Board Books

Lynn and Cindy:

We are in awe of the creativity at work in creating books for young people. That creative spirit begins with books for our very youngest readers too. We’ve been sent some terrific board books lately that are an absolute delight to share with babies and toddlers. Sturdily constructed to withstand tough treatment, these wonderful books are cleverly designed, smartly age-appropriate, and highly entertaining. In short – a perfect recipe for enticing the earliest readers among us. Here is a round-up of a few that have arrived at our doorsteps lately.

A to Z Menagerie by Suzy Ultman (Chronicle, 2019)

Little fingers will delight in tracing the die-cut alphabet letter on each page and then pull a tab to replace the center of the letter with a colorful illustration of an item that begins with that letter. O reveals a round owl face inside the O and is identified with a full body picture and the word “owl” on the pull-out page reveal. Scattered around the featured letter are a variety of colorful line drawings featuring familiar and more original vocabulary items. O includes onion, overalls, octopus, opal, oboe, orca, and an ocelot in an oxford shirt.

AlphaBit: An ABC Quest in 8-bit by Juan Carlos Solon (Chronicle, 2019)

The next generation of gamers may get their start with this seek-and-find alphabet board book with a quest, illustrated in the pixilated 8-bit style of the 80s and 90s video games, or the more recent Minecraft. Each page features a capital letter and four or five items to find in the scene that moves the adventure along. Level up!

Animals in the Sky by Sara Gillingham (Phaidon, 2020)

Whether or not the board book set will be able to find the constellations in the night sky, they will enjoy looking at this introduction to six of the constellations that are identified as animal shapes. Each constellation is presented first as a riddle with the constellation outline. A gatefold opens to identify the animal that answers the riddle. The constellation is superimposed over a drawing of the animal. Another drawing identifies major stars or other shapes within the featured animal. Ten additional animal constellations are included on the final fold-out pages for the overachievers, along with the suggestion for adults to consult a star smartphone app if needed.

First 100 Words: English & Spanish by Susie Jaramillo (Encantos, 2020)

We are past our Nick Jr. television days, but parents of young children will undoubtedly be familiar with the Canticos bilingual sing-along programs. This book is the first in the Canticos Bilingual Firsts board book series to supplement the brand. Thematic double-page spreads introduce vocabulary such as Frog/Rana, Tree/Árbol, Butterfly/Mariposa on the Nature/Naturaleza pages. School, Transportation, Sports, Music, Beach and other themes continue the bilingual vocabulary building with the familiar Canticos characters appearing on the pages too. Colors, opposites, numbers, shapes, feelings, and letters round out the rest of the concepts in the new series.

Make Me a Monster by Mark Rogalski (Chronicle, 2020)

This board book is an immediate eye-catcher as it features a monster face and a circular opening lined with teeth as its cover. Flip the cover upwards and each simple page directs readers to fold out monster attributes like bulging eyes, horns, or a green twisty tale. By the book’s end, readers will have created their very own monster.

My Evil Big Brother Packed My Lunch by Laura Watson (Chronicle, 2020)

Here is a board book “packed” with jokes guaranteed to make young readers groan with delighted horror. Open the lunch box-shaped book to learn that the narrator’s brother has volunteered to pack lunches for the week. On each lower page, see what the boy has requested for lunch. Flip up the fold and discover what was ACTUALLY packed that day. A ham sandwich, carrots, and a cupcake turns out to be a frosting sandwich, a ham cupcake, and carrots with mustard! Funny notes from the brother and disgusting combinations will bring kids back to this fun book again and again.

Our World: A First Book of Geography by Sue Lowell’s Gallion (Phaidon, 2020)

This uniquely shaped board book opens up to create a 3-D globe that will stand. Simply rhyming text on the left side of the spread is supplemented on the right by more detailed information about the biomes, climate, continents, and our planet. This might be the only globe this generation gets their hands on!

Cindy: My daughter-from-another-mother, a young mother named Alicia, is doing a beautiful job parenting two infant twins and a 2-year-old. Three busy little girls who keep her going night and day. Following her schedule online and in-person is exhausting just to observe! Did I mention she also works part-time outside the home, too, in adult probation and parole? When Nicole Sloan’s new board book, Mama Needs a Minute (Andrews McMeel, 2020), arrived in my review books, I knew who my test reader needed to be. I gifted the book to Alicia with some pampering lotions and waited to hear. She loved this story so much she ordered a copy immediately for her friend, Laura, another mom of twins and two other children. They are both reading it daily to remind themselves that it’s okay to take a minute for themselves.

The mamas in this book might have purple hair or green skin, but they all have one thing in common: they are there to help their child learn, eat, play, etc. but sometimes “Mama needs a minute” to shower, dress, have coffee, or rest. After multiple page turns of mama’s declaration that she needs a minute, the book comfortingly closes with a twist. With the baby quietly nestled in her arms, she proclaims, “This mama just needs a minute…with you.”

Here’s to Alicia and Laura and all mamas who need a minute!