Jump in the leaf pile by Kelly Green, illustrated by Kasia Nowowiejska

 I would just like to preface this by saying that the ubiquity of leaf blowers, which I abhor, has almost completely obliterated the seasonal and sentimental pastime of jumping in piles of leaves, not to mention destroying peace, pollinators, and nutrients for the soil. Ahem.

This novelty board book has loose sliders in the four main pages that make it look as if leaves are "falling" out of the picture. The rhymes emphasize colors and movement, encouraging readers to scrape, rake, tip, and blow the leaf piles.

There are four pages with a slider and while they are loose, it does take some tapping and shaking of the book to get them to come out. When you do, they all tend to come out at once. The book itself does not feel very sturdy, with a thin cardboard cover holding the four thicker boards in place.

The art is cheerful and colorful, showing a diverse range of children playing outdoors in the leaves. The cover picture shown doesn't accurately show the way the sliders work - they all slide out horizontally on the right, so when they're all out it they're stacked on top of each other, not in a fan pattern.

Verdict: I think this will be popular, appealing to adults' nostalgia about leaves, and might, possibly, inspire some kids to try to keep leaves around a little longer. Although the book is flimsy, it's inexpensive and in areas with four seasons it's worth purchasing several copies even if they don't last long.

ISBN: 9781665962056; Board book on Baker & Taylor for $5.66

Published September 2024 by Little Simon; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read, Read, Read said the Baby: Suki Cat Dancer by Grace Habib

 This is one of two board books released in a new series featuring a little cat who likes to dress up. Suki is a blue cat who starts out the story by pulling accessories and dress-up clothes out of a toy box. She's dressed in a pair of yellow overalls, but when she chooses a pink tutu she's transformed into a ballet dancer.

She appears at a barre with other animals in leotards, then on stage. A bigger, orange cat hurts her knee and Suki takes over as the star, finishing with the words "Dressing up is lots of fun, when Suki ban be... anyone!"

The rhyming text isn't particularly outstanding, and it's really not clear, especially for very young audiences, that Suki is imagining all this happening. However, the extra sturdy construction of the book and the additional sliders and moving parts make this a strong choice for board book collections.

Several pages have inset cardboard images that are moved with a finger pushing a circle back and forth. Other pages have thick cardboard sliders that pull out in different directions. I have had issues with this style - the kids pull them too hard and they break through the book, but I think these will last a long time.

Verdict: This looks like a fun series overall with a nice mix of subjects - the companion volume to this book is Suki being an astronaut - and the sturdy construction is perfect for little hands. Moving the sliders will require pinching and pulling, some of the important motor skills for little ones to practice and the series is very affordable. Recommended.

ISBN: 9798887770901; Board Book on Baker & Taylor for $6.29

Published September 2024 by Nosy Crow; Review copy provided by publisher and donated to the library

Raccoon Rambles: Beach; Park by Jo Byatt

 Child's Play makes unique, inclusive board books and I'm always interested to see what they've come up with. This series, from UK-based illustrator Jo Byatt, features a cute little raccoon having adventures in different areas. I looked at the Park and Beach titles.

In Park, raccoon feeds ducks over a bridge, pokes a stick in a mud puddle, looks at a book in a teepee of sticks, plays with a ball, swings and goes down a slide, smells flowers, gets an ice cream cone and ends up sitting quietly on a bench with a drink. The activities are accompanied by a few simple descriptive words or sounds, "Quack! Quack!" or "Thank you so much!" The last spread shows a simple circle on the grass, with arrows pointing the directions, and icons of each activity. Readers are encouraged to follow the timeline from crossing the bridge to resting on the bench at the end. The back cover of the book explains the purpose of the route map, to encourage recollection and sequencing. (I am not going to say whether or not I had to go back and read the book again to remember the activities.)

The title set on the Beach is similar, but the text is more declarative and questioning. Raccoon arrives at the beach in a wetsuit with buckets of sand and the words "At the beach." They splash in the water, "Brrr! It's cold!" listen to a shell, fly a kite, and look at shells "Where does this one fit?" Like the previous book, there's a pause with a book halfway through and it ends with packing up everything to go home. The route map is this book is set on the beach, whereas the Park title's route map is on green grass.

The other titles in this series are City and Home.

