Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: My Little Storybook: Little Monkey's Day of Play illustrated by Sarah Ward

No author is given for this board book and frankly I am not surprised as the text leaves something to be desired. Halting rhymes show little monkeys playing throughout the day; "Little monkey and his friend have fun as they climb,/but when their tummies rumble they go home for dinnertime." Both little monkeys are male and it's confusing that only one parent-child combination is shown - where did the second monkey come from and where is he going?

The art is sweet, soft pastels in brown, green and blue with spots of brightly colored flowers. The cute little monkeys are attractive but the size of the book and the pastel hues of the art makes the pictures hard to discern, especially for the audience. I prefer board books with bold, simple pictures that are appropriate for babies' visual development.

The book is a small rectangle with rounded edges. The pages are thick cardboard with a coating of the picture that looks and feels like vinyl or laminate. The hinge on the spine is very thin and I'm not sure how well it would stand up.

Verdict: Cute and many parents are likely to scoop it up, but the small size, lengthy and drab text, and pastel pictures make this one I wouldn't recommend to libraries.

ISBN: 9781499802276; Published 2016 by little bee books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium