Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Mexico by Cynthia Harmony and Claudia Navarro and India by

I saw these advertised in a Barefoot Books catalog and have been eagerly waiting to see if they lived up to the description. So many board books that explore different cultures (and concepts) are simply not developmentally appropriate for actual babies and toddlers. I was thrilled to discover that these live up to every bit of their promise!

Each book shows a child and parent during their normal, daily activities. In Mexico, the child starts the day with a cheery Buenos dias! from Mami and sits down to breakfast. They go to school, to a museum, and then home again for a tasty treat. Throughout the simple story, Spanish words, with pronunciations below, are included and are easily understandable through the context. The last two spreads give the translation of the Spanish words, repeats the pronunciation, and adds some simple explanations. Text is developmentally appropriate for a board book audience; one page reads "Brush up-up, brush down-down. Muy guapo!" and the pronuciation, mwee GWAH-poh is included below. In the back, it's repeated with the text "Muy guapo! means very handsome!" and the pronunciation is given again.

The book focused on India is equally charming, with a little girl waking up to a Namaste!, dancing, bathing, watching the scenery, and back to bed. Only the mother and child are pictured, and many elements of this specific culture are included, from an oil massage and black dot to guard from bad luck to mango trees, cows, and auto-rickshaws. Hindu words are included both in English transliteration and in script, with the pronunciation below and the final two pages explaining the different customs and repeating the translation.

Both books show happy, loved children in colorful landscapes and homes, performing activities that are familiar like bathing and eating, filtered through the lens of their individual cultures.

Verdict: These have managed to be both culturally accurate and developmentally appropriate, a high bar indeed for board books! They are more expensive, about $10 as opposed to the usual $5, but in my opinion they are absolutely worth the extra money and Barefoot Books is a worthy publisher to support with authentic, well-written, and accessible books for a wide range of audiences. Recommended.

Mexico; ISBN: 9781646868476

India; ISBN: 9781646866281

Published April 2023 by Barefoot books; Purchased for the library