How to use this Page

With three cats and a dog in our house, we are definitely animal lovers, and my daughter, who will turn one in just a couple of weeks, absolutely loves our animals. She also loves Tricycle Press's Busy Animal Board Books.

• Busy Kitties, by John Schindel, photography by Sean Franzen
• Busy Penguins, by John Schindel, photography by Jonathan Chester
• Busy Doggies, by John Schindel, photography by Beverly Sparks
• Busy Monkeys, by John Schindel, photography by Luiz Claudio Marigo
  

Each page in the book features a full-color photographs of an animal(s) demonstrating the action word on the page that will help your child build vocabulary. For example, in the Busy Kitties book, we see "Kitty hissing/ Kitty kissing/ Kitty running/ Kitty sunning" and more.

My daughter is fascinated by the photographs in these sturdy books and just sits there and smiles as she flips the pages. I also appreciate that they will introduce her to other animals, like monkeys and penguins, that she doesn't have the chance to see in their natural habitats.


Other books in the series that we're adding to our wish list include:

• Busy Bunnies, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
• Busy Horsies, by John Schindel, photography by Casi Clark
• Busy Piggies, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
  
• Busy Barnyard, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
  

These would all make a great addition to your young child's library.

Add a Comment

After my call for help for Reading is Fundamental’s funding came a tidy email in my box, perfect for forwarding to five of my friends. Or fifty, but who’s counting? I still hope you — yes, YOU — will take a few minutes to let Congress know that reading is... well, fundamental. As part of my email extravaganza, I got a reply from a good friend who had responded to my original call to action on

Add a Comment

I’m happy to be presenting the first installment in my new weekly feature, “Building the Well-Read Child’s Library,” where I’ll give you 10 recommendations for books that will help you build the foundation of your child’s library. Read more here.

Today, I’m recommending 10 board books for your baby’s library. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love board books. Those of you with infants and toddlers know that “gentle,” is not in their vocabulary…just ask my poor dog who kindly puts up with my daughter’s ear pulling and pouncing. Books are no exception—give babies a book or magazine, and it will be covered in drool and be missing pages in mere seconds.

Thankfully, someone out there came up with an idea to bind books on sturdy cardboard that could withstand the abuse of not-so-gentle children—pure genius I say. The best part is that many childhood classics are available in board book format to make these stories more accessible to younger children, and many bookstores have their own sections just for board books.

Here are 10 board books that we love in our house and that I think would give you an excellent start to building your child’s library.

On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier
This is the book that inspired me to start The Well-Read Child and the first book I wrote about. Read my story here. The book describes how the sun, moon, animals, and spirits of the earth prepared themselves for the birth of the baby in the book and welcomed her/him into the world. It would make a wonderful gift for expectant parents, and kids will love to hear about the day they were born.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Eric Carle’s classic story of a caterpillar who eats a number of foods, builds a cocoon, and emerges as a butterfly, is available in board book format. This is a favorite in our house, and since my daughter was a tiny little thing, she’s been fascinated with the big yellow sun near the beginning of the book. Now, she enjoys poking her fingers through the holes the caterpillar makes in all of the food items.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

This book never fails to give me the warm fuzzies as a father and son pair of rabbits proclaim their love for each other. My favorite line comes at the end when the little rabbit says to his father, "I love you right up to the MOON.” This is a great book for a father to read to his child.

Where Is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz

I’m a big fan of Karen Katz’s vibrant illustrations and cherub-faced characters, and this interactive book is no exception. A peek-a-boo book of sorts, it encourages children to lift flaps and find the baby’s body parts (hands, toes, belly button). This is a fun way to introduce body parts.

Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton

I love Sandra Boynton’s whimsical illustrations, and this very entertaining board book features animals and the noises they make, but which animals say, “La la la?” You and your child will have so much fun making the different animal noises, and it’s a great way to teach your child about different types of animals.

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

This book is just way too cute, and your child will get a kick out of it. A watchman at a zoo bids goodnight to a gorilla who pickpockets his keys, unlocks his cage, and follows the watchman through the zoo. As the watchman bids goodnight to all of the animals, the gorilla lets them out of their cages, and they all follow him home.

Daddy Kisses by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben

I apparently have a weakness for daddy and baby affection, and I love this adorable book that features a number of father animals kissing their babies. With lots of opportunities for kisses, you and your child will have a lot of fun with this book.

Mommy Hugs by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben

I can't leave mommies out! A perfect companion book to Daddy Kisses, Mommy Hugs explains how a variety of mommy animals hug their babies. For example, “mommy cat hugs her kitten with a nuzzle.”

