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  Board Books

  10 Little Rubber Ducks

  By Eric Carle. Illustrated by the author. HarperCollins, 2005. Ages 1–3.

  Ten rubber duckies en route across the ocean in a cargo ship are hurled into a stormy sea. For a time, they bob along together, but eventually they drift apart, each toward a different adventure. The tenth little duck finds a place with some real ducks, and at the end of the book, children are invited to press the rubber duckie’s body to hear its satisfied goodnight quack. Carle’s books, most of which are available in board book as well as traditional picture book versions, are ideal for helping toddlers learn about colors, shapes, and numbers. Other wonderful Carle titles include The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

  Baby Baby Baby!

  By Marilyn Janovitz. Illustrated by the author. Sourcebooks, 2010. Ages 1–3.

  “Bitsy bouncy baby / On a bumpity lap / Mommy’s little baby likes to / CLAP / CLAP / CLAP!” Bouncy rhyme, word repetition, and cheerful pictures of parent-child bonding make this concise catalog of a baby’s day a winner. Little ones will see familiar activities in pictures of Baby eating, having a bath, and at the end of the day, slipping off to dreamland. The book also offers lots of opportunity for strengthening coordination as children clap with you.

  Baby Shoes

  By Dashka Slater. Illustrated by Nakata Hiroe. Bloomsbury, 2006. Ages 2–3.

  After donning a pair of new shoes, an irrepressible toddler decides to let his footwear “go, go, go.” Leaving the store, he leads his mom on a merry chase. He has a grand time romping and puddle stomping as he races toward home, which predictably transforms his shoes from their original pristine white into all the colors of the rainbow.

  A Ball for Daisy

  By Chris Raschka. Illustrated by the author. Schwartz & Wade, 2011. Ages 3–5.

  This wordless book features a scraggly, energetic little dog named Daisy, who loves to play with her big ball. She chases it, bounces it, puts it on her tummy, kicks it. She even sleeps next to it on the couch. It’s her favorite thing in the world. During a visit to the park, tragedy occurs. A bigger dog punctures the ball, sending Daisy into doggie depression. Unlike a child, however, Daisy isn’t quite as wedded to her comfort object as it first appears. The arrival of a brand-new ball immediately cures her woes. Children will tell you the story as you look at the book together.

  Bear’s Birthday

  By Stella Blackstone. Illustrated by Debbie Harter. Barefoot, 2011. Ages 2–4.

  It’s Bear’s birthday, and he’s throwing a party for himself. He blows up ten balloons to use as favors. His guests join him in games and share a bear-size birthday feast before it’s time to go. But that’s not all. To complete the story, Blackstone gives little listeners an opportunity to count the balloons from one to ten—while Bear’s pugnacious cat leaps across the final pages trying to pop them. Bear appears in many simple, equally charming story books, including Bear at Home, Bear at Work and Bear about Town.

  Dancing Feet!

  By Lindsey Craig. Illustrated by Marc Brown. Knopf, 2010. Ages 1–3.

  Elephant, caterpillar, bear, lizard, and duck—everyone boogies in this lively book. Italicized words in the text will help adults add zip to their read-aloud. Toddlers will accept the sound effects as an invitation to chime in, while the animal antics might encourage kids to try out their own tippy-tapping. There’s no real story; just a cheerful crowd of brightly colored hoofers showing off their “happy, happy dancing feet!” page after page.

  Dig Dig Digging

  By Margaret Mayo. Illustrated by Alex Ayliffe. Holt, 2002. Ages 2–4.

  Some children can never get enough books about cars and trucks. In this peppy roundup, Mayo introduces eleven, from earthmovers to bulldozers “push, push, pushing over rough, bumpy ground.” Numerous adjectives and word repetition make this as much fun for grown-up readers as it is for little listeners, and the pictures offer plenty of variety without being overly detailed. What happens to these diligent workers at the end of the day? Just like little children, they quiet their busy “engines” and drift off to sleep.

  Global Babies

  By the Global Fund for Children. Illustrated with photographs. Charlesbridge, 2007. Ages 2–4.