Verdict: While I prefer Child's Play's titles that picture children, especially those of Annie Kubler and Carol Thompson, this is a nice addition to board book collections and the route map is unique and a fun activity for little ones to try out.

Park ISBN: 9781786288462; Beach ISBN: 9781786288479; Board book on B&T for $6.64

Published April 2024 by Child's Play; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Left Hand, Right Hand by Dori Elys, illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan

 I've relaxed a lot about board books with moving parts over the years - I try to balance the cost with the fact that they'll probably disintegrate after only a handful of uses. However, I still have a hard time convincing myself to buy "touchy-feely" books, especially if they are likely to get dirty quickly. Small children are gross, I'm just gonna lay it out there.

That being said, this is a touchy-feely book that I can't help but recommend because it's very, very cleverly done. As seen on the cover, there are two options for touching - one for the left hand, one for the right. The cover is a kind of flocked yarn and pink fur, both of which I predict are going to be very nasty, very soon...

The book itself has a different texture on each page, inviting readers to touch them with the appropriate hand "Left hand smooth./Right hand bumpy." The bear and dog from the cover cavort through the pages exhibiting a smooth, shiny bucket, lightly raised circles, a sort of thin carpet which is labeled "furry" and a pathway to trace with a finger for "jumpy." There is also rough, soft, crinkle, and squash and the book ends with inviting children to touch with both hands an array of glittery stars.

Verdict: This is a fun way to help very young children practice left and right and although some of the textures are a bit odd, the cheerful pictures are cute and the book is likely to popular for the short time that it lasts. It's under $10, not too much more expensive than your average board book, and would be a good addition to most collections.

ISBN: 9781665953023; Published June 2024 by Little Simon; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: What goes in the ocean? A seek-and-find book by Dori Elys, illustrated by Katie Cottle

 Dive down into the ocean for a seek-and-find adventure that will have little ones giggling. Starting with the beach, readers will see a colorful, detailed spread showing a lion and clownfish basking in the sun with glasses and ice cream, seagulls playing chess, and a crowd of crabs and shells. The text references the crabs and gulls and asks the reader which things belong in the ocean, with a side bar specifically instructing readers to identify what belongs on the seashore.

The following spreads repeat this layout, with a coral reef, deep ocean scene, kelp forest, Arctic ocean, and finishing with a scene combining bits of all the previous pages and encouraging readers to take care of the ocean and not litter. The last spread gives a little bit of information about each scene and lists some of the items that do not belong.

My orderly mind doesn't like it that there isn't a complete list of what doesn't belong on each spread. For example, the key to the Arctic ocean lists "jungle tigers, summertime pool floaties, and ice cream carts" but there are also ducklings, marshmallows, daisies, dandelions, swirls of whipped cream, a hot dog, and, more subtly, penguins, which do not live in the Arctic. The art is fairly detailed for a toddler audience and the the text is not really related to the pictures.

Verdict: Although there are some drawbacks that make this an additional purchase only, little ones who like to sit still and look closely will enjoy picking out all the different pictures and an adult with contextual knowledge can help them find the things that are more subtle, like the penguins, or explore some other books about the different underwater habitats.

ISBN: 9781665956109; Published May 2024 by Little Simon; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: One by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Katura Gaines

 Sometimes finding a good book is a happy accident! When I was looking at possible board book titles for review, I passed over this one - it looks pretty, but in my experience these types of social-emotional/self-esteem books do not make developmentally appropriate board books and I requested a different title instead. However, this was sent to me by accident - and it turned out to be a great book, that I might never have discovered otherwise!

One is the girl on the cover, in a blue sports shirt with the letter one, having her hair brushed back into a high puff. Her brown skin glows against a yellow background. On the next page, she sits on sun-warmed yellow steps and raises her hand in greeting to... two. Two is a girl with two puffs, grinning in a gap-toothed smile against a pink background. One by one, new girls join the group. Their hair is in a variety of fun styles from cornrows to braids, their skin colors range from dark brown to light tan, and their body types are as varied as their hair styles. They all wear the same blue uniform, but one has a skirt over leggings, some wear shorts, some loose pants. They play jump rope and hang out and chat until the full ten of the soccer team is there and ready for a class picture. The text ends with "but we know we are one!" and the final spread is the photograph of the girls with a jump rope and soccer ball off the side.