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

A classic book about a little bunny rabbit who is getting ready for bed and says goodnight to everything around him. Parents who have trouble getting their little ones go to bed swear by this book. One mom I know reads the book to her son and then walks around his own room saying goodnight to everything in the room.

Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson

This book is very cute and gives lots and lots of opportunities for you to interact with your baby, from kissing him/her on the nose to a smooch on the toes. This is a great book for quality bonding time, and a perfect way to send your little one off to sleep.

Board books are a wonderful way to help you instill the joy of reading in your child from a very early age. They give babies and toddlers the opportunity to explore books without the risk of ruining them.

At 11 months old, my daughter LOVES her board books. Just last night, she sat down in the floor for 30 minutes and was flipping through them, biting them, and “talking” to the pages.




Copyright 2008
Jill Tullo, The Well-Read Child

Add a Comment

Author: Shirin Yim Bridges
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall (on JOMB)
Published: 2002 Chronicle Books (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0811834905 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

The hush of dependable peaches and greens gently gives way to a crescendo of red in this thoughtfully unfolding, true story of a young girl with a dream — and the patient, respectful cracking of cultural constraints that made her dream come true.

You can help make a dream come true today by joining the effort to provide schooling and stability for autistic children in China. To learn more click here.

Tags:childrens book, chinese new year, education, Podcast, review, Rubys Wish, Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackallchildrens book, chinese new year, education, Podcast, review, Rubys Wish, Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall

Add a Comment

Three touch-n-feel books that stand out this past year are Woof's Bedtime, Woof's Bathtime, and Woof's Snacktime. All three are by Caroline Jayne Church. (Also available although not one I received a review copy of...is Woof's Playtime. I'd imagine it would be just as charming as the other three in the series.)

If I had to pick a favorite of the three, it would be Woof's Bedtime. It had me at hello. The cover pictures a black and white dog asleep in bed with what appears to be a teddy bear. Woof is tucked in all nice and cozy with a touch-n-feel yellow blanket. If that yellow blankie isn't enough to draw you in...the first spread features a mirror. Trust me. Babies love nothing more than mirrors. Any book with a mirror is sure to be a big winner. This one's no exception. Other features include fuzzy blue socks, a lift-the-flap bedtime story, and a bedtime scene where the reader can tuck Woof in...a liftable yellow blankie. The illustrations are bright and colorful. The interactive features are just fun, fun, fun. So I definitely recommend this one.

Woof's Bathtime is also a fun treat. Interactive features include touching a "sticky" substance supposed to be bubble bath or soap...a rippled texture representing a bath brush, and a nice red touch-n-feel towel. A liftable touch-n-feel bath towel I might add. I'm sure it doesn't get past young readers that they can lift the towel up and see the dog's behind--cute tail and all. But the surefire winner of this one is once again a mirror.

Woof's Snacktime is also fun. Interactive touch-n-feel features include a tablecloth, sticky cake icing, and furry bellies on Woof and a friendly cat. This one is my least favorite of the bunch. Though I'm not sure why. Perhaps as an adult, I am more critical of white furry bellies on orange kitties, I don't know. Another detail that I noticed was out of place at least on my review copy was that the text calls for a shiny red ball. And the illustrations present a shiny blue ball. But that being said, it could just be my copy that was later corrected in other printings. A parent could easily substitute the word "blue" for "red" when reading aloud and the child would be none the wiser.

Add a Comment

Display Comments Add a Comment

On Wednesday, December 19th, Becky, LittleMiss, LittleMiss' Mama, and select other friends got together to celebrate Christmas early. LittleMiss as always was just adorable. She looked so adorable in her Christmas jumper. Here are the goodies LittleMiss took home:


3 books by Sam McBratney
2 books by Beatrix Potter

But LittleMiss wasn't quite satisfied with just her goodies. No, she wanted--she really, really wanted her Mama's new potholders.


And really, who could resist such bright and colorful creations? Not LittleMiss, certainly. And....wait a minute...she's not the only one....


Pilly, or Pilgrim, can't resist them either! Who could have ever guessed that homemade, quilted pot holders would be the smash of the 2007 holiday season??? Pilly and Sarah both like to chew on them. Hot pink must taste good!

Becky knew that LittleMiss' daddy loved reading the book Guess How Much I Love You to his little darlin'...so she hoped these new sequels would be much-appreciated.




LittleMiss really enjoys her new books, "Colors Everywhere" and "When I'm Big" by Sam McBratney from Miss Becky. She loves hearing how little Nutbrown hare learns about growing up and the beautiful colors in the world around him. Normally LittleMiss' Daddy reads her stories about the little Nutbrown hare, her Mama just couldn't wait so she had to give her sneak peek.