  Babies are fascinated by faces, particularly the faces of other babies. This endearing album is filled with happy baby faces, captured in photos taken in Guatemala, Thailand, Greenland, Mali, the U.S., India, South Africa, Fiji, and elsewhere around the world. Differentiated by colorful costumes or backgrounds, each child looks straight into the camera in a way that connects him or her to the little ones who hold the book in their hands. For a glimpse of babies a bit closer to home, look for American Babies, also from the Global Fund for Children.

  Go! Go! BoBo Colors

  By Simon Basher. Illustrated by the author. Kingfisher, 2011. Ages 2–4.

  BoBo, a rambunctious, childlike cartoon character who has appeared in several other concept books, here introduces six colors: red, blue, pink, orange, yellow, and purple. As he skips from page to page, he’s treated to a big blob of each color and an array of objects representing the hue: red fire engines, blue butterflies, pink pigs, and so on. The last page brings the colors together in a dazzling rainbow. Children will be primed to look for the colors in their own surroundings. Other BoBo books introduce shapes, numbers, and opposites.

  A Good Day

  By Kevin Henkes. Illustrated by the author. Greenwillow, 2007. Ages 3–5.

  A gentle, reassuring tale that makes real-life challenges understandable to children ready for more complex ideas. Bird sheds a tail feather, a dog’s leash becomes tangled, a fox cub is parted from its mother, and a squirrel loses a nut. It appears to be a gloomy day…until all the animals discover that their difficulties aren’t as bad as they seem. In a winning climax, a child picks up the bird’s feather, tucks it behind her ear, and happily declares, “What a beautiful day.” The fox, the dog, the bird, and the squirrel agree.

  Gossie’s Busy Day: A First Tab Book

  By Olivier Dunrea. HMH, 2007. Ages 2–3.

  Gossie, an endearing yellow gosling, is looking forward to a busy day with sister Gertie, baby brother Ollie, and their friends. Children can join in their play by pulling tabs and lifting flaps in this oversize board book. Other books in the charming Gossie and Friends series get up close and personal with little Ollie; Peedee, who always wears a bright red hat; and BooBoo, easy to spot because he is blue.

  Higher! Higher!

  By Leslie Patricelli. Illustrated by the author. Candlewick, 2009. Ages 3–4.

  An everyday experience gets a clever makeover that could easily be followed by a visit to the playground. “Higher! Higher!” calls the excited little girl to her dad as he pushes her on the swing. “Higher! Higher!” she demands as she soars into the sky, higher than the treetops, higher than a tall building, higher than a mountain—and right into space, where she sees a cloud child swinging downward from above, having an equally good time.

  I Go Potty!

  By Emily Bolam. Illustrated by the author. Children’s Press, 2010. Ages 2–4.

  “When I go potty, Bear goes too. / At potty time, there’s lots to do.” Lots to do? Well, there certainly is enough to keep Bolam’s toddler/hippo occupied until it’s time to pee. Pants often at half-mast, the little guy plays with his friends and with his special teddy bear, who is right on hand (sitting on a cooking pot) when nature’s call sends the little hippo to do personal business on his personal potty.

  Little Blue Truck

  By Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. HMH, 2008. Ages 3–5.

  Perfect for tiny truck fans, this offers lots of opportunity for children to moo, neigh, quack, and beep, beep, beep as the story unfolds. Although the road is muddy and full of puddles, a little truck bumps happily along, finding plenty of animal friends as he travels. When he comes across a haughty dump truck in the muck, he stops to help—only to become stu
ck, too. The animals come to rescue, and soon both vehicles are back on the road, enjoying the scenery.

  Little Quack

  By Lauren Thompson. Illustrated by Derek Anderson. Simon & Schuster, 2003. Ages 1–3.

  Like his larger siblings—Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, and Puddle—chubby Little Quack isn’t happy about leaving the safety of the nest for a swimming lesson. Mama Duck is gentle but insistent, and encouraging: “You can do it. I know you can.” One by one each duckling takes the plunge, with endearing Little Quack bringing up the rear. A “Quack-U-Lator” runs along the bottom of the page keeping track of the ducklings’ progress, at the same time giving children a taste of addition: one duck + one duck + one duck + one duck + one duck equals “five ducklings in the pond.”

