Board Books

Best Books for Babies & Toddlers 2019

| Tasha

ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing

ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing, illustrated by Paulina Morgan

From the very first page, this board book grapples with social justice issues and demands that even tiny children start to think about our world in a more open way.

B Is for Baby by Atinuke

B Is for Baby by Atinuke, illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

Once again, Atinuke shows the beauty of Africa through a small child’s eyes.

Baby Day by Jane Godwin and Davina Bell

Baby Day by Jane Godwin and Davina Bell, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

Godwin and Bell show exactly what happens when you get a group of toddlers together.

Hush Little Bunny by David Ezra Stein

Hush Little Bunny by David Ezra Stein

Caldecott Honor-winner Stein has rewritten the classic song of Hush Little Baby into a rabbit-filled delight.

Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka

Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka

A delight of a board book sure to get everyone jumping.

Love You Head to Toe by Ashley Barron

Love You Head to Toe by Ashley Barron

The book contains many similes and metaphors and even the smallest child will enjoy looking at the animals and the ways that they are just the same.

My Art Book of Sleep by Shana Gozansky

My Art Book of Sleep by Shana Gozansky

An intelligent look at art for the youngest of children.

Up, Up, Up, Down! by Kimberly Gee

Up, Up, Up, Down! by Kimberly Gee

A toddler’s day is filled with opposites in this adorable picture book.

Why by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Why? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Simple and just right for toddlers and their questions.

Wild Baby by Cori Doerrfeld

Wild Baby by Cori Doerrfeld

The pacing is exciting and fast and the book is filled with just enough danger and plenty of love.

You Are Light by Aaron Becker

You Are Light by Aaron Becker

The poetry is effective and evocative, speaking to the power of light in our world. Still, it is the design and colors that truly make this book something particularly special.

Review: All Around Bustletown: Winter by Rotraut Susanne Berner

| Tasha

All Around Bustletown Winter by Rotraut Susanne Berner

All Around Bustletown: Winter by Rotraut Susanne Berner (9783791374154)

Large picture-book-sized pages made of board book stock invite even the youngest of children to explore Bustletown. In these busy pages, the life of an entire village plays out. The wordless format lets each reader make up their own stories about the people in town. Some of the story arcs include an escaped parrot, a lost key and wallet, a cat on a jaunt around town, buying a Christmas tree, and heading to ice skate with a friend. It’s a delightful mix of Where’s Waldo chaos with real stories about a diverse little town.

A German import, readers will enjoy the distinct European feel of the setting in the book. Care was taken to be inclusive with the members of the town, including people of different skin colors, faiths and abilities. The busyness of the pages is at just the right level, making it a pleasure to find the character you are searching for, rather than a frustration.

Bright and friendly, this wordless picture book is great fun to explore. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Prestel.

Review: ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing

| Tasha

ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing

ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing, illustrated by Paulina Morgan (9781786037428)

From the very first page, this board book grapples with social justice issues and demands that even tiny children start to think about our world in a more open way. A here is for ability. This book doesn’t stop with just the associated word though, it offers a definition that is accessible for small children, taking each concept and building on it throughout the book. Ewing uses great skill in distilling large and complicated subjects such as race, gender and xenophobia. Her text is uplifting and inspiring to read.

The illustrations are filled with characters of different races, religions, abilities and genders. They are small and friendly, clambering around on the letters and shapes and bringing a bouncy and joyous energy to the entire board book.

A board book that advocates for diversity and inclusion. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: My First Busy World by Eric Carle

| Tasha

My First Busy World by Eric Carle

My First Busy World by Eric Carle (9781534443914)

Beloved author, Eric Carle, brings us a board book to explore and touch. The pages are filled with special cut outs, a mirror to look at yourself in, and textures. There are flaps to lift, sparkly elements, and windows to look through. The book is also filled with elements that are labeled. These are basic things like different foods, what you see outside, and what is in your bedroom. Parents can also talk about colors, the child’s own family members, and much more along the way.

Just right for the youngest of children, this board book is done in a larger format than most. The design is one that invites talking about what is on the page with little children. They are encouraged to count stars, touch different items, and explore the universe inside the book fully. Done in a robust format, the book will stand up nicely to use in a public library setting too.

An inviting book to explore. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy provided by Little Simon.

Review: Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka

| Tasha

Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka

Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka (9781776572311)

Leap into this great board book for toddlers! On one page, the animal is sitting waiting to jump, then with the turn of the page the animal launches into the air. Each jump is accompanied with a merry and silly noise that is some version of “boing!” Sometimes there are additional syllables to create even more fun. The format turns the book lengthwise so that the animals can jump even higher. The illustrations are simple and joyous.

A delight of a board book sure to get everyone jumping. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy provided by Gecko Press.

Review: My Art Book of Sleep by Shana Gozansky

| Tasha

My Art Book of Sleep by Shana Gozansky

My Art Book of Sleep by Shana Gozansky (9780714878652)

This is the second board book in a series that links fine art to a single concept. In this case, the book is focused on sleep. In the book, you will find 35 images of art works from a variety of time periods and cultures that depict sleeping in a number of different ways. The book explores naps and also getting ready for bed and bedtime. It also looks at dreams and what you might see in them. The book also shows sunsets and night skies.