I don't think infants or toddlers will grasp the idea of teams or friendship solidarity, but they can certainly get the idea of of counting. They will also appreciate the exuberant pictures that glow with positivity and pride as the girls greet their friends and play together and it's a great opportunity to introduce all ages to different Black hairstyles.

Verdict: I'm glad I saw this one and can now add it to my library's collection - I recommend it for all board book collections.

ISBN: 9781665939362; Published August 2023 by Little Simon; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Where's the Bunny? by Ingela P. Arrhenius

 This is the latest entry in a long-running, popular board book series. The themes are generally focused on animals, although there are holiday and vehicle titles as well. This particular title includes various baby animals, although there aren't really any differences between them and adult animals.

The covers are paper over board and the pages are thin cardboard. Each spread features a simple landscape with the text "Where's the ___?" and a felt flap to pull down showing the animal. This title includes a puppy, mouse, duckling, and bunny. The last spread asks "And where are you?" and the felt flap reveals a small mirror. The art includes simple patterns and bright colors.

Verdict: There's nothing particularly stand-out about this particular volume, but it's worth noting when new titles in this series are released - they are not particularly sturdy, so need to frequently be replaced with new titles. However, they are so popular and suited to infants and toddlers that they are worth purchasing. Make sure to add this and other recent releases from the series to brighten your board book collection for spring.

ISBN: 9781536232004; Published January 2024 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher

When I feel ANGRY and When I feel HAPPY, illustrated by Paula Bowles

 I will always love Child's Play for their diverse board books; they were the first I ever found that featured toddlers and young children with visible disabilities. They also do more abstract illustrated titles, but I've had mixed feelings about those, so I decided to preview this series before purchasing the rest of it.

Both books feature vaguely anthropomorphic monster/animal figures, featuring the ones shown on the covers. The text is basic statements, like "Sometimes I feel angry!" and "When I feel happy, I want to float like bubbles and swing higher and higher!" The Happy character is largely alone, showing the different ways to express happiness. The Angry character is shown frightening and upsetting other, similarly fluffy monster-like creatures, by throwing blocks and yelling. In the Angry story, the creature "take[s] time to breathe" and "think nice thoughts" and then settles in to peacefully read with the others.

There is no author listed, but the back cover gives credit to Kathryn Lester, a lecturer in developmental psychology, for her advice. The stated intentions of the book are to help young children verbalize their feelings and give "coping strategies where relevant." They are, necessarily, simple and follow a familiar layout for Child's Play books, a large square (7x7") with 7 thin but sturdy cardboard pages.

I like the approach, especially the nongendered characters, but at the same time I am always doubtful about books, especially for young children, that illustrate emotion but don't use photographs or human faces. Will a child really relate to a furry orange monster with snaggle teeth or a yellow bunny-like creature with turquoise glasses perched on its head? However, this is very common in books for toddlers, and children in general.

Verdict: This set might not be the best choice for neurodivergent or more literal children, especially infants or very young toddlers, but it does a good job of what it sets out to do - give young children words to voice their feelings. If you are looking for more social-emotional learning for little ones, this set is a good choice.

When I feel angry
ISBN: 9781786287465

When I feel happy
ISBN: 9781786287489

Published October 2023 by Child's Play; Review copies provided by publisher

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Too Green! and By Myself! by Sumana Seeboruth, illustrated by Maribel Castells

 These two sweet board books discuss toddler experiences and feelings in an age-appropriate way. In Too Green! a brown-skinned child with short, curly hair, watches their moms get ready to cook. One has dark skin and straight hair, the other has straight blonde hair. They look on in concern as Mama takes out strange green things to cook - all they want is bread and butter! The cooking process interests them however and cheerful rhymes take the reader through cutting, stirring, cooking, and blending. They're still reluctant to try the green soup when it's finished, but their moms convince them to try a sip and they signal their approval with a loud burp and a request for more! A cute calico cat pops up here and there throughout the story. The text is short and simple but has intriguing words to try, much like the soup!

