Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: One patch of blue by Marthe Jocelyn

In this wordless board book, Jocelyn uses her collage skills to great effect to show young readers different perspectives. The "story" begins with a crouching child, with straight black hair and brown skin, a grainy blue patch of fabric coming off their jeans. Each following page shows the "patch of blue" in a different picture; as the bowl of a shovel, the car of a Ferris wheel, a window, a sign showing a person in a wheelchair, an aquarium, a house in a neighborhood with flowers, the tag on a dog's collar, and more. The final picture shows what appears to be a younger child sleeping under a quilt made of squares, including the patch of blue.

This book is just right for helping toddlers recognize shapes and colors and follow a single item through different transformations. The pictures are simple enough that young children can identify them without too much trouble, but complex enough to challenge them. Adults can make up simple stories, or just dialogue to go with each page. "Can you find the blue square? What did it turn into? Can you find a green square?" etc.

Verdict: I'm sometimes reluctant to buy Orca board books because they're almost twice the average cost of most board books - about $10 - but I think this one is worth the price. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781459820739; Published 2019 by Orca; Borrowed from another library in my consortium