Spring Board Book Round-up, Part II
New Series Board Books
Cousins, Lucy. “Maisy’s Planet” series. Candlewick, 03/2024. [12p.] $9.99 each.
Maisy Loves Trees: Explore and Learn! 978-1-5362-2859-5.
Maisy Loves Bees: Explore and Learn! 978-1-5362-2858-8.
In this new series featuring the little white mouse Maisy, nature is the focus. Using Cousins’ fully saturated brightly colored illustrations and a brief text, each book gives factual information on the topic, showing Maisy interacting with the subject matter. For example, in the book on bees, she sees them in the garden, while the opposing page gives four facts on bees. Considering the target audience is toddlers, there is quite a bit of information, told in a clear way. In September 2024, the third book in the series will be released, focusing on water. Recommended for all libraries due to the way the text engages the audience.
Li, Maggie. “Little Life Cycles” series. Templar, 03/2024. [24p.] $$9.99 each.
Bee. 978-1-53623-504-3.
Whale. 978-1-53623-505-0.
Bee and Whale are entries five and six in this science-based series of board books. The featured element, such as the whale, is shown in a story that includes several facts about whales, including the fact they drink their mother’s milk, or that whales sing to communicate with each other. Each book has a die-cut hole in the cover that goes through several of the pages, shaped like the title animal or element. The full color cartoonish artwork (for example, the queen bee wears a crown) works well to extend the more factual text. A great series for a wide age range due to the amount of information included.
Loney, Andrea J. Listen First (Then Go!). Charlesbridge, 09/2024. “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Babies” series. [22p.] $8.99. 978-1-62354-289-4.
Practical-minded grizzly cub and more rambunctious goat kid go for a hike, where goat doesn’t listen and falls down. He learns his lesson and soon they reach the hilltop because goat listens to grizzly. A simple story with a simple lesson, the full color artwork, dialogue balloons, and brief text make this useful as a read-aloud or for emergent readers to attempt on their own. Purposeful, but pleasant.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University iSchool
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