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Busy Baby: Friends & Busy Baby: Trucks
(Touch Think Learn)
Written & Illustrated by Sara Gillingham
Chronicle Books      9/15/2015
978-1-4521-4188-6
978-1-4521-4187-9
10 pages      7” x 7”      Age 0—2

“Baby is a little nervous to see so many new faces, but with a turn of the swivel headpiece and a reassuring word, baby can smile and make friends! In the new Busy Baby series, busy babies can play and share with friends, or ride in a fire truck and cement mixer and meet each new adventure with a smile.” [press release]

Review
In Busy Baby: Friends Baby meets many new friends and must learn to smile. By turning the swivel headpiece from a frowning baby to a smiling baby, young children can determine how well the Busy Baby makes friends. In the second spread, someone wants to play the tambourine but Baby has a hold of it. Busy Baby: Friends asks young children to help the other kids and in the process make new friends. From sharing the tambourine to helping a new friend stand up, Baby is busy making new friends and learning to smile her way through the day.

Busy Baby: Trucks may be the first introduction of trucks to a young child’s world. Baby is asked to fix a crack in the sidewalk using a cement mixer; help the community recycle, race the fire truck to a fire and rescue the injured; and tow a disabled car. Not all is work for Baby. There is also an ice cream truck in need of customers. Young children, especially boys, will love th is introduction into the world of work vehicles.

Each book is made of thick cardboard that will withstand falls and the occasional throw. Tearing a page is nearly impossible. The thicker pages also make it easier for little hands to turn pages. The easily cleaned glossy pages will take care of spills and blobs of peanut butter and jelly wipe off with a quick swipe, getting the book back to your child in a jiffy (no pun intended). The swivel headpiece—smiling on one side and frowning on the other—is also made of thick material and spills with ease. At first, spinning the head may be the most fun part of the Busy Baby Series (it was for me).

I think young children and parents will adore the Busy Baby Series (Friends and Trucks). These books are a great way to help a young child learn how a smile can help one make new friends or turn a situation from grim to happy. The illustrations are made of geometric shapes and bright colors that will delight young readers. In addition to other children, animals add a nice touch of whimsy. Young children can learn as they listen to the story and play along.

BUSY BABY:  FRIENDS. BUSY BABY:  TRUCKS. Text and illustrations copyright © 2015 by Sara Gillingham. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.

Purchase Busy Baby:  Friends at Amazon—Book Depository—IndieBound Books—Chronicle Books.
Purchase Busy Baby:  Trucks at Amazon—Book Depository—IndieBound Books—Chronicle Books.

Learn more about Busy Baby:  Friends HERE & Trucks HERE.

Meet the author/illustrator, Sara Gillingham, at her website:  http://www.saragillingham.com/
Find more board books at the Chronicle Books website:  http://www.chroniclebooks.com/

Also by Sara Gillingham

Love Is a Tutu – 2016

How to Grow a Friend – 2015

Felt Finger Puppet Board Books: On My Beach

(reviewed here)

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How to Mend a Heart – 2015

Snuggle the Baby – 2014

I Am So Brave – 2014

Highlights of Your Life: A Journal That Glows as Your Child Grows – 2014

—and many more

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Copyright © 2015 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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Full Disclosure: title by author & illustrator, and received from Publisher, is in exchange NOT for a positive review, but for an HONEST review. The opinions expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Many days I feel like I’m trudging along, doing what everyone else is doing. I’m making coffee, taking the kids to school, folding laundry, and so on. But at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, it occurred to me that nobody in America, maybe even in the world, was systematically pulling the googly eyes off yarn bugs and re-gluing them. Apparently, “tacky glue” isn’t the same as Elmer’s glue — which the girl who came up with the Girl Scout swap had told me — but pshaw, it had to work because I didn’t feel like going home and getting the “right” kind of glue. Lesson learned.

I’ve been so busy with all this GS stuff and school stuff and stuff stuff, that I’ve missed the boat on a few things. I totally spaced out on submitting for The September Carnival of Children’s Literature over at Charlotte’s Library, but at least I can read the great posts there — as can you.

In the category of Other Great Things I Didn’t Contribute To This Month, the September issue of The Edge of the Forest is up with exciting features, as well as interviews, reviews, and much, much more. Take the time to check it out.

I haven’t made time to talk about the upcoming Cybils, but the nominating and judging panels are now up, and I’ll be serving on the picture book nominating committee. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to find the best five books out of all the 2007 picture books nominated. Come to think of it, that’s sounding like a lot of work. Anyway, nominations for the best books of 2007 will open on October 1.

If you’ve been in a KidLit-free cave, then you may have missed the wonderful brainstorm of 7-Imp, where bloggers will help promote the snowflakes made for auction for Robert’s Snow for Cancer’s Cure. I’ve got Mo Willems (naturally) on Halloween (if you’ve seen his snowflake, then it makes sense), but that’s all I’ll say about that — for now.

I have some breaking news. Jenni Holm is profiled in today’s Washington Post’s KidsPost section. It’s a nice article about her mentioning her Babymouse books, and one of my 2007 favorites, Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf. She’ll be at the National Book Festival this Saturday with tons of other great authors.

I will not be there. I will be camping with my Girl Scout troop and handing out yarn bug swaps, now with non-detaching eyes. Sigh.