  Look at You! A Baby Body Book

  By Kathy Henderson. Illustrated by Paul Howard. Candlewick, 2007. Ages 2–3.

  Henderson and Howard bring together an endearing, exuberant cast of babies and toddlers and show what they do best: walk, eat, laugh, play, get dirty, and a host of other activities that children following along in the book will easily recognize. One energetic baby discovers its toes; another splashes happily in its bath.

  Max & Ruby’s Bedtime Book

  By Rosemary Wells. Illustrated by the author. Viking, 2010. Ages 2–4.

  Impish rabbit Max and his bossy sister Ruby, who have appeared in more than forty books, continue their sibling rivalry in three bedtime stories told by Grandma. In each story Max manages a small triumph that puts Ruby in her place and makes Grandma smile to herself. Other Max adventures in board book format include Max’s Worm Cake and Max’s New Suit.

  Mommy Hugs

  By Karen Katz. Illustrated by the author. Margaret K. McElderry, 2006. Ages 1–3.

  There are plenty of hugs to go around in Katz’s celebration of parent-child love and its endearing companion Daddy Hugs. “One nuzzle-wuzzle wake-up hug” is only the beginning as Baby doles out a wealth of hugs to Mommy while the two proceed with their day. It’s a “yummy hug” at mealtime, a hug at the park, and of course, a snuggly hug when it’s time for bed. Katz’s illustrations are just as winning as her subject. With their heart-shaped mouths and cherry-colored cheeks, Baby and Mommy are hard to resist. Joanna Walsh’s The Biggest Kiss is a great follow-up.

  My Car

  By Byron Barton. Illustrated by the author. Greenwillow, 2001. Ages 1–3.

  “I am Sam,” begins a tiny driver, who proudly describes features of his fetching red car—a horn that beeps, the purple and green wheels—plus how he cares for it and drives it, watching out for people crossing the street. His destination, a bus, is a sweet surprise: Sam is the bus driver.

  My First Soccer Game

  By Alyssa Satin Capucilli. Illustrated by Leyah Jensen. Little Simon, 2011. Ages 3–5.

  This sturdy board book, meant for children older than the usual board book set, introduces the soccer to wannabe players. Five preschool boys and girls, dressed in soccer uniforms, smile out at readers from the cover photo. Obviously they want to get started. On large foldout pages, they act out what they learn about warming up, stretching, being part of a team, and playing the game.

  Oh, Daddy!

  By Bob Shea. Balzer & Bray, 2010. Ages 2–4.

  Kids know daddies can be oh so silly! Little Hippo’s dad is particularly goofy. He can’t seem to do anything right; Little Hippo has to show him how to do everything. That becomes abundantly clear as father and son make their way through a day’s worth of normal activities, from getting dressed and eating to paying a visit to Grandma. Dads don’t wear underwear on their head—absolutely not! Dads don’t get into the family car through the window—absolutely not! “Oh, Daddy!”

  Olivia’s Opposites

  By Ian Falconer. Illustrated by the author. Simon & Schuster, 2002. Ages 2–4.

  Having strutted her stuff in several picture books for older children, child pig Olivia demonstrates her characteristic determination in a series of concept board books. Occasionally eschewing the usual opposites, as befits her prickly porcine personality, Olivia appears “plain” in panties juxtaposed to “fancy” in formal attire and pearls. Her evening dress is long, while her tutu is short. Details in fire-engine red add drama and fun to the freewheeling sketches that show the dynamic pig in action.

  Owen’s Marshmallow Chick

  By Kevin Henkes. Illustrated by the author. Greenwillow, 2002. Ages 3–4.

  Little mouse Owen eagerly devours everything in his Easter basket but the marshmallow chick. The chick is the same color as his favorite blankie. The thought of actually eating the chick makes him very uncomfortable—until his practical nature asserts itself, and he finally chomps down. Henkes gets right to the heart a preschooler’s feelings here and in other books about mouse characters Sheila Rae, Wemberly, Julius, and Lilly.

  Peekaboo Morning

  By Rachel Isadora. Illustrated by the author. Putnam, 2002. Ages 2–3.

