The Little Reindeer Finger Puppet Book

Ivy was never interested in these finger puppet books by Chronicle Books, but Atticus, a man of action, loves these. He lunges for the little reindeer on every page, attempting to eat him. It makes him laugh when you move the reindeer as well. I am not sure he is getting much out of the one or two rhyming sentences in the book, but a book is a book!!

Baby's First Christmas

Not the most exciting board book, but a colorful expression of Christmas nonetheless. Baby's First Christmas contains beautiful photographs of various items associated with Christmas. Great for a young baby! Merry Christmas from Atticus's crib to yours.

Ideals Publications

Biscuit's Pet and Play Christmas

Atticus has been paying attention to books more and more. He does however, only seem to be interested in touch and feel books. Alissa Satin Capucilli was an old favorite of Ivy's, so I bought this book on clearance before Atticus was born. He especially loves the soft fur of the horse and Biscuit's red sweater. It is heartwarming to seem my bundle of joy engaging with the literary world, even if it is just eating it. Woof, Woof. 

In My Tree by Sara Gillingham

Atticus just loves movement. Ivy was never drawn to books with puppets, but Atticus adores these. He loves to watch the owl "dance" from page to page in Sara Gillingham's latest. He keeps grabbing for it with gleeful chubby fingers. The colors are bright and the pages are layered like the branches of a tree. In My Tree is the perfect gift for grabby hands.

Bear Says Thanks

We are big Karma Wilson fans in this house. Bear Says Thanks is no exception. Bear decides to thank his friends with a giant feast only there is no food in his den! What is a bear to do? Bear learns that there is more than one way to say thanks in this adorable tale.

The First Thanksgiving

Being an ex-Plimoth Plantation girl, I am a little picky about Thanksgiving books. I have to give it to Nancy Davis. A few rhyming sentences and some gorgeous lift the flaps later, this is an authentic board book. There is a lovely image of the Mayflower

 as well as some Native American corn-planting scenes. Simple yet effective. This gets 5 Meghan stars.

Five Silly Turkeys

I am back after a long hiatus! Raising two kids and working full time has slowed me down a bit! Atticus is now eight months old. Although he loves to eat and smash books more than he likes to read them, we nonetheless continue to expose him to books as much as we can. Five Silly Turkeys by Salina Yoon is an excellent Thanksgiving book. Atticus loves the crinkly turkey feathers. This book is a counting book with cute pictures of turkeys doing...well...silly things.

Halloween Board Books

I am in the processing of ordering Halloween board books from the library. I will be checking out some of these!

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Tad Hills: Duck and Goose Find A Pumpkin

Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin is just another adorable tale in Tad Hills's Duck and Goose series. Duck and goose are looking for a pumpkin. They search high and low asking questions - Is it under the log? No. Is it in the tree? No. The simplicity and repetition help make it an engaging read. Atticus mostly just wants to chew on it, but we have read it a few times indicating a hit. Get yourself in the mood for the fall!

Little Blue Truck Leads the Way

After a long hiatus, we are back! Atticus has been enjoying Alice Schertle's Little Blue Truck Leads the Way.

The big city is a noise place full of new wonders. Poor little blue truck is feeling overwhelmed and a bit bullied by the big trucks in the city. Busses, taxis, limos, and trucks all rudely honk at him. When he politely suggests lining up in a single file line, he is rejected. The result is a massive traffic jam and a flat tire on the mayor's limo. Will blue truck be able to save the day? Find out in this adorable rhyming board book!

Peek-a-Moo

Peek-A-Moo by Marie Torres Cimarusti and illustrated by Stephanie Peterson has been a hit with Atticus since birth! Each page contains the simple words, "Guess Who? Peek-A-?" A giant animal is covering his eyes with wings/arms/hoofs, etc. When opened the animal says, "Peek-A-" and the appropriate animal sounds.

Atticus just loves the large animal pictures. This book would make an excellent gift!

Betsy Snyder Strikes Again

Tons of Trucks by Sue Fliess and illustrated by Betsy Snyder is an adorable book. Not one for trucks, I was surprised I enjoyed this one so much. It is full of rhymes, textures, colors, and moving parts. Adorable animals are all driving these trucks. There is so much to do that Atticus just wants to eat it! Happy six months, Atticus!

Haiku Baby

Why not introduce poetry to an infant? Atticus seems to enjoy Betsy Snyder's Haiku Baby. Each page contains a tab for easy page turning as well as a scene from nature with accompanying 17 syllable poem. The pictures are bright and delightful. 


In tickly-toe grass
a buttercup offers up
yellow nose kisses.

Pajama Time

Sandra Boynton's Pajama Time is a big hit with young Atticus, probably due to my off-key singing. I am not sure the tune I should carry this song to, but...we have a blast.  Join Sandra's fun-loving characters as they play, snack, exercise, brush teeth, and get ready for bed. Who won't have fun with a swinging pig and jump-roping chicken?

Pajammy to the left.
Pajammy to the right.
(Jamma jamma jamma jamma P! J!)
Everybody’s wearing them
for dancing tonight.
(Jamma jamma jamma jamma P! J!)