This series is aptly named "Feelings and Firsts" as the second of the two books shows a common childhood feeling - and first - of a child wanting to get dressed By Myself! Two Asian sisters wake up and get read for their day. The little one (the book calls her a toddler, but she's wearing panties, not diapers, so is more likely a preschooler) grabs clothes while the older sister puts on her glasses and hearing aid. But when little sister gets caught in her clothes, and big sister offers help, she loudly refuses. With her clothes on crooked, arms sticking out every which way, and the brush stuck in her hair, little sister is the picture of frustration - until she realizes big sister needs help too, with a tricky zipper up the back! Helping each other, the two are soon ready to go out.

Both have simple illustrations that include just enough detail to catch the attention of young readers without distracting them. The predominant colors of Too Green! are green, of course, and brown and of By Myself! pink with pastel highlights.

Verdict: These are priced a little over the average board book, but they are absolutely worth a little extra. Both little ones and parents alike will see themselves in the books and they are beautifully made, with strong, solid bindings and gently curved pages. They are also available in bilingual (Spanish) editions. Highly recommended.

Too Green
ISBN: 9781646869930

By Myself
ISBN: 9781646869954

Published August 2023 by Barefoot Books; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Make Tracks: Building Site by Johnny Dyrander

I have mixed feelings about how to categorize this title. It's part of a series that encourages young readers to use their finger to push a cardboard circle around a depressed "track" in the book. This particular title is focused on construction vehicles and the front cover features a small excavator to be pushed around a square around a large excavator.

There are five thick pages to the book, working out to four spreads. Each features a different construction vehicle on the left, with a simple explanation of what it does and different parts of the machine, like a tire or engine, identified. The tracks inside the book offer a little more scope than a simple square. They are more in the nature of a short road, usually with a few turns. There is a spread for a concrete mixer, dump truck, excavator (which has a roundabout to go round) and a bulldozer.

On the "board book" side of the argument, the book is very sturdy, with thick board pages and no moving parts other than the disc that slides along. The discs are loose - they will move if you turn the book - so should not need any pulling or twisting that would damage them. Construction vehicles are a perennially popular title and the combination of simple text and encouraging the kids to build fine motor skills and "drive" the vehicle will make these undoubtably popular.

On the "toy" side, the discs are very loose - they sometimes get stuck at the ends and I can definitely see small kids trying to pry them out just because. There is also room for small fingers to get under the edges of the track and pull them up.

What settles the argument for me is that this is priced like a typical board book - $7 with discount. It may not last as long as a board book with no moving parts, but it's sure to be popular while it lasts and will be easy to replace.

Verdict: This is sure to be a popular addition to board book shelves and I will certainly be purchasing the whole series, as soon as it is available.

ISBN: 9798887770093; Published September 2023 by Nosy Crow; Review copy provided by publisher

Yikes! Discovery Series: What dwells in the deep? by Kelly Ward-Wills, illustrated by Steve James

I love nonfiction but it's really hard to find nonfiction board books that are both nonfiction (some of the things review journals call "nonfiction" are just ridiculous) and actual suited to a board book audience of infants and toddlers. You can, of course, argue that older children can enjoy board books as well and some do, but the vast majority of my caregivers and parents firmly view this format as "baby books" and I'm not going to waste time in a pointless effort to convince them otherwise.

Anyways, I was eager to see this new series from a small publisher and it turned out to be surprisingly good! The book opens with a boat floating on the water, piloted by a dark-skinned man with a beard with two dark-skinned children, a boy and a girl, on deck. They are looking at a leatherback sea turtle who is diving into the ocean.

Readers follow the turtle down to where it swims with a school of little striped fish and finds its food, jellyfish. As the readers go deeper, they meet a giant oarfish, vampire squid, sperm whale, anglerfish, dumbo octopus, and finally a snailfish at the deepest part of the ocean.

The text is very lengthy for a board book, but it actually works quite well. It uses simple, descriptive words with the name of the creature highlighted, so the adult reader can easily adapt it for shorter attention spans. Some sample sentences are, "What's that bright light shining in the black water?" or "Bye, sperm whale! We're going to see what dwells even deeper!"

The pages are numbered, unusual in a board book, and the final spread includes additional information about each creature. This will be useful for caregivers to read themselves so they can answer questions and incorporate the information into their read-alouds. There is a typo in the description of the dumbo octopus. The pages are made of thin cardboard, but it should be sufficiently sturdy for a board book, and the book is slightly larger than an average board book at 8.5x8.5 inches.

