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Board Book Reviews
A Seed In the Universe
Elyon Liu, pub. Post Wave
In this charming board book, which gives children the opportunity to begin to understand how vast the universe is, how small a seed is, but how utterly interconnected they are, there are some cleverly placed holes. As you turn the pages, watching the simple story unfold before your eyes, pay careful attention to the placement of the words, pictures, holes and of course, the seed. It has an exciting journey ahead of it and it is ready to show us that even the smallest seed has a big role to play and a place in the universe.
Hello, Potty!
illus. Ania Simeone, pub. Happy Yak
When your toddler is ready to say goodbye to their nappies and hello to their potty, it is an exciting moment. But don’t get too complacent, there is lots of training to be done. There will be accidents, it can’t be helped, but to help you along the way, to help your little one understand all about how to know when to use the potty, there is a vibrant new board book. Not only does it help children understand about this exciting new step but it has dials to turn so they can interact at each stage hopefully helping them to remember this new skill!
Little Seed
Hector Dexet, pub. Post Wave
Little Seed is a tall board book with a vibrant sunflower on its cover and a hole which goes all the way through the book! Open up to discover that not only does the hole show us some important stages in the life of one little seed: the first picture of the sunflower head has far more than we could count! There are also flaps to lift on every page, after all we have been told what happens next for the little seed but there is nothing better than seeing it too. A magical book of wonder to share and enjoy, a chance to watch the magic of nature unfold.
Mega Machines
pub. Priddy Books
There is nothing more fascinating to children (and on some occasions to this particular adult) than big machines! I am thinking of the mega machines that play a role in our everyday lives. From construction vehicles to boats, planes, trains and even farm machinery, there are so many to discover. Maybe you will have a favourite but it is so much fun to learn about them all. Start with learning what a machine is ~ something that makes our lives easier ~ and go on to learn that the biggest dumper truck can hold the equivalent of 90 elephant! Or that it now takes only 100 days, not 3 years, to sail around the world! A fascinating source of information and detail awaits.
My First Story Orchestra: Carnival of the Animals
My First Story Orchestra: Four Seasons In One Day
illus. Jessica Courtney-Tickle, pub. Frances Lincoln
You may well be familiar with the various iterations of the Story Orchestra from puzzles to sound books and more. Now they are available as board books allowing toddlers to experience classical music, perhaps for the very first time. These board books are interactive. Carnival of the Animals encourages little fingers to press buttons to hear a lion, swan and even an elephant. Four Seasons provides music from each season from the famous classical piece. A joy to discover, play with and learn from with their simple text and bold illustrations these will fascinate young children and hopefully the series will grow.
Our World: England
Sumana Seeboruth, illus. Ella Hobbis, pub. Barefoot Books
There’s a new way for our youngest readers to explore the world around them. The Our World series from Barefoot Books has three new additions. Spend a day in England with a traditional breakfast to start you off and even some cricket in the park. In Türkiye enjoy some delicious fruits, plenty of outdoor activities and learn some new words. There are 52 states in the USA, in this book we visit a handful of them giving us the opportunity to see how vastly different they are from one another. A fabulous way to explore some of the many cultures of our world.
Our World: Türkiye
Emrah Güler, illus. Deniz Ücbasaran, pub. Barefoot Books
Our World: USA
Joëlle Retener, illus. Sarah Walsh, pub. Barefoot Books
Priddy Explorers: Predators
pub. Priddy Books
Are you ready to explore? Make sure you are wearing your brave hat for this one as we are about to explore predators! Young children, perhaps old enough to read alone, will love exploring the wild world of predators and discovering answers to some very important questions. Learn that birds of prey are known as Apex Predators and what that means. Discover how polar bears hunt in their frozen homelands. Did you know that some creepy crawlies are killers? Meet them here. The natural world and the wonders of its predators are bought to realistic life in this excellent board book of first introductions to nature.
Slide & Surprise!: Animals
Slide & Surprise!: Farm
pub. Priddy Books
These thick, chunky board books are absolutely perfect for little hands to hold. Parents your role will be in helping them to identify the animals filling the pages. Animals features the wild, the jungle, pets, under the sea and the forest. Discover and learn who lives in each place, then pull the sliders for some addition, exciting fun. Farm follows a similar structure only in this book there are farm animals, vehicles, baby animals, fruit and veg and finally things that are made on the farm. Educational and wonderfully engaging.
Upside Down Opposites
Danielle McLean, illus. Matt Hunt, pub. Little Tiger
Only with a book can you experiences opposites in such a unique way as they are presented here. Board books are intended, primarily for toddlers, supporting their learning and development. This one does exactly that. Not only does it support reading and the learning of new words but it encourages interaction. Some of the pages can only be read if you turn the book upside down or looked at the opposite image. Happy Sad; Under Over; Good Bad ~ there are all manner of opposites to discover whilst moving the book around and enjoying the vibrant illustrations.
We Love Fruit!
Becky Davies, illus. Allie Busby, pub. Little Tiger Press
I wonder if you have a favourite fruit? I know that I do. Raspberries. And mango. Well, it’s hard to choose only one. So, if you have a toddler, or know of one, who loves fruit they will love this board book. It doesn’t ask its readers to choose a fruit instead it gives them permission to play with it. There are eight fruity characters waiting to greet you and you can press them out of the book. Then turn the pages and see if you can match the fact with the correct fruit. Have fun with food, discover the joy of fruit and hopefully spark curiosity!
Your Farm
Your Forest
Your Island
Jon Klassen, pub. Walker Books
Is there a place that you like to visit, somewhere special for you, maybe somewhere you take a friend so you can show them all your favourite things. Jon Klassen invites our youngest readers to explore not one but three exciting places. There is a Farm, a Forest and an Island. Even better, they are all yours! Everything about each of these places is yours. From the sun to the cabin and even your very own plants. There are ideas about where to put everything and even what to do in each place. Every time you pick up one of these books remember, this is your place but will it look the same each time?