Accompanying the art is a simple set of sentences that cleverly tie together the disparate pieces of art. It offers a loose connectivity to the images that makes the book able to be shared aloud. The use of the connecting words is a critical element here that makes more than an art collection and turns it into a bedtime story with amazing art. Each piece of art is also labeled with its title and artist. The book ends with more information on each piece of art.

An intelligent look at art for the youngest of children. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: You Are Light by Aaron Becker

| Tasha

You Are Light by Aaron Becker

You Are Light by Aaron Becker (9781536201154)

Caldecott Honor winner Becker has created his first board book and what a beauty it is! The book almost glows with light and comes fully alive when raised toward the sun or a lamp where the colored circles shine. As the pages turn, light is celebrated. The way that it warms land, sips the sea, makes the rain, makes crops grow, and lights the moon. Particularly though, the light in each person is celebrated.

This board book is wonderfully simple and exceptionally designed. As pages turn, the primary colors overlap to form secondary colors and a complete rainbow, yet another way that light enters our lives. The poetry is effective and evocative, speaking to the power of light in our world. Still, it is the design and colors that truly make this book something particularly special.

Just right for learning colors and seeing a little one’s connection to the world. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy provided by Candlewick.

2018 Best Board Books!

| Tasha

2018 was a great year for board books! Here are my picks for the ten best board books of the year:

Ciao, Baby! Ready for a Ride Holi Colors by Rina Singh

Ciao, Baby! Ready for a Ride by Carole Lexa Schaefer, illustrated by Lauren Tobia (9780763683979)

A loving and warm look at life in an urban setting with a Hispanic family at its heart. – My Review

Holi Colors by Rina Singh (9781459818491)

Joyous and bright – My Review

Little Truck by Taro Gomi Opposite Surprise by Agnese Baruzzi

Little Truck by Taro Gomi (9781452163000)

Exactly what little ones will love! – My Review

Opposite Surprise by Agnese Baruzzi (9789888341375)

The illustrations are simple and bold and will lead to discussions about how they could be interpreted. – My Review

A Pile of Leaves by Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin Shapes by Jacques Duquennoy

A Pile of Leaves by Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin (9780714877204)

Clever and a delight to explore, this board book is like breathing crisp fall air in book form. – My Review

Shapes by Jacques Duquennoy (9782747086998)

This clever mechanism makes for a dynamic book that will have children wanting to make their own shapes too. – My Review

Toesy Toes by Sarah Tsiang Wee Beasties Huggy the Python Hugs Too Hard by Ame Dyckman

Toesy Toes by Sarah Tsiang (9781459813427)

The book has a simple format, bright colors and a rollicking rhythm that keeps the pace brisk and lively. – My Review

Wee Beasties: Huggy the Python Hugs Too Hard by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Alex G. Griffiths (9781534410800)

One of those special board books that has a real story arc, this one is funny and filled with love. – My Review

You and Me by Rebecca Kai Dotlich You See, I See in the City by Michelle Sinclair Colman

You and Me by Rebecca Kai Dotlich (9781568463216)

These are images of a loving African-American family that celebrate being an older sibling. – My Review

You See, I See in the City by Michelle Sinclair Colman, illustrated by Paul Schmid (9781524715007)

A winning board book full of urban sights. – My Review

Bunches of Board Books

| Tasha

Car, Car, Truck, Jeep by Katrina Charman

Car, Car, Truck, Jeep by Katrina Charman, illustrated by Nick Sharratt (9781681198958)

Sung to the tune of “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” this board book will quickly become a favorite for any little one who loves vehicles. The book is filled with all sorts of cars, trucks, boats, and planes. Each one carries a rhyme with it and creates all sorts of motion on the page. The illustrations are bright and friendly, inviting the littlest readers to explore their thick lines and bold shapes. This is one beeping good board book.

Reviewed from copy provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

A Pile of Leaves by Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin

A Pile of Leaves by Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin (9780714877204)

Just right for fall reading either one-on-one or with a small group, this board book offers a unique experience. With only a preface containing words, the book opens to reveal see-through pages that form a leaf pile. Readers turn the pages, removing one layer of leaves at a time and discovering interesting things hiding in the leaves. There is a worm, ants, a mitten, a key, a grasshopper and more. Beautifully, the leaves continue to pile on the pages to the left, creating a new pile to explore. Clever and a delight to explore, this board book is like breathing crisp fall air in book form.

Reviewed from library copy.

You and Me by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

You and Me by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Susan Reagan (9781568463216)

This exceptional board book tells the story of an older sibling with a very adorable new baby in the house. Sharing time with Grandma isn’t easy,  but the older sibling is patient. The baby has lots of cute things that they can do, but so does the older sibling. In the end, the baby finally goes down for a nap and it’s time for the older child to be paid a lot of attention. The poem in this board book is gentle with rhymes that sway. The illustrations are truly amazing, filled with eyes alight with joy and both siblings wonderfully androgynous as well. These are images of a loving African-American family that celebrate being an older sibling.

Reviewed from library copy.