BOARD BOOK ROUNDUP: FALL 2024 PT. 2
Below are some recent board books you may want for your library:
New Original Board Books
Cohen, Stephanie. I Can Say Moo! Illus. by Lindsay Dale-Scott. Sourcebooks, 04/2025. My First Learn-to-Talk Books. [24p.]. $9.99. 978-1-72829-158-1.
In this simple but effective book, the child is encouraged to say the word in the speech bubble, such as “Hi!, Duck!,” or other farm-related term. Many will be easy to guess because the words are in rhyming couplets. The illustrations show color photos of ethnically diverse toddlers set against a cartoon background of the farm setting and animals. A fun way to introduce speech and farms to the younger toddlers.
Cousins, Lucy. Maisy’s Rocket. Candlewick, 10/2024. A Go With Maisy Board Book. [16p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-3906.
Maisy and Cyril fly a rocket to the space station and work in outer space. In this rocket ship-shaped book, young children are introduced to the job of an astronaut. Using Cousins’ distinctive deeply saturated cartoon artwork, this is a great addition to the series.
DeLaVega, Chela. Bebe Ama a Mama/Baby Loves Mom. Duopress, 04/2025. [20p.]. $9.99. 978-1-46422-015-9.
In this bilingual story, babies express their love for their mothers, appreciating that mama feeds them, reads to them, and more. The text is set on each spread in Spanish and English, with a pastel shaded cartoonish illustration. The mothers represent different races and ethnicities, at times wearing clothing from distinctive cultures. A simple but effective board book depicting inclusivity.
Girardi, Tamara. Why, Mommy, Why? Illus. by Olga Skomorokova. Familius, 03/2025. [16p.]. $9.99. 978-1-64170-874-6.
A bear cub asks his mommy bear why she does certain things like make yummy food. Her answer always relates back that she does these things because she loves her little bear. The brightly colored cartoonish artwork gives the sweet story energy, showing the pair living in a house and wearing clothing. A pleasing, original story with a common theme.
Lin, Jiemei. Good Night, Zodiac Animals. Candlewick, 12/2024. [30p.] $10.99. 978-1-5362-3235-6.
In this oversized board book, the animals of the Chinese zodiac are shown getting ready for bed one by one. The final spread shows a young Asian child asleep, surrounded by stuffed animals representing the twelve animals of the zodiac. A simple rhyme makes up the text, allowing very young children to learn about the Chinese zodiac. The deeply colored folkart style illustrations show the animals, along with the Chinese character representing that animal. The final spread includes more information on the legend of the lunar new year zodiac animals. Recommended due to its appeal to a wide age range.
New Series Board Books
Anon. “At the Zoo” series. Illus. by Lala Watkins. Candlewick, 09/2024. [22p.] $8.99 each.
Lunchtime at the Zoo. 978-1-5362-3775-7.
Snowday at the Zoo. 978-1-5362-3774-0.
Distinctive full color artwork are the highlight of this series. Photos of animals are set onto painted backgrounds using a collage style, which adds humor. For example, a camel is shown with a winter scarf painted around his neck. The simple rhyming text names the animals that are shown, and addS to the fun. A great book to help toddlers learn the names of animals.
Cousins, Lucy. Maisy Loves Water: Explore and Learn! Candlewick, 09/2024. [[12p.] $9.99. 978-1-5362-2860-1.
This third entry in the “Maisy’s Planet” series describes scientific aspects of water in a text facing a page of Maisy using water for playing, drinking, or seeing it in nature. The factual elements are very simple, such as “Water falls from clouds in the sky…” so even toddlers will understand the text. Cousins’ distinctive deeply-saturated artwork shows Maisy the little white mouse and her friends at play in several water-related situations such as at the beach.
Heuer, Lourdes. “Teeny Tiendas” series. Illus. by Zara Gonzalez Hoang. Candlewick, 09/2024. [20p.] $8.99 each.