The two books really are delightful especially if you're already a fan of Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram. In Colors Everywhere, Big and Little Nutbrown Hare discuss the colors they see around them in nature on a bright summer's day. Sky blue. Leafy green. Berry red. Flowery yellow. Nutbrown brown. And in When I'm Big, Big and Little Nutbrown Hare discuss how everything grows and changes. Tadpoles become frogs. Acorns become trees. Caterpillars become butterflies, etc. Overall, I say these two books are definitely too much fun to resist if you can't get enough of these two hares.

Add a Comment

The second book that LittleMiss reviewed was Baa Baa Bedtime. This book appealed to her very much because each page had fluffy, fleecy little sheep to touch and grab. In fact, she was so enthralled with each page that her mama had a hard time turning the pages! LittleMiss' mama loved the illustrations, they are warm and the pages almost seem to glow. LittleMiss' Daddy was quite excited to have new books to add to her bedtime reading ritual.

Add a Comment

As a few of you may know, I have a baby reviewer on staff who goes by the name of LittleMiss. She isn't even six months old, but she is a smart little reader-in-training. Look at her go!


Miss Becky gave LittleMiss some new books and LittleMiss could hardly wait to review them. She talked her mama into postponing naptime so she could read her new books. The first book she read was "Ten in the Bed" by Penny Dale. LittleMiss really loved this book, she held it in her lap while her mama read the pages. LittleMiss especially enjoyed the fact that each animal made a different sound as it fell out of bed. She laughed each time she heard the new sound that they made.





The second book that LittleMiss reviewed was Baa Baa Bedtime. This book appealed to her very much because each page had fluffy, fleecy little sheep to touch and grab. In fact, she was so enthralled with each page that her mama had a hard time turning the pages! LittleMiss' mama loved the illustrations, they are warm and the pages almost seem to glow. LittleMiss' Daddy was quite excited to have new books to add to her bedtime reading ritual.

Display Comments Add a Comment

Miss Becky gave LittleMiss some new books and LittleMiss could hardly wait to review them. She talked her mama into postponing naptime so she could read her new books. The first book she read was "Ten in the Bed" by Penny Dale. LittleMiss really loved this book, she held it in her lap while her mama read the pages. LittleMiss especially enjoyed the fact that each animal made a different sound as it fell out of bed. She laughed each time she heard the new sound that they made.

Add a Comment

I had the awesome opportunity to interview Karen Katz, bestselling author/illustrator, for Robert's Snow. Karen is one of the generous picture book illustrators who created a snowflake for the Robert's Snow auctions to raise money for cancer research.

Before we get to the interview, I get to show you the adorable snowflake Karen Katz has donated for the Robert's Snow auction. Her snowflake will be available at the end of November. Hopefully by then many of us will be feeling the Christmas spirit and bid on some of the gorgeous snowflakes. It is, afterall, for a great cause.

Here is the great unveiling...



1. With 30 books published, most of them being for the youngest of readers, we could easily call you the Queen of Board Books. How did you get involved in this career?

After my husband and I adopted our daughter from Guatemala I decided I was inspired to illustrate children’s books. I had been a graphic designer for many years. For nine months I painted pictures of kids and anything that looked like it could be in a children’s book. Then I put together a portfolio to show. My second appointment was at Henry Holt with someone I had known in adult publishing. She asked if she could pass my portfolio on to one of the editors. There were paintings in my portfolio that represented a poem that my husband had written about adopting our daughter. Two weeks later I got a call from Laura Godwin a senior editor who wanted to meet with me and talk. We met and talked for an hour about adoption and what my experience was like, what Guatemala was like etc. She told me she loved my art.
Finally I said "I love talking to you, but I’m not quite sure why we are having this conversation.
"Oh," she said, "I’d like to publish a picture book with you about adoption".
I was so elated I could barely act normal.
“Great! And who is going to write it?”
“You are,” she said.
“But I’m not a writer“.
“Yes you are. I can tell. Just write your story from your heart in your own words”.
I went home and wrote the text for that book the next morning. She loved it.
That was the beginning of my career.
I was very lucky to meet someone who had great vision and was willing to trust in my potential.


2. If any author has branded herself, you have. Your books are easily distinguishable. Do you believe this has been helpful in marketing your books?

I do think that my books have become very recognizable with my big baby heads and bright colors and patterns. I didn't intend to "brand" myself in the beginning..I only wanted to create books that I loved making and that kids would like reading or looking at.Now that i have so many books under my belt my look has become a brand. And yes i do think it helps because people can spot my work immediately.