Verdict: This unique board book would be a great addition to any board book collection, especially one that caters to classes of toddlers and preschoolers. This makes a fun read-aloud for storytime as well, and the slightly larger size should make it work for a small or medium group. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781777081799; Published December 2022 by Eye of Newt Books; Review copy provided by publicist; Donated to the library

Big science for tiny tots: High Chair Chemistry by Jill Esbaum

There are a lot of board books published ostensibly for children but actually aimed at adults. I put in those categories most of those "Jane Eyre for infants" and "physics for babies" titles. You know what I'm referring to. That was what I'd expected with this new series, but it turned out to actually work really well, albeit somewhat differently than a traditional board book.

The art is composed of photographs, mostly infants in the 4-6 month age range, with a diversity of races. An Asian male and a Latina are shown at two points with the infants. Plain yellow and orange backgrounds, some decorated with household items like spoons or a bib, are placed behind the bulk of the text. The text, shown in different sizes, ranges from simple questions and statements "Are you hungry?" to the kind of talking a caregiver would do with a small child "Mixing cereal and water made something new. Doesn't it look gooood?" There are eight simple definitions of concepts, placed in small type at the bottom of pages, throughout the book "Viscosity (noun): how quickly or slowly a fluid moves in response to an outside force" and these are connected to the photos, actions, and description of the spreads. A note to the parents at the back of the book gives general guidelines for helping little ones explore science through everyday experiences.

Now, if you try to read this book straight through with an infant or toddler, it's not going to work. Even the simplified definitions are preschool level at the very least. What the book does do, is to give caregivers a pattern for talking and exploring with the infants while they have everyday experiences and give the simple science behind these everyday actions. The adult will have the background information to inform their conversation while the baby benefits from talking and interaction with an adult.

Verdict: This new series is both developmentally appropriate in modeling actions and conversations with babies while giving adult caregivers simple science explanations that they will be able to weave into their conversation and use to talk with children as they grow older and explore the world around them. A unique series, strongly recommended for most libraries.

ISBN: 9781536229660; Published May 2023 by Mit Kids Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

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

Kind Crocodile by Leo Timmers

Technically, this is a board book. However, its subtle humor will appeal to older kids and it's formatted as a large board book which can easily pass for a picture book.

The story features Timmers' art, all of the characters having large, bulbous eyes and sly grins. The first spread shows the titular crocodile walking across a sandy landscape, approached by a panicky mouse who says "Help, kind Crocodile!" Turn the page and the mouse zooms up onto Crocodile's back, as we see it is being chased by a snake. On the next page, Crocodile bares her teeth in a fierce "GRRRR!" and the snake takes off... but on the next page a warthog begs for safety, then a gazelle, and so on. This continues until Crocodile is crushed flat by the weight of all the animals stacked on top of her, and the animals find their courage. "Nothing can scare us ever again!" they cheerfully proclaim. But Crocodile isn't feeling so kind anymore...

The story ends with a new organization of stacked animals and a cheeky grin from Crocodile. The simple art and repetitive dialogue will click with toddlers, but it will take an older audience to truly appreciate the mischievous Crocodile turning the tables at the end of the story and the subtle humor in Timmers' animals' faces. The book has thin board pages and is laid out in a large rectangle, 8.5" x 9.75" so it will work as a small-format picture book. The price, $10 with discount, is closer to a picture book as well.

Verdict: Add this to your board book or picture book collection and be sure to bring it out frequently for storytime with preschoolers and school-agers alike. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781776574704; Published March 2023 by Gecko; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read, read, read, said the Baby: Look, it's Woof Woof Dog by Camilla Reid and Clare Youngs

This is a crossover between a board book and a novelty or "toy" book. It has the shape and size of a board book, simple art and text, and cardboard pages. However, it also has felt flaps to lift and is made with a thinner binding and lighter cardboard pages than the typical board book. It probably won't have as long a shelf-life as the typical board book.

I don't care how long they last and I want the whole series because this book is so fun, adorable, and just right for little ones!

