticky tongue and much more. Big dog, slobber dog,
dry dog, one dog, two dogs--each dog has a concept attached to it for
even more fun and learning.
The Best Lift-the-Flap Book of 2006!
Amazingly simple yet powerful message of the promise of good things to
come from every living thing.
In the grass ... [open the flap] is a
nest waiting to be built...
In the fiddle...
In you...[open the flap] is.... Read aloud together with a young child to find out.
Large, peaceful images and faces in gouache illustrations and large flaps makes this a great choices for readers ages two and up. A rare gem of a book!
Opposites
by Robert Crowther
Candlewick, 2005
To say this book is interactive is an understatement. Reader
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