  “Peekaboo! I see…” declares a happy toddler in an interactive book about a favorite game. The refrain appears on each left-hand page accompanied by a picture of a charming African American child initiating a game of seek-and-find that she carries on right through her day. Her quarry is everything: Mommy, Daddy, the family dog, and other people and things, which are revealed in turn as the book goes forward.

  Planting Seeds

  By Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. Illustrated by the author. Marshall Cavendish, 2010. Ages 3–5.

  Two simple ideas blend smoothly in this concept book, illustrated in eye-catching paper collages. A lone brown bunny digs a hole; two bunnies plant some seeds; and so on as increasing numbers of bunnies water, nurture, and harvest a crop of carrots all then share: “Ten brown bunnies, ‘Time to eat!’” Numerals from 1 to 10, matched to pictures showing corresponding numbers of carrots, allow preschoolers to hone their counting skills, while a final spread serves as visual recap of the bunnies’ farming endeavors.

  Roadwork

  By Sally Sutton. Illustrated by Brian Lovelock. Candlewick, 2008. Ages 2–4.

  A delight to read aloud (“Lay the groundwork for the road. / Crash! ROAR! THUMP!”), this book, first published in New Zealand, celebrates how a variety of workers and machines contribute to the building of a road. Endpapers textured to look like asphalt complete the overall effect of a book that combines great information with fun.

  Same Same

  By Marthe Jocelyn. Illustrated by Tom Slaughter. Tundra, 2009. Ages 3–4.

  This clever book takes the idea of grouping a quick step beyond the usual by exploring how completely different things relate: birds fly and so do bees; a bee is striped and so is a zebra. An apple is round and so is the world. Brightly colored objects, stripped of all but essential details, are accompanied by just enough words to start children thinking about the comparisons being made in the artwork. It’s a great book for encouraging the very young to think outside the box.

  Simms Taback’s City Animals

  By Simms Taback. Illustrated by the author. Blue Apple, 2009. Ages 2–4.

  In a book/guessing game, kids use clues located on a large foldout flap to determine the identities of six big-city animals: a squirrel, a dog, a cat, a horse (as in mounted police), a pigeon, and a mouse. For example: “I gather acorns,” reads the first clue. By unfolding the flap children will see a second clue. Another foldout reveals the animal’s identity—a squirrel. Sturdy construction will stand up to the multiple readings the book is sure to get. Taback’s Safari Animals is just as appealing and well made.

  Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

  By Mem Fox. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. HMH, 2008. Ages 1–3.

  A multicultural cast of endearing babies and rhythmic words come together in a joyful book that makes the notions of kinship and tolerance understandable to very young children. Babies may be born a world apart, but “as everyone knows,” each baby has ten little fingers and ten little toes. Pictures of chubby appendages and babies toddli
ng across the pages, along with a musical title refrain, ensure repeated readings as well as many occasions to wiggle Baby’s fingers and toes.

  Ten Tiny Babies

  By Karen Katz. Illustrated by the author. Margaret K. McElderry, 2008. Ages 1–3.

  Here’s another charmingly simple board book from the author of Mommy Hugs. This time Katz uses her cherubic babies to initiate counting practice. One tiny baby begins to run, followed by more and more babies having fun—until ten babies, tired from their busy day, fall fast asleep. There are lots of counting books for the age group, but the sunny artwork and bouncy rhyming words distinguish this one. You’ll find more babies to look at in Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, originally published as a picture book, now also available as a large-size board book.

  What’s Up, Duck? A Book of Opposites

  By Tad Hills. Illustrated by the author. Schwartz & Wade, 2008. Ages 2–4.

  A little more sedate than Olivia’s Opposites (above) but equally successful, this nearly wordless concept book enlists the aid of characters from Hill’s popular Duck and Goose picture book series to do the work. Duck and Goose demonstrate familiar pairs of opposites, including front and back and high and low. The web-footed friends also appear in concept books on counting and feelings.

  Traditional Picture Books for Babies and Toddlers

  Apple Pie ABC

  By Alison Murray. Illustrated by the author. Disney/Hyperion, 2011. Ages 3–5.