Board Books Adapted from Picture Books
Anon. Boo to You, Winnie the Pooh. Disney, 1996/2019. [18p.] $6.99. 978-136804358-8.
Illustrated with artwork from a Disney animated cartoon, this original story features Pooh and his friends preparing for Halloween. Piglet is afraid of the costumes, so the friends come to reassure him, but it is Piglet who saves the day! Not really for libraries as this is not the Milne original version.
Diggs, Taye. Chocolate Me. Illus. by Shane Evans. Feiwel, 2011/2019. [32p.] $7.99. 978-1-250-20785-2.
A little boy is teased for his dark skin and curly hair, but his mother reassures him he is as wonderful as similarly-colored chocolate. In some ways, this is troubling as the other kids’ taunts are cruel and they are not admonished for what they said, but unfortunately this is still timely. The full color artwork is eye-catching and supportive of the text. A nice one-on-one edition, as a way for parent and child to begin a discussion on race and appropriate behavior.
Godwin, Laura. This Is the Construction Worker. Illus. by Julian Hector. Disney Hyperion, 2019. [24p.] $6.99. 978-1-136804693-0.
Published simultaneously in both hardbound and board edition, this features a female construction worker. The rhyming text is based on “The House That Jack Built,” but without the cumulative pattern and repetition. With four lines on each page, the text is fairly long for a board book, and the detailed cartoon artwork also seems too small. The hardbound version is highly recommended for all libraries, and the board version just for home use.
Goetz, Steve. Old MacDonald Had a Truck. Illus. by Eda Kaban. Chronicle, 2016/2019. [30p.] $8.99. 978-1-4521-8176-9.
Old MacDonald is a husband and wife, and the things sung about on their farm are vehicles, not animals as in the original song. A great addition to storytimes, this oversized board book nicely replicates the detailed cartoon artwork and includes everything from the original picture book. Although the original is best for storytime, this edition is nice for one on one sharing by parent and child.
Goldman, Marcia. Lola Goes to Work. Creston, 2013/2019. [24p.] $12.99. 978-1-939547-60-6.
Illustrated with color photos, this entry in the series featuring a Yorkshire terrier shows Lola working as a therapy dog. Along with visiting people with illnesses, Lola is read to by children at the library. A great book for dog reading programs, the hardback version is the better choice for libraries.
Sutton, Sally. Dig, Dump, Roll. Illus. by Brian Lovelock. Candlewick, 2018/2019. [28p.] $7.99. 978-1-5362-0902-0.
Filled with onomatopoeia, rhyme, and repetition, this celebration of construction vehicles will engage toddlers who just might chant along. Bulldozers, Concrete Mixers, and the like are featured; at the end, we see that they are building a school. A great choice for toddler storytime.
Willems, Mo. A Busy Creature’s Day Eating! Hyperion, 2018/2019. [30p.] $8.99. 978-1-136804129-4.
In this delightful alphabet book with a story, a little purple creature eats various items, including apples, berries, cereal, and doughnuts, until he is queasy and vomits. Many young children will relate to and laugh at the story, and be able to read the letters and soon the words. Not a replacement for the picture book edition for a library storytime, but this board version is good for home use.
Yolen, Jane and Heidi E.Y. Stemple. You Nest Here with Me. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. Boyds Mills, 2015/2019. [28p.] $7.99. 978-1-68437-371-0.
In this rhyming bedtime story, several different birds are named: grackle, wren, pigeon, and so forth. The concept is that a human child nests with a parent, similar to a bird, and the repeated title phrase adds interest. Because the text is rather long and the beautiful watercolor artwork is full of details, the picture book edition is preferable for libraries.
Penny Peck, SJSU iSchool
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