Library Collections: Board Books Core Collection

 Core Collection

  I am not a huge fan of "must-have" lists, but this is what I consider the core collection of my board books - these are things that I will regularly replace if damaged or lost or continually purchase new titles as the older ones go out of print or are weeded. They're all series, so it's generally easy to choose a selection of titles.

  The two genres I didn't include here is board books with baby faces - there are a lot of different options for those and they are a must-have of course, with how many you have depending on the size of your collection (My own favorites including photographs of babies and children are the Michel Blake titles from Candlewick, alas now long out of print) and High-Contrast titles. Agnese Baruzzi has done some nice ones and you can also find them by searching high contrast and "Montessori" together.

• Annie Kubler
• Kubler's board books with Child's Play primarily include nursery rhymes and simple action books. The art is pastels, which is not always the most popular choice, but at least a few of these are necessary storytime board books.
• Drive the... by Dave Mottram
• These are books shaped like a steering wheel. Sadly, the race car title is out of print, but the fire engine book is still available.
• Emma Garcia
• Garcia has written a number of picture books, several of which have been made into board books. They're published by Boxer Books Ltd. and generally cover different vehicles and sounds. Titles include "Toot Toot Beep Beep" and "Tip Tip Dig Dig." The short text and colorful art make these a must-have.
• Hello, World by Jill McDonald
• How it works by Amelia Hepworth
• Karen Katz
• Katz' work is instantly recognizable with round, smiling faces. Her books frequently have somewhat flimsy lift-the-flaps, but they're inexpensive to replace. These are perennial favorites with parents and kids.
• 
  Katrine Crow
• I recently discovered these are available as paperbacks, but the board books are the best. You should at least have Butts.
• Leo by Anna McQuinn
• Llama Llama by Anna Dewdney
• Not my personal favorite, but this is still a staple series and the concept board books aren't too bad.
• Make Tracks by Johnny Dyrander
• While the vehicle versions of this book will probably remain the most popular, Nosy Crow is debuting a version with animals (and a different author) that should be fun as well, starting with Let's Go Home Baby Bunny.
• National Geographic by various authors
• Little Kids First Board Books
• Look and Learn
• Our World by various authors (Barefoot Books)
• I suggest purchasing a selection of titles including cultures represented in your community and some that are not, to introduce kids to new places.
• Sandra Boynton
• There are a lot of classic titles to choose from; you can also pick up boxed sets of some of the most popular.
• Stanley by William Bee
• The titles I originally reviewed, and most of the other older titles, are out of print, but there are still some titles available in this series. I hope that someday Peachtree will reprint them - they have reissued the original picture books in different formats.
• Storytelling Math by Grace Lin
• As well as the picture books, there is a series of board book spin-offs introducing very early math concepts. They tie in to popular subjects like seasons and are available in bilingual (Spanish) versions. I recommend having at least a couple of these.
• That's not my... by Fiona Watt
• This series was originally published by Usborne but it is now available on a much wider market, including Baker & Taylor. It's a touchy-feely series and although the bindings are not very sturdy, it's worth purchasing new titles as they are released as it is perennially popular.
• Very Hungry Caterpillar etc. by Eric Carle
• There are both original and spin-off board books with Eric Carle's illustrations.
• Whatever the weather by Carol Thompson
• There are several other series from Thompson, some with other illustrators, but this set has a special place in my heart. It's notable for including toddlers with visible disabilities.
• Where's the...? by Ingela P. Arrhenius

Titles particular to my library

• Barn in... by Chambrae Griffith
• Farm books always are very popular in my quasi-rural area.
• Lake life with you by Cindy Jin
• We have a lot of lakes.
• Let's find Momo by Andrew Knapp
• A parent requested these via inter-library loan and they turned out to be wildly popular. Be aware that the picture book featuring Momo is about the dog dying, it is not a cute seek-and-find like the board books.
• Raccoon Rambles by Jo Byatt
• A new addition from Child's Play.
• Wiggles by Claire Zucchelli-Romer
• I just really like this one!