Each spread introduces the main animal seen there, with "Look, it's Quack Quack Duck! Quack, quack! he says." The gender of the animals is alternated between he and she. A second sentence, in smaller type, asks "But do you see a beautiful dragonfly?" and moving the thick felt flap shows a small image of the dragonfly with the text "Here it is!" There are four animals, a rabbit, duck, fish, and dog, and four flaps covering a bee, tadpole, dragonfly, and mole. The final spread shows the four big animals and repeats their sounds paired with a large yellow flap covering a mirror and asking the child what they say.

The art is created in a collage-style, with patterned squares and rectangles put together to make the basic animal shapes and some foliage and decorated with slightly raised or indented sparkling accents.

Verdict: While the book's construction is a bit flimsy, this is just perfect to read with babies and toddlers and they're a reasonable cost for a novelty board book. This title is coming out with Roar Roar Lion and two more titles will be released in the fall. Recommended, especially for kits or circulating toys.

ISBN: 9798887770031; Published June 2023 by Nosy Crow/Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Oakley the Squirrel: Camping 1 2 3! A Nutty Numbers book by Nancy Rose

As I sit here reviewing this book, I am also looking out my window at a very scruffy squirrel (but one of many) who has contrived to maneuver past my baffle and squirrel-proof feeder, thus allowing him to get... a peanut.

Squirrels are cute, but they are not good at cost-benefit analysis. Also, there is something wrong with my squirrels (and chipmunks) as they have cheerfully eaten daffodil bulbs, hot pepper-laced seed, plants sprayed with hot pepper wax, Sluggo (slug bait), and Liquid Fence in both liquid and granule form. However, I can admire the determination and patience of an artist who puts these furry rats to use. Nancy Rose has created a series of seasonal picture books and now board books, creating miniature sets and props and posing the squirrels by tempting them in with sunflower seeds and peanuts.

This board book has a simple concept theme, counting the various camping items the squirrels (and one chipmunk) use and ending with little thumbnails of the various items. There are little handmade pads and pillows, squirrels rummaging around with a boat and fishing poles on a beach (said beach having a nice scattering of sunflower seeds) and appearing to be building sandcastles. This isn't necessarily a board book that is developmentally correct for the intended infant and toddler audience, but little ones will be delighted with the images of squirrels and this book will charm an older audience with the miniatures and gently humorous poses.

Verdict: An additional, but fun purchase. Older kids may be interested in doing their own photo shoots and editing after looking at some of the cute scenes and one might as well put the preponderance of squirrels to use.

ISBN: 9781523518319; Published May 2023 by Workman; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Lake life with you by Cindy Jin, illustrated by Andres Landazabal

 This gentle board book begins with a scene of a small lake, rising orange sun, windmill and farm buildings in the distance, and a biracial family moving leisurely down to the dock and tethered canoe. They are dressed in pajamas and bathrobes, a White father with glasses, Black mother carrying a toddler, young girl with braided hair, and a medium-sized dog.

Poetic text, rhyming from page to page, follows the family through a happy day at the lake, swimming, canoeing, hiking, and picnicking. "Let's roll out the blanket, enjoy good food, and relax in the shade/Then head on inside, for bath time fun, as the light starts to fade." Only on the cover, where a canoe drifts across the lake in the distance, are any other people shown.

I wasn't wholly taken with the text - I had to read the book through out loud to actually catch the rhymes and it's more conceptual than most babies and toddlers will grasp. The single family with a lake to themselves and the leisure to enjoy it are a small, privileged minority.

However, this is absolutely a book I want and need for my library. We are located in the vicinity of numerous lakes and many families go camping farther up north, where they will see many scenes similar to this one. "Lake life" is definitely an important part of many peoples' lives, even if that may not be in such solitary circumstances.

Verdict: On its own, this may not be a necessary purchase, but for those libraries located in areas with lakes, camping, and outdoor life, this is a must-have with the added bonus of portraying people of color enjoying the rural outdoors. Recommended especially for Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan libraries.

ISBN: 9781665935142; Published May 2023 by Little Simon; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Finn's fun trucks: Bus Buddies by Finn Coyle, illustrated by Srimalie Bassani

I purchased and reviewed a previous book in this series, focused on construction trucks, a few years ago and it was fun to see a new set of vehicles portrayed. This book is focused on transportation and I was delighted to see that at least some of them appear to be set in Chicago, which is where my audience is most likely to have encountered urban transportation.