3. You have been writing and illustrating for many years. What advice do you have for those of us, uh-hem, who are desperately trying to break into the world of writing for children?

I wish I knew a magic answer. My best words of advice are to do what you believe in,something that excites you and feels true to your vision. Get the seat of your pants into that chair and stay there until you have finished a project .Send it out...and keep sending it out. Everyone has something to say.Dont give up and ....a little luck doesn't hurt either.


4. What are some of you personal favorite picture books/board books?
That is always a difficult question because I love so many. I have a list on Amazon you can see but here's some more Illustrators and writers I love:

Lucy Cousins
Helen Oxenbury
Sam Williams
Rosemary Wells
margaret Wise brown
all the Little Bear books
Sean Tucker
of course all the classics, Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are etc. (just look at Amazon top ten books to find these)

There's way too many to mention.


5. Was there a particular book that was difficult for you to make work? How did you overcome the difficulties?

All my lift the flap books are tricky especially my new ones that have foil stamping.


6. Do you have any personal experiences with cancer?

Two of my friends have had breast cancer. Both had wonderful treatment and are cancer free for 8 years.
My mother also. She's doing great, too.

Don't forget to check out the Robert's Snow site!

Add a Comment

Several months ago, Scholastic started a new line of books specifically for babies and toddlers called Little Scholastic. (Read what Publishers Weekly had to say here.) From the very first book I received, I loved this new series, this new line. Today I am highlighting Five Shiny Stars. It is in many ways a simple concept book. The concept? Counting backwards from five. The surprise? Well, let's just say there is a surprise ending that is sure to delight readers young and old.

Five shiny stars were twinkling at the cat,
Looking very pretty in the sky like that.
One of the stars found the perfect place to hide...
Leaving four shiny stars and a cloud outside.

The illustrations are great. I love the cat. (Then again, I've always been a cat person). And I think that the rhyming, rhythmic text is perfect. The repetition is fun as well. As the same words are repeated for each number...

Four shiny stars were twinkling at the cat,
Looking very pretty in the sky like that.
One of the stars found the perfect place to hide...
Leaving three shiny stars and some clouds outside.

I think you can get the basic idea now. I'm sure this one will be a hit with the big "surprise" at the end. This book is a real treat.

Add a Comment

Forest Bright, Forest Night by Jennifer Ward. illustrated by Jamichael Henterly. Dawn, 2005 (978-1-58469-089-4) $7.95 board

Count to ten twice, first with a forest by day, then with a forest by night. In the day, a deer splashes, two bear cubs tumble and three woodpeckers tap; at night three opposums peek, four foxes prowl and five skunks amble. Despite the many active verbs--"chatter and chase... chipmunks race/strut and wobble... turkeys gobble"--the short rhyming text reads very soothingly, in conjunction with the naturalistic but slightly dreamy pictures, making this book seem just right for bedtime. On the other hand, you might want to allow more time to explore some of the captivating detail in the illustrations. The day and night sections each contain the other's opposite: an owl sleeps while the deer splashes during the day; at night, the "owl eyes search" while the deer curls up to sleep. The animals blend intriguingly with their natural surroundings; I particularly like the woodpecker that's just barely visible through a knothole. Perhaps best of all, each page has its number somewhere blended into the background: a sleeping salamander's tail curves into a six, moss on a log forms an eight. These pictures are so packed with interest, the book is probably even better in its larger picture book form. (2-8)

Add a Comment

LittleMiss was the proud recipient of two board books at our last visit. Both are published by Candlewick. Both are part of their "Easy-Open" series of board books. Both are by Michael Blake. Both feature black and white photography. One of the titles, Baby's Day, focuses on common objects that a baby is likely to encounter: rattle, book, chair, diaper, wipes, bathtub, towel, teether, etc. Let's Play is a title that again focuses on objects from a toddler's world: shoes, hat, sunglasses, pool, bucket & shovel, balloons, etc. What are the books like? Well, the photographs sometimes are one page, sometimes two pages. And each black and white photograph has the selected object highlighted in color. For example, the text might read "rattle" and so the yellow and red rattle would stand out against the black and white background. Primary colors--red, green, blue, yellow--are used throughout. What does Easy-Open mean? Well, the pages are staggered. So they're easier for little hands to grasp (or big hands) because the pages don't stick together. And you can differentiate between the pages easier. (So you won't accidentally turn two pages.) Overall, I enjoyed the books. I really liked the two-page spread of balloons found in Let's Play as well as the two-page spread featuring the wading pool and toys.