Llama Llama Wakey-Wake

Atticus, much like his big sister, has a penchant for all books Anna Dewdney. The infant board books are bright, colorful, and full of fun rhymes. The simple wording and shorter sentences make them more digestible than the original series. In this book we follow the routine of baby llama getting up, washing, dressing, and eating before a big day at preschool. Maybe it reminds Atticus of Ivy's mornings, or...maybe he just likes the sounds! Either way...head for the stores and buy Ilama Llama Wakey-Wake. 

Babylit

Jennifer Adams's and Alison Oliver's Babylit is a wonderful concept. Introduce your babies to the plot lines of the classics in a fun and inviting way! Ivy adored Price and Prejudice as a young toddler, and Atticus seems to be enjoying Moby Dick: A Babylit Ocean Primer. The pictures are bold and lovely, and there are even a few quotations from the novel! Each page contains a vocabulary word associated with the ocean. Although well done, there is not as much about the plot as in Pride and Prejudice. Atticus also seems to like the darker tale of Dracula: A Babylit Counting Primer. Again, it is hard to get many elements of the plot - just snippets. Despite these thoughts, the series is wonderfully creative and well done.

Interested in more Babylit? Check out these titles. 

Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces

What a joy this book is! It contains no words, simply a fold out book of happy babies with the reverse side full of crying babies. Atticus is so excited by it that he keeps trying to eat it. It is an excellent gift for a newborn baby. The book opens accordion style, so you can prop it open during tummy time!

Peek-A-Who?

Nina Laden created this fun little board book with bright, colorful illustrations and simple rhymes. Each page has a die cut with an image peeking through. The final page contains a thrill for infants - a mirror!  A real hoot...worth a read.

A Plethora of Board Books

With the start of summer, starting new jobs, and various other things, Atticus has been too busy to blog, but not too busy to read. I am ordering from the library many of the following board books. Try them out with us!

New Board Books To Try

Little Brothers Are...

Each page of this delightful book by Beth Norling fills in the blanks with all the things little brothers are, beginning with the most annoying traits and ending with the best traits. Atticus loves the simple and colorful illustrations of infants and toddlers, while big sister Ivy loves the last page - Little brothers are your best friends! 

Annie Kubler

Annie Kubler is an instant hit with baby. Her simple illustrations of babies instantly attract little eyes. Atticus just adores Nursery Time, an oversized board book with two nursery rhymes - Wee Willie Winkie and Hey Diddle Diddle!. Ivy liked her illustrations of popular children's songs such as Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Head, Shoulders, Knee, and Toes. A must have for a newborn baby!

DK Publishing Peekaboo Books

Atticus just loved DK Publishing Peekaboo books. He owns Eyes, Nose, Toes Peekaboo, Bedtime Peekaboo, Playtime Peekaboo, and Bathtime Peekaboo. This books are perfect for young infants because they combine baby faces, sparkles, lift the flap, and few words. They catch the eye of even the youngest readers. Another good thing is that the language is so guessable that older siblings who cannot read can "read" these books. A must have for your infant!

Simm Taback's Dinosaurs

I was unfamiliar with Mr. Taback until some recent research. Both Ivy and Atticus love his Dinosaurs. Each page poses the question Who Am I? and folds out into a dinosaur four times the original page! The dinosaurs, even the T-Rex, are colorful and smiling. Very eye-catching for an infant.

Moo, Baa, La La La

Sandra Boynton is a popular author for babies and toddlers. The words are rhyming, the text is short, and the pictures are distinctive and fun. Atticus loves Moo, Baa, La La, La. I was able to read it to him two times in a row with smiles the whole time! Five stars from Atticus. It is filled with animal sounds - a sure hit with your baby!

Bear Feels Sick

Jane Chapman and Karma Wilson teamed up to create the lovable bear and his good friends, hare, wren, owl, etc. Atticus loves the playful rhyming words and bright pictures. He particularly enjoyed Bear Feels Sick. At the first sign of autumn bear begins to feel sick. Too tired to play with his friends, his friends take care of him. When he begins to feel better, all of his friends fall sick! An endearing look at friendship.

Trains Go

Not being much of a fan of "truck" books, I am seeking alternate vehicles. Steve Light's Trains Go is a great book for very young infants. It is a brightly colored oversized board book. Each page contains a different type of car/train and a fun sound. Atticus is drawn to the noises...Clang, Clang, Clang, Clang, TOOT, TOOT!

Duck and Goose

What toddler/infant doesn't love Tad Hill's Duck and Goose series? His latest, Duck and Goose: Here Comes The Easter Bunny, is adorable.  Duck and Goose are determined to see the Easter Bunny, but cannot find a place to hide.  The cover is a wonderful splash of glitter and pastel. I had Atticus feel the glitter - not sure if at 5 weeks it was a hit, but he seemed to enjoy it!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

I would be remiss if I did not mention some Easter related board books for this blog.  Ivy has been singing the old classic, "Here Comes Peter Cottontail!" to Atticus while showing him the pages to this book illustrated by Pamela Levy.  The colors are colorful and catching, and it is even fun to play the song along with the book. Atticus is more interested in Ivy singing, but at a month old....it is worthy of a blog mention!

Atticus received a lovely board book for a wonderful student of mine, Look Look by Peter Linenthal. Since all infants appreciate contrasts, this book is a great choice. Simple red words describe the black and white contrasting pictures - a cat stretches, flowers bloom, a car races, etc. A must have for any newborn!

Fancy Nