Fall Board Book Round-up, Part I
Here are some brief reviews of new Board Book series entries. Next month, we will focus on new individual board books, and new board editions of popular picture books.
New Board Book Series Entries
Arrhenius, Ingela P. “Where’s the..” series. Candlewick, 03/2023. [10p.] $9.99 each.
Where’s the Cat? 978-1-5362-2984-4.
Where’s the King? 978-1-5362-3407-7.
With more than twenty books in this series (and more due out in January 2024), these two new titles don’t offer anything new but should be popular. The reader is asked where various pets are, including a goldfish, cat, and dog, or where the beefeater or the king is. Each is hidden under a felt flap the toddler can easily lift up. As with all the other books, the final spread has a mylar mirror under the flap for the child to see themselves.
Davies, Benji. Bizzy Bear Amusement Park. Candlewick, 04/2023. [8p.]. $8.99.
With more than twenty-five books in this series, there is not much new here. Bizzy the bear and his animal friends visit the amusement park, shown in full color cartoon artwork. There are sliders and pullouts on each spread, revealing parts of the park. The rhyming text is patterned after the jump rope rhyme “Teddy bear, Teddy bear.” Very sturdy, so libraries may want to purchase if the series is popular.
Esbaum, Jill. “Big Science for Tiny Tots” series. MIT Kids Press, 05-09/2023. [24p.] $8.99 each.
Bath Time Physics. 978-1-5362-2965-3.
High Chair Chemistry. 978-1-5362-2966-0.
Playtime Engineering. 978-1-5362-3096-3.
Stroller Ecology. 978-1-5362—3095-6.
Even toddlers will enjoy this science board book series, because it contains a dual text. A simple sentence in a large typeface appears on each spread, aimed at the baby. Meanwhile, in a smaller typeface and set on a colored sidebar is a definition or longer sentence for the parent, explaining the scientific concept. Illustrated with full color close-up photos of babies showing the activities, like taking a bath, also centers this unusual series for the child audience. Fun for those parents seeking science texts for babies.
Li, Maggie. “Little Life Cycles” series. Templar, 07/2023. [26p.] $9.99 each.
Bug. 978-1-5362-3022-2.
Frog. 978-1-5362-3023-9.
This series began in 2022 with Drip and Seed, and these two new entries are equally as good. Preschoolers will learn about the basic life cycle of the title object, using a simple sentence or two per spread. For example, Frog describes the egg, then the tadpole, and then the frog. The full color graphic-style artwork tells a lot of the story, and there are die-cut holes in some pages to reveal items within the various pages. A nice combination of facts with pleasing artwork.
Lin, Grace. “Storytelling Math” series. Charlesbridge, 09/2023. [16p.] $7.99 each.
Our Favorite Apples. 978-1-62354-348-8.
Who Jumps More? 978-1-623454-349-5.
Entries five and six continue the success of this series, which involves math stories that are perfect for the toddler audience. Our Favorite Apples shows three children sorting apples by color, and Who Jumps More? depicts two friends jumping and comparing the size of the jumps. The full color artwork shows children of various ethnicities, and the end contains advice for parents on using the books with the young child. Recommended for all public libraries.
Pliska, Zeena. “Chicken Soup for the Soul Babies” series. Illus. by Hazel Quintanilla. Charlesbridge, 10/2023. [22p.] $8.99 each.
A Gift for Me? (I Want It!). 978-1-62354-420-1.
Say Thank You? (But Why?). 978-1-62354-288-7.
This faith-based nondenominational series uses dialogue balloons to tell stories about exhibiting good behavior. Animal characters learn to say thank you, and to share and give gifts instead of just receiving gifts in these purposeful tales. The full color artwork is pleasant, and each book ends with advice for parents on extending the lesson. Although these seem more message than story, these are popular.
Prasadam-Halls, Smriti. “Show Your” series. Candlewick, 08/2023. [24p.] $9.99 each.
Show Your Colors. 978-1-5362-2846-5.
Show Your Numbers. 978-1-5362-2845-8.
In this new series on concepts, a lively rhyming text and boldly colored artwork combine to help toddlers learn and have fun at the same time. In “Numbers,” the word and numeral appear on the spread, showing an animal displaying one tail, two tusks, and so forth. In “Colors,” a fox shows its red tail, a parrot its yellow feathers, and more. Each book ends with a large pop-up animal that will delight the young audience. Sure to be a hit, although the final pop-up may not last too long.
Reid, Camilla. “Look It’s” series. Illus. by Clare Youngs. Nosy Crow, 2023. [10p.] $10.99 each.
Look, It’s Woof Woof Dog. 978-8-88777-003-1.
Look, It’s Roar Roar Lion. 978-8-88777-002-4.
Look, It’s Moo Moo Cow. 978-8-88777-005-5.
Look, It’s Hoot Hoot Owl. 978-8-88777-015-4.
In this multisensory series, various animals make sounds, and readers are encouraged to lift the felt flap to see the insect or other small creature the animal sees. The final of the five spreads has a mylar mirror under the flap for the toddler to see themselves. The colorful collage illustrations are reminiscent of the work of Eric Carle. Sturdy enough for library circulation.
Reid, Camilla. Peekaboo Pumpkin. Illus. by Ingela P. Arrhenius. Candlewick, 07/2023. [8p.] $9.99.
Halloween items are featured in this very brief rhyming book. Using two or three words per page, the text is almost like a chant, with each phrase beginning with the word “peekaboo.” The full color graphic artwork includes sliders and a mylar mirror at the end. Not much here, although this will be popular.
Wheeler, Lisa. “My First Dino” series. Illus. by Barry Gott. Carolrhoda, 07-09/2023. [10p.] $7.99 each.
My First Dino-Halloween. 978-1-7284-7741-1.
My First Dino-Christmas. 978-1-7284-4619-6.
These adaptations of Wheeler’s picture books that combine dinosaurs with holidays or sports contain brief rhyming texts. They use artwork from the original books, and don’t really offer much. Stick with the original full-length picture books.
Penny Peck, SJSU iSchool
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