Let's see what LittleMiss thought of the books:

Sarah enjoyed both the "Let's Play" and "Baby Day" books. She didn't stare at the pages quite as long as some of her other books, perhaps because of the black and white pages. Her mother thought the books were beautifully photographed and they reminded her of coffee table books for babies. Her mother also thought that the easy open pages were quite smart. The only drawback is that the books are not slick and so when they ended up in Sarah's mouth (as most things do these days) the cover was a bit wet for a while.

Add a Comment

LittleMiss was the proud recipient of two board books at our last visit. Both are published by Candlewick. Both are part of their "Easy-Open" series of board books. Both are by Michael Blake. Both feature black and white photography. One of the titles, Baby's Day, focuses on common objects that a baby is likely to encounter: rattle, book, chair, diaper, wipes, bathtub, towel, teether, etc. Let's Play is a title that again focuses on objects from a toddler's world: shoes, hat, sunglasses, pool, bucket & shovel, balloons, etc. What are the books like? Well, the photographs sometimes are one page, sometimes two pages. And each black and white photograph has the selected object highlighted in color. For example, the text might read "rattle" and so the yellow and red rattle would stand out against the black and white background. Primary colors--red, green, blue, yellow--are used throughout. What does Easy-Open mean? Well, the pages are staggered. So they're easier for little hands to grasp (or big hands) because the pages don't stick together. And you can differentiate between the pages easier. (So you won't accidentally turn two pages.) Overall, I enjoyed the books. I really liked the two-page spread of balloons found in Let's Play as well as the two-page spread featuring the wading pool and toys.



Let's see what LittleMiss thought of the books:

Sarah enjoyed both the "Let's Play" and "Baby Day" books. She didn't stare at the pages quite as long as some of her other books, perhaps because of the black and white pages. Her mother thought the books were beautifully photographed and they reminded her of coffee table books for babies. Her mother also thought that the easy open pages were quite smart. The only drawback is that the books are not slick and so when they ended up in Sarah's mouth (as most things do these days) the cover was a bit wet for a while.

Add a Comment

My granddaughter Jasmine is starting to get more and more involved in my reviewing process. She loves books almost, if not more than I do and her first words to me any time she comes over are, “Hi Grammy – any new books?”. We usually spend a huge amount of our time together reading and finding new books.

Like every Saturday, today we went on our walk of the neighborhood. We love our walks together so much. Jasmine and I walk and Aiden rides in the jogging stroller that also acts as our mini-sherpa for all the things we carry. There's plenty of room for books in that thing.

As usual, we spent quite a bit of time in Read Books, Eagle Rock's charming used bookstore. The combination of a great children's section, knowledgeable and extremely nice proprietors, good atmosphere and the cushy, deep couch that begs you to sit under the window and read a book all make a super winning comibnation and I find myself there more often than not. Today Debbie surprised me with a book I have been wanting for years - a Noel Streatfeild classic, Dancing Shoes! Watch out for a review of that in AmoXcalli's Reviewing the Classics of Kidlit series soon.

I believe I mentioned before that Jasmine is four years old and already starting to read small words and put show sentences together. I asked her if she'd like to pick some books to review and she quickly hopped up and over to her shelf to gather what she thinks would make a special post. I thought it would be pigs but she surprised me with a selection of Little Scholastic.

Little Scholastic books are great in that they cater to the littlest child. Their books are chunky enough for little hands to easily hold. They come in fancy shapes, textures and colors and they are simple enough for the toddlers and entertaining enough for the bigger children. They help to promote a lifelong love of reading and that makes them special to me. Good job Scholastic!



Five Shiny Stars is a lovely little rhyme that teaches counting. The sing song rhythm of the rhyme is just right for little ones who love a sense of music in their talk/play. Shiny stars grab attention and the sweet faced kitty on the cover captures their love of animals and makes them smile. The book has cut out stars and and at the end, the Twinkle, twinkle little star song that is one of the first songs little children in this country learn. The book is thick and gently rounded, giving little fingers ease of page turning and makes it easy for uncoordinated hands to carry. It’s probably even a little chewable for those teethers, although i wouldn't recommend chewing on a book.




Colors is another special little book that Jasmine and Aiden love to read and touch. Colors teaches colors with simple drawings all in the color of that think. Lion is yellow and so is duck. The duck has a soft belly you can touch and teach children the textures of things.

Kids love to touch things and the book gets them used to using their sense of sight and touch in a fun way. There’s a green frog with a bumpy body, a shimmery blue fish and an extra fluffy red bird. Aiden loves to touch that one. The book is small, a board book with rounded, safe corners for those little hands.




Circle is just what it seems. A book shaped in a perfect circle with a shiny mirror in the back that glitters enticingly. Babies love mirrors. The book is in bright yellow and black and each page has a different circle to look at till you get to the full mirror at the end. The book provides a lot of entertainment with no words. It’s something any small child can spend some time on their own just holding and looking at or having an adult teach them to say the shapes and colors and they help turn pages.




