New Original Board Books
Newman, Leslea. 123 Cats: A Cat Counting Book. Illus.a by Isabella Kung. Candlewick, 2021. [26p.] $7.99. 978-1-5362-0995-2.
Newman, Leslea. ABC Cats: An Alpha-Cat Book. Illus.a by Isabella Kung. Candlewick, 2021. [26p.] $7.99. 978-1-5362-0994-5.
In this new board book series, cats and kittens are the stars of these books on concepts. In 123 Cats, a rhyming text describe the cats featured in a story. Each spread shows the number of cats in their home, along with the numeral for the amount. The artwork is really strong, featuring realistic-looking cats on white backgrounds, achieved using sumi ink and resembling watercolors. ABC Cats also has a text made up of rhyming couplets, showing a cat posed on the capital letter: “Adorable cat with eyes of gold…” A great choice for libraries, these are fun add will increase a child’s vocabulary.
Arrhenius, Ingela P. Where’s the Queen?
Nosy Crow, 2021. [10p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-1729-2.
Arrhenius, Ingela P. Where’s the Puffin?
Nosy Crow, 2021. [10p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-1730-8.
With more than 20 books in this popular series, your library may want to purchase these two new entries if there is a demand. Like previous books, each spread asks the child “Where is…?” the pictured animal or person. The answer is revealed by lifting the cloth piece hiding the subject. The book on the Queen features items from England, and the book on the Puffin concerns birds.
Cousins, Lucy. Maisy at the Farm. Candlewick, 2021. [16p.] $14.99. 978-1-5362-1682-0.
This delightful look at Maisy shows her riding a horse, collecting eggs, driving a tractor, and picking apples. The flaps and pull-tabs are relatively sturdy and a great choice for storytime, but may not hold up to library circulation.
Hayes, Susan. Zoom Rainforest Adventure. Illus. by Susanna Rumiz. What on Earth Books, 2021. [36p.] $14.99. 978-1-912920-40-2.
Lin, a brown-skinned girl with long black hair, paddles down the Amazon with her monkey to explore the rainforest. The straightforward narrative describes what Lin sees and does, and is little long for a board book. The full color artwork uses bright deeply saturated colors, and the pages have die-cut holes. There are many animals featured, and each has a small caption with the name, including giant walking stick, tapir, and caiman. More for older preschoolers than the usual board book audience, but still appealing.
Adapted from Picture Books
Andreae, Giles. I Love My Teacher. Illus. by Emma Dodd. Disney Hyperion, 2021. [24p.] $7.99. 978-136805308-2.
A small white boy describes his school and teacher in what appears to be a kindergarten class, although the grade isn’t specified. The diverse students learn reading, writing, painting, and singing. With cartoon like artwork, this works well in the board format.Based on the picture book published in 2020.
Elliott, David. On the Farm. Illus. by Holly Meade. Candlewick, 2021. [28 p.] $7.99. 978-1-5362-1815-2.
Part of David Elliott’s Habitat series and originally published as a picture book in 2008, this contains a brief rhyming poem on each spread. The poems focus on individual farm animals, including bees, a snake, and other more common farm animals such as a cow, pig, and rooster. The rhymes are funny celebrations of the animals, and are enhanced by Meade’s woodblock prints and watercolor artwork. Great for individual use by library users; the picture book edition is best for storytimes.
Haughton, Chris. Goodnight Everyone. Candlewick, 2021. [26p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-1795-7.
Originally published as a large picture book in 2016, this board version is great to check out of a library, but not for storytime use. It’s nighttime and animal child and parent are getting ready to go to sleep, except the bear cub who wants to stay awake. The text has many opportunities for interaction, including repeated yawning and snoring. Haughton’s customary bright, deep colors show animals with large eyes against vibrant backgrounds. The first few pages are not as wide as the remaining pages, almost like flaps, but should hold up to circulation.
Penny Peck, SJSU iSchool
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