The Fruit Shop/La fruteria. 978-1-5362-2659-1.
The Flower Shop/La floreria. 978-1-5362-2660-7.
This new bilingual English/Spanish series celebrates shops in a small community filled with people of all races. The text describes each store’s wares: a fruit store and a florist’s shop. There is a spread near the end of each book with a chart showing the items for sale, labeled with both the English and Spanish word for the item. The watercolor and colored pencil illustrations resemble a folk art style that suits the theme of the series.
Horacek, Petr. “A Peek Through Book” series. Candlewick, 12/2024. [14p.] $7.99 each.
Little Bunny. 978-1-5362-3885-3.
Little Chick. 978-1-5362-3895-2.
Toddlers will enjoy this series because of the die-cut holes on alternating spreads that reveal a new animal. The rhyming text is similar to Bill Martin’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? because it asks the reader to guess what animal is shown. The brightly colored illustrations resemble crayon drawings, showing animals from the same habitat in their natural environments. For example, Bunny sees other animals in the forest, and Chick visits other farm animals. This new series is a winner!
Martinez-Neal, Juana. “Alma’s World” series. Candlewick, 10/2024. [24p.] $8.99 each.
Alma at Home/Alma en casa. 978-1-5362-3233-2.
Alma, Where Is Pajarito? Alma, donde esta Pajarito? 978-1-5362-3234-9.
These two new “Alma” books are a great follow-up to the previous two titles which were published in 2023 (Alma Head to Toe and Alma and her Family). In one, Alma searches for her bird friend, and in the other, she describes her life at her cozy home with her family. Both books have simple first- person texts in English and Spanish, from Alma’s point of view. The softly colored cartoon illustrations appear to be done using pastel chalks and charcoal. Sure to be popular.
New Tactile, Flap, or Moveable Board Books
Aggett, Sophie. My Busy Noisy Day. Illus. by Malgorzata Detner. Tiger Tales, 09/2024. Play & Pretend series. [16p.] $14.99. 978-1-6643-5121-9.
From the morning alarm clock to the oven timer at dinner, this book contains 26 different sounds that one would hear throughout the day. The color cartoonish artwork shows what the reader would see if they were the person in the story. Actions include seeing a fire truck on the street, hearing the doorbell at home, and hearing the cash register at the grocery store. To activate the sounds, just push the small button embedded into the sturdy board pages. Although this is sure to entertain a toddler, some parents may find the sounds annoying after repeated use.
Board Book Adaptations of Picture Books
Ardagh, Philip. Bunnies on the Bus. Illus. by Ben Mantle. Candlewick, 12/2024. [32p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-4083-2.
With rhyme and repetition, this is a great choice to read to a group or at bedtime. Originally published in 2019, this funny story involves a group of bunnies who are driving and riding on the bus without stopping to pick up passengers. The color cartoon artwork helps to compel the story, and the ending sets up a sequel. A great library purchase for families to share; keep the picture book version for storytime.
Haughton, Chris. Maybe… Candlewick, 09/2024. [38p.] $10.99. 978-1-5362-3809.
Mama warns her three monkeys not to go to the mango tree because there are tigers around. Of course, they go anyway in this amusing story filled with repetition. The deeply colored artwork is dominated by red, with dark blue monkeys. Originally published as a picture book in 2021, this board edition is useful for parents to read but keep the original for storytime.
Melling, David. Ruffles and the Red, Red, Coat. Candlewick, 11/2024. [24p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-37672.
Ruffles, a little white dog with a black circle on one eye does not like wearing his new red coat until his dog friend Ruby shows how useful it can be. The picture book was originally released in 2021; this smaller board version is not preferable to the original because the illustrations are too detailed. The pages with Ruffles and Ruby that show them in nine spot drawings are too small for younger toddlers to see any details. Stick with the original.
Check out Fall, Part 1 here: Board Book Roundup: Fall 2024, Pt. 1
Penny Peck, San Jose State University iSchool
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