Star is a wonderful star-shaped book that always captures Jasmine’s attention. It’s in the same bright yellow and black as Circle and has a mirror as well as rattling little beads which is perfect for babies and small children who love noise and rattles. Jasmine loves stars and so do most children I know so they love the shape of the book and the designs inside.

Our last Little Scholastic Book in this round-up is Aiden’s favorite. The book is called Good Night, Sleep Tight. This adorable little book comes with it’s own little blanky. Each couple of pages are dedicated to putting a little animal to bed.

This book is beautifully and almost dreamily illustrated in soft watercolors that just make you want to take a trip into dreamland yourself. The soft looking bunny, kitty, pup and other little animals charm little children into hopping into their own little beds. The handy blanky they can hold to their face further helps them find their own way into dreamland. The book is big and padded giving further illusion of sleep time with it’s pillowy feel. Goodnight, Sleep Tight is the perfect book for bedtime.

We do hope you enjoyed Jasmine's choices for you today.

Happy Reading!

Add a Comment

Growing Vegetable Soup written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert.
Harcourt Brace, 1987 (0-15-232575-1); 2004 (978-0-15-206176-0) $10.95

Although I've always enjoyed this book and it's companion, Planting a Rainbow, I don't think I ever fully appreciated it in its small board book edition. Now as a lap-size board book, it is bolder, brighter and more beautiful than ever.

This story offers basic information on gardening with a lovely touch of imagination. The unseen narrator describes the whole process of how he and his dad "grow vegetable soup," starting with their tools, going on to planting the seeds and sprouts, and ending with picking or digging up the vegetables and cooking them. The simple, direct text is accompanied by labelled illustrations of everything that's used, from the soil to the soup bowl. Ehlert's signature collage illustrations make each item colorful and distinctive, and give the little seedlings and growing plants their full measure of charm. If you've only seen the small board book edition, do yourself a favor and check out this edition, or the original picture book. (2-6)

Add a Comment

Shape is one of the new titles published by Little Scholastic. What is Little Scholastic? Little Scholastic is a new line by Scholastic books. You can read all about it on their official site:
http://www.scholastic.com/littlescholastic/

Many of these new titles were released on July 1, 2007. I haven't received all of the titles yet, though I have requested them from Scholastic so they should be on their way soon, but based on the titles I have received, I am very excited.

Little Scholastic books are designed for babies age 0 to 3. And as the back of the book proclaims it is a title that will "grow" with your child.

Babies: Touch the textures. Point to the images.
1-2: Look at the pictures and text. Listen and repeat the words.
2-3: Learn the concepts. Connect the meaning of the words and images.

I encourage parents to go to their site because it really is quite a resource. I especially recommend reading the article, "Why Babies Need Books" by Kate Jack. Another great article is "Quick Click: Integrating Reading Into Everyday Life for Birth to Age 2." So explore and learn...and then read, read, read!

What I liked about Shape...


I loved the visual and textual components of Shape. The colors were bright and bold. There was great contrast in the illustrations. And the textures were diverse: bumpy, smooth, rough, scratchy, sparkly, etc. The text was simple with only one to four words per page.

For example, the shape on page one was a circle. There was a picture of a car with a smiley face showing through the window. The car has black and white spiral tires. And the car was against a green background. The only words on the page were the words "circle" and "car." The next page, page two, showed a black circle--bumpy texture--against a white background. It simply said "Touch this!" and "Bumpy circle."



LittleMiss's mama writes:

LittleMiss appreciated the simplicity of the book. She stared at the brightly colored pages and her mother ran her hands across the textured shapes. There was not much text so her mother "ad-libbed" and described the items on each page. This book was also a nice size for her.

I think her smile says it all:

Add a Comment

I have been thinking about your comment "A funny animal sound book would also be great for (the very short kids)." and I am curious--how much harder is it really for a new writer to sell younger, board book style picture books (maybe not Click Clack Moo, but a more basic, "the cow goes Moo" style book). I have heard from other sources (I think Harold Underdown talks about it a bit) that board books are more often done with established or in house writing. I am sure that good writing and a great hook can work wonders, but is this an even more difficult proposition than normal?

Yes.

Board books look cheap, don't they? They're small, they don't have a jacket, they aren't printed on any of the really nice paper (because they're going to end up in a toddler's mouth)...