The first spread introduces a range of community helpers/transportation workers, four presenting male, one presenting female. Each worker introduces the type of bus they drive, starting with a "road trolley". The vehicle is shown on the facing page with a few simple arrows pointing to elements like the "headlights" or "cable car design". Lift the flap, an entire page, and you'll see an extended spread of the vehicle in motion. There is a mass transit bus, taking people to the Chicago sightseer spot of The Bean, a tram running on a cable, double-decker bus in London, and a monster truck bus. Technically, this last is not used for transportation - it's a school bus that has been reworked into a monster truck, apparently. The final spread brings back all the workers and their vehicles and the lifted spread shows all the areas where the vehicles run. Finn, a small blonde boy, is shown on the back cover with the explanation that he loves all kinds of vehicles.

Verdict: Vehicle books are always popular and, although people call them stereotypical there are actually relatively few published, especially ones that specifically appeal to the youngest children. While the artwork is a little blurry for a board book audience, this makes a nice addition to any board book collection, even more so for those in an urban area where kids can recognize familiar transportation methods. Also, I now know that school bus monster trucks are a Thing!

ISBN: 9781486722754; Published October 2022 by Flowerpot Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Fuzzy Furry Ouch by Cree Lane and Amanda Jane Jones

Sometimes it seems that the bulk of new board books being published are really directed at adults, either as gag-type gifts or as a cheaper, handier version of lengthier picture books. There just aren't that many books that are developmentally appropriate for infants to toddlers. On the other hand, I don't think it really matters that much ultimately, since the interaction between reader and listener may be just as, if not more, important than the actual content of the book.

That being said, this is a well-meaning book but it really does not work, not even, in my opinion, as something for an adult and child to enjoy together. The idea is simple - instead of a touch-and-feel story, it's a "do not touch" book. However, since board books are intended for young, very tactile children, this just... doesn't work. There is a "fuzzy" pink peach and a green caterpillar with spikes labeled "furry." The peach has a fuzzy coating on it, but there is no tactile element to the caterpillar (and kids shouldn't be encouraged to think of caterpillars as furry - if they look furry, it's usually hairs, not fur, and they can be irritating and/or stinging.) The cactus of the front page, which has slightly raised spikes, is repeated with no tactile elements and readers are encouraged to "find a flower instead!" with the flowers having die-cut shapes over silk.

There's a rather confusing set of pages around rain, puddles, and boots, pancakes and syrup (the syrup is smooth, not "sticky" but to be fair you... really wouldn't want a sticky page in a book). The page that bothers me the most comes next - gold foil covers an image of a stove, basically a rectangle with some white dots, with the reminder not to touch a hot stove. It doesn't look remotely like any stove, and regardless of whether the book is telling people not to touch, young children are tactile and the indented, sparkly shapes are just asking to be touched. There are several more sessions, some with a lizard and snake, "rough" palm trees that aren't textured at all, and ending with a rocket. Yes, it makes no sense to me either.

Verdict: This was an interesting idea, but in my opinion not only poorly and inaccurately executed but also actually verging on dangerous. Not recommended.

ISBN: 9781665924740; Published November 2022 by Little Simon; Review copy provided by publisher

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Windy Days by Deborah Kerbel and Miki Sato

This book looked somewhat familiar and I realized that it's a set of four titles, one for each season, with Sunny Days being a popular title in my library. The books are available in a padded picture book or sturdy board book format. This title is in the board book format.

Rhyming couplets describe the many different ways we hear, feel, and use the wind from a stormy wind to turbines to twirling the falling leaves. Charming collage illustrations show children playing, watching, and experiencing the wind and the joys of the fall season. This is set in an area with four seasons, showing colored leaves falling, the beginning of snow flakes, and colder temperatures. There is also a spread showing kids in costumes going trick or treating. An interesting variety of textures and colors are shown in the collage illustrations, including a variety of skin tones. Simple back matter describes some science experiments and explains different types of clouds, all of which can be found in the book. On the back cover is a guide to parents describing the elements included in the book.

Verdict: This series is perfect for storytime, especially since it's available in a picture book as well as a board book edition. Use this in storytime, STEM programs for little ones, or add to your board book collection for a popular seasonal touch.

ISBN: 9781772782707; Published September 2022 by Pajama Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library. Reinforced edition, 9781772782172, published 2021, added to the library order list.