Buy board books

Some lessons are harder learned than others.

I picked up "One Two Three: An Animal Counting Book" by Marc Brown a couple of weeks ago at a local thrift shop for 50 cents. As a great lover of books, and vintage items from the 1970s, this hardcover book is right up my ally.

My heart skipped a beat when I spotted it in the bin where it had been haphazardly tossed with dozens of other children's books. I touched the cover. It was an old library book, with that clear plastic stuff libraries put on dust jackets to protect them. You know what I'm talking about.

I love old libraries books.

This one was published in 1976. As soon as I opened that plasticy library cover, I was in love. This book is gloriously 70s. It smells like the 70s (or what I imagine the 70s must have smelled like) for goodness sakes!

Marc Brown's drawings look like they belong in an old Sesame Street sketch. There is not much for text here. Just numbers one through twenty, and the animals used to illustrate each number. Simple. To the point.

I knew better than to trust this book in the chubby little hands of my baby. But I couldn't resist. I wanted to read it too. And Charlotte is an enthusiastic page turner...

I guess I did an amazing job taping the page back together, because you can't really see it at all in this photo. But it is there. A big, ugly tear, nearly half of the page ripped off completely.

It was a sad day. I gave baby a kiss on the cheek because she is cute, fixed the page as best as I could, and put the book in her room on the bookshelf to be rediscovered at a later date.

Charlotte isn't quite ready to learn her numbers yet, anyway. Though gloriously 70s, the illustrations aren't colourful and bright, so she didn't seem especially interested. And then there's those paper pages. Clearly, this book is not for young babies.

A difficult lesson learned, but a necessary one nonetheless. Buy board books. Or at least keep them well away from enthusiastic baby hands if you find yourself unable to resist!

"One Two Three: An Animal Counting Book" on Amazon.com

I am a Bunny

"I am a Bunny" is the kind of book that fond childhood memories are made of. The kind of book that every child should have in their library.

First published in 1963, "I am a Bunny" follows a little rabbit named Nicholas on his adventures throughout the seasons of the year. Ole Risom's story is simply charming.

But what really has me in love with this board book is the art work. Illustrator Richard Scarry brings Nicholas the Bunny and his wonderful woodland world to life with each turn of the page. No, these aren't simple illustrations. They are works of art.

And as luck would have it, little Charlotte is quite the fan of "I am a Bunny" as well!

The colourful pictures that fill each page are fun to look at, to be sure. There are plenty of forest dwellers and pretty foliage to point out. And of course, there is Nicholas the Bunny himself.

Right from the start, whenever my husband or I would read this book to Charlotte, we would point to the bunny on each page. "There's the bunny!" To our surprise, a couple of weeks after being introduced to this book, 8 month old Charlotte was pointing out the bunny all on her own! I never realized how fantastic a baby's memory really is.

We have so much fun pointing out the bunny that there are plenty of times that we don't read the story at all. Charlotte loves the praise she receives. She anticipates it whenever the book is produced with sounds of excitement, kicking her legs, and showing that adorable grin.

"I am a Bunny" is a must for every young book lover's library. An absolute treasure!


"I am a Bunny" at Amazon.com

Moo, Baa, La La La!

What better way to kick-off baby's book review blog than by reviewing baby's first favourite book?

"Moo, Baa, La La La!"

You would probably be surprised if you knew just how many times this phrase has been recited in our household over the past few months.

I started reading "Moo, Baa, La La La!" by Sandra Boynton to Charlotte when she was around four months old. It was, in fact, the first book I ever read to her. This book grabbed her attention right away. The pages are bright and the drawings are simple. The text is sparse; the words short. I make funny animal noises when I read it to her. Even I have fun reading and re-reading this delightfully silly book.

By the time Charlotte was six months old, she would slap the pages of the book in delight as I read to her. In my never-ending quest to keep baby happy, content, and instill my love of books in her, we read this sturdy little volume nearly every day.

Then, one fateful car drive home, baby started to fuss and the usual songs weren't calming her down. So I began reciting "Moo, Baa, La La La!" and what do you know, it worked! To this day, the words in this book soothes baby as well as any beloved lullaby. Her Daddy and I know all of the words by heart.

Charlotte loves this little book, without a doubt.

A splendid first book for its simplicity, bright colours and engaging illustrations -- short and sweet so Mommy and Daddy won't mind reading it over and over again, too!

The Official Sandra Boynton Website

Shopping at Sandra Boynton.Com

Moo, Baa, La La La! at Barnes & Noble