So here's the thing. Thin paper is cheap—that's why they use it for newspapers. Board books are printed on cardboard, and it's not cheap. Regular paper is easy to cut at the printer—snip snip, big, one-size-fits-all blades. Cardboard must be cut with a specially made and regularly sharpened die like a cookie cutter (have you noticed those rounded corners?). Making those isn't cheap, either.

Board books are not cheap to make. Alas, they continue to look cheap, so people simply won't pay very much for them.

This means two very important things:

1. Paying somebody an advance and royalties for a board book is difficult. It makes so much more sense to convert a book you've already published in another format into a board book. Then you pay royalties, but no advance. Or you could pay the author/illustrator a flat fee. Or, best of all, you make an editor in-house knock out the text and have a designer in-house knock out some illustration. Then you don't have to pay them anything.

2. The profit margins are so small that board books only make financial sense if you can print a whole bunch of them. That means they have to have content you're sure is going to be popular. There's no gambling on content in board books. They're a gamble already.

Take my advice and don't present a manuscript as a board book just because you think it'd be cuter that way. Starting a book off as a hardcover picture book is always more profitable for the publisher, which means the acquisition pulls more weight for the editor, the book gets more attention, and it's more profitable for you.

So board books are hard, and they're not lucrative. I still wish there were more great ones.

Display Comments Add a Comment

Shape is one of the new titles published by Little Scholastic. What is Little Scholastic? Little Scholastic is a new line by Scholastic books. You can read all about it on their official site:
http://www.scholastic.com/littlescholastic/

Many of these new titles were released on July 1, 2007. I haven't received all of the titles yet, though I have requested them from Scholastic so they should be on their way soon, but based on the titles I have received, I am very excited.

Little Scholastic books are designed for babies age 0 to 3. And as the back of the book proclaims it is a title that will "grow" with your child.

Babies: Touch the textures. Point to the images.
1-2: Look at the pictures and text. Listen and repeat the words.
2-3: Learn the concepts. Connect the meaning of the words and images.

I encourage parents to go to their site because it really is quite a resource. I especially recommend reading the article, "Why Babies Need Books" by Kate Jack. Another great article is "Quick Click: Integrating Reading Into Everyday Life for Birth to Age 2." So explore and learn...and then read, read, read!

What I liked about Shape...


I loved the visual and textual components of Shape. The colors were bright and bold. There was great contrast in the illustrations. And the textures were diverse: bumpy, smooth, rough, scratchy, sparkly, etc. The text was simple with only one to four words per page.

For example, the shape on page one was a circle. There was a picture of a car with a smiley face showing through the window. The car has black and white spiral tires. And the car was against a green background. The only words on the page were the words "circle" and "car." The next page, page two, showed a black circle--bumpy texture--against a white background. It simply said "Touch this!" and "Bumpy circle."



LittleMiss's mama writes:

LittleMiss appreciated the simplicity of the book. She stared at the brightly colored pages and her mother ran her hands across the textured shapes. There was not much text so her mother "ad-libbed" and described the items on each page. This book was also a nice size for her.

I think her smile says it all:

Add a Comment

Title: My Little Miracle
Author: J Beck & J. Croyden
Publisher: Scholastic
Year: 2007

My Little Miracle is a sweet board book. It has gentle, flowing, rhythmic text alongside some very cute photographs. There are photographs of babies, toddlers, and some nature shots as well. I really loved the photography. It was just well done. Very interesting. And I think people of all ages can ooh and aah over the cute and adorable babies.

Here is a sample of the text:

Welcome to the world of smiles and hugs...when tucked into bed or cuddled in rugs.
Enjoy warm sunshine and feel soft rain. Look for a rainbow when the sun shines again...

But my favorite part of the text:

Let stories and books bring the magic of words...

And of course there is a photograph of a parent reading to a child and pointing to each word as its read. (Or I suppose the parent could be pointing to a picture. The point is that it's an interactive process.)

Overall, I enjoyed this one a great deal. Which leads us to Little Miss's response.

(Written by her mama of course)

Little Miss found this book to be quite comforting. She appeared to respond most happily to the words as they were read to her. This is most likely because her mother found the book to be quite precious and thus read the words with a very loving voice that cracked a bit as she got teary eyed.



And to give credit where credit is due, the photos are by her mama presumably...and the beautiful, beautiful quilt is by MY mom :)

Add a Comment

Granted I'm prejudiced because I know Little Miss personally, but I think Little Miss's latest review of My Little Miracle by J. Beck & J Croyden is just too cute to be missed.

My Little Miracle

Add a Comment

Little Scholastic is a new line by Scholastic books. You can read all about it on their official site:
http://www.scholastic.com/littlescholastic/

Many of these new titles were released on July 1, 2007. I haven't received all of the titles yet, though I have requested them from Scholastic so they should be on their way soon, but based on the one title I have received, I am very excited.

