baby

Not my usual sort of picture book review.

jay p and l 123Usually I go through picture books that have some sort of a narrative, but today I had to make an exception. My son is infatuated with these books! Now that he has started to develop a healthy bank of numbers and words, he is able to achieve a sense of accomplishment when he recognises what he sees in books. It is amazing to watch his first experience of gratification from learning. It’s delicious, really.

The Play and Learn 123 and Play and Learn ABC books are not just numbers and letters. They also include an assortment of pictures, words, colours and interactive elements such as lift-the-flap and slide-the-flap. The variation is enough to keep him entertained. The font size is big and fun, the bright colours are attention-grabbing and the choice of pictures (animals, fruit, body parts) is fantastic. This, combined with his prior knowledge, is enough to keep him motivated. He flips through these books over and over again — but I’m not complaining!

These books tend to be recommended for children 2-4, but my bub is 15 months so really there’s on harm in starting your one-year-old (or younger!) on these books. You can find a bunch of Roger Priddy’s books, including these, here: http://www.amazon.com/Board-Books-Colors-Numbers-Bright/dp/0312502192

Silly learning fun for baby.

ImageThis book cover is pretty much self-explanatory. Jeanette Rowe’s Whose bottom? is a flap book suitable for children ages 0-3. The flaps cover the front of the animal, leaving only the cute little animal tushies exposed. The words are rhythmically repetitive (always appreciated by my little one), and the flaps are able to be gripped by tiny little hands. The ending is not necessarily surprising, but is the cutest tushy of all!

Go give it a squiz at:  https://shop.abc.net.au/products/whose-bottom-hbk-rowe.

 

 

An oldie but a goodie.

Pat The BunnyThis book is quick and entertaining. Best of all, bubba likes it, so it has a 9-month-old’s seal of approval, and that’s surprisingly challenging to get!

The book is called Pat The Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt, and was first published in 1940!! But it really has stood the test of time. It was actually a gift from my mother. When I saw it, it looked so antiquated and blergh that my first reaction was “really??”. I know, I know, don’t judge a book by its cover. This was a case in point.

This book is sort of board book, sort of not… you have to hold it in your hand to see what I mean. Each page is a tiny little activity to keep the kiddies entertained. For instance, Judy pats the bunny, so you pat the bunny too, which is a little furry strip. Paul’s playing hide and seek, so you lift the flap and find Paul. There’s even a perfumed page because Judy is smelling the flowers! So adorable watching my little man *sniff sniff*. Oh, the sweetest little part about it is a tiny little book within the book because Judy is reading, so you read this little mini book too. It is seriously cute and worth a look.

The only gripe I really have with it is that it is very ‘boy’ looks like this ‘girl’ looks like this, but only in the illustrations of Pat and Judy.If you’re interested, you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Pat-Bunny-Touch-Feel-Book/dp/0307120007. You can thank me in the comments section when it arrives!

‘Wuthering Heights’ board book, you say?! Read on…

ImageThe squeal I emitted when I came across this book would have been embarrassing, were I not busy hyperventilating from excitement. There is a set of board books, aimed at babies, which have been appropriated from the classics. The one I purchased was Wuthering Heights – A Weather Primer, by Jennifer Addams, illus by Alison Oliver.

Each book is focused on teaching bubs something by using descriptions from the classic story on which the book is based. For example, in the Wuthering Heights book, the ‘Breezy’ page describes the weather as “…sweet and warm.” So evocative and fun. I think this is a really great concept. The illustrations, too, are unique and engaging.

Other books in the series include Moby-Dick – An Ocean Primer and Jane Eyre – A Counting Primer (both by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver). In case you are interested, you can go check them out here: http://www.babylit.com/about/. Go on, you know you want to!