My youngest son is at an age where he loves a thick, slick board
book under his chubby hands so he can use it to ski around the living room on
hands and knees. He cares little for pictures and even less for story.
Growing into story takes time. In the meantime, board books
provide good practice in the skills needed for reading: sitting patiently,
turning pages, moving the eyes from left to right, listening, and recognizing
illustrations.
Suggested here are several great finds for baby’s bookshelf.
by Salina Yoon
Robin Corey Books, 2012
Looking for an elephant behind plants and trees is so much
fun in this simple, friendly book. Eye-popping colors and cute creatures give
baby lots to look at on each page.
by Mallory Loehr
Random House, 2012
Babies are naturally drawn to the beauty of other babies.
With a smiling child lovingly illustrated on each page, this book gets immediate
attention. The rhyming text tells what baby’s mouth, eyes and nose can do. When
the reader pulls on the tab, the baby’s face changes to show each action. It’s
also fun to play peek-a-boo with this book.
by Luciana Navarro Powell
Robin Corey Books, 2012
Dad comes home from work to a joyous welcome from his
children in this happy story. Dads and kids will want to climb, wrestle and
frolic in imitation of the book. Beautifully illustrated with all the warmth
and love of family, this one is a keeper.
by Tad Hills
Schwartz & Wade, 2009
Splendid fall colors are the backdrop for darling characters
Duck and Goose who go in search of a pumpkin. Spatial concepts of upon, under,
in and on top are practiced while enjoying the simple story. The over-large
size of this board book adds to its visual appeal. Duck and Goose star in seven
additional board books.
The Let’s Play Games
series
by Herve Tullet
Phaidon, 2012
Phaidon, 2012
Totally cool and totally different, Herve Tullet’s
interactive board books are aimed for the 2-4 year-old, but will impress
everyone:
The Game in the Dark doesn’t look like much at first because you can’t read it with the lights. Charge it up under a light source and turn up the dark for an amazing glow-in-the-dark outer space show. To charge, hold each page under a light for a count of three Mississippi. Then listen to the oohs and aahs as you trip through the galaxy. There is no text, just a creative glow to encourage lights out.
The Game of Sculpture is a sturdy cardboard “book” which folds open to become a modern art sculpture of your child’s design. It can be folded away again, displayed, or used as a playground for your Fisher Price Little People. When you’re done, recycle it.
The Game of Red, Yellow and Blue teaches children simple color mixing. Purple Square asks the primary colors, “Who are my parents?” and the colors combine to show how the secondary colors are made, “All different but all happy!”
Rumble! Roar!
Dinosaurs!
by Matthew Reinhart
Robin Corey Books, 2012
I’ve recommended Reinhart’s books before and I’m doing it
again. Though this is actually a pop-up book, I must mention it because the
surprise of a triceratops leaping right off the page grabs the interest of any
child who is learning to follow a book. With coloring opportunities inside the
cover and factual tidbits about each dino, this book will interest your preschoolers,
too.
There’s also Reinhart’s perfectly nice book, A Princess Like
Me. The pop-ups are great though the story is girly fru-fru and has no
substance.
CLASSIC CHOICE
ed. John Canemaker
Golden Books, 2012
My ignorance is showing because I had not known of Mary
Blair before I got this gorgeous book, though I have definitely seen and
enjoyed her work. Blair (1911-1978) was an artist who was involved in creating
the enduring images in many Disney animated films such as Peter Pan, Cinderella
and Alice in Wonderland. Picture, if you will, the “It’s A Small World” boat
ride at Disneyland – that’s Mary Blair.
The storybooks collected in this treasury are sweet tales
made all the more pleasurable by Blair’s vibrant, sunny illustrations. Her
passion for her art is evident in each brushstroke and color choice. Every page
is a song to the beauty and innocence of childhood. Even the endpapers will
delight you.
Share this treasure with your little ones; it is what
picture books should be.
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