Little Scholastic books are designed for babies age 0 to 3. And as the back of the book proclaims it is a title that will "grow" with your child.

Babies: Touch the textures. Point to the images.
1-2: Look at the pictures and text. Listen and repeat the words.
2-3: Learn the concepts. Connect the meaning of the words and images.

I encourage parents to go to their site because it really is quite a resource. I especially recommend reading the article, "Why Babies Need Books" by Kate Jack. Another great article is "Quick Click: Integrating Reading Into Everyday Life for Birth to Age 2." So explore and learn...and then read, read, read!

My thoughts on Peek-a-Zoo:

I liked the brightness of the colors. I thought they were very bold, very striking. There are some great contrasts going on. There were also plenty of textures for babies to touch and feel. (rough, bumpy, soft, furry, smooth, squishy, etc.) The cut-outs were very fun. And the mirror, well, I'll let SugarCookie do the talking there! So this book had a lot to offer visually and texturally.



SugarCookie's thoughts on Peek-a-Zoo:

SugarCookie is ten months old. While he had no problems maneuvering the pages of Eric Carle's My Very First Book of Animal Sounds, he found Peek-A-Zoo to be a bit more tricky. He needed help to turn the pages. He liked to try to turn the pages. But he would try to turn the pages by grabbing the cut-outs on the inside of the book. Which sometimes worked, most times didn't. But fortunately, he had help turning the pages and was able to 'read' the whole book. Again, I wasn't concerned with the reading aspect. It was more of watching to see how we responded to the pictures and textures. He did like to point at the pictures. And he did discover the differences between the textures. But what SugarCookie loved most of all was playing with the mirror on one of the pages. Thanks to the cut-outs, this mirror was available to see on two of the pages. He liked watching himself. He liked making faces. But he really, really liked going nose to nose and mouth to mouth. I don't know if he was trying to kiss himself or what. (I just think that's something kids like to do universally...to play with noses and mouths on mirrors.) But I do know this: he loved it. SugarCookie didn't find this book tasty. Surprisingly enough, he didn't even try once to put the corners of the book in his mouth. I guess he was having too much fun looking and feeling to give it the taste test. Regardless, I think it's a safe bet to assume that he enjoyed his Sunday morning visit with Peek-a-Zoo.



Looking for more board books review, today our other baby reviewer, LittleMiss, reviewed two books.

Two Reviews By LittleMiss

Display Comments Add a Comment

LittleMiss' mama was very excited that I have chosen to make her a guest blogger on the site. And so she emailed me today with some of LittleMiss' current favorites:

FIND THE PUPPY by Phil Roxbee Cox and Stephen Cartwright

I believe that she is particularly fond of this book because the puppy in the illustrations looks like her own puppy, Pilgrim. She likes that it isn't too "wordy" because really it is all about the pictures and short sentences that rhyme. She also seems to follow my finger when I point to the puppy on each page. She seems particularly fond of the page with the red background when puppy makes a puddle by spilling a bucket of soapy water.

BEAR IN THE SQUARE by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Debbie Harter.

The colors are very very vibrant. She was so impressed with the bold visuals that she did not even realize that the book is teaching her to count. (Her mother is trying not to offer her own opinions about math being boring)





A brief aside: I have begun to be concerned that I am starting a bad habit by reading to her on her changing table. Is this how bathroom reading begins?

Add a Comment

Carle, Eric. 2007. My Very First Book of Animal Sounds.

Eric Carle has many board books coming out this year. And he has many books in print at any given time. The book's pages are in two halves. A top half that features a picture of an animal. And the bottom half that features the word representing the sound the animal makes. It's a mix and match book. You could have a cat saying "squeak" or "quack" or you could make him say the proper "meow."



List of animals:

cat
rooster
dog
duck
cow
lion
owl
chicks
sheep

List of sounds:

squeak
roar
meow
moo
hoot
peep
crow
baa
bark

Knowing that babies are the only judges that matter. I put this book to the test. Here is what SugarCookie, who is roughly ten months, thought. He really seemed to like looking at the pictures. It was really fun to watch his face light up with a big smile. He seemed to especially like the cow, dog, and cat. He loved to "pat" or "pet" the pictures. He liked turning the pages. And he seemed to like that there were more pages to turn. He'd go back and forth between the pictures. Of course he was way too little to understand that the bottom pages, the words, meant anything or correlated with sounds. And I wasn't about to demonstrate since this book activity was during church. But he thought the book tasted good as well. Overall, it kept him entertained and quiet for a good bit of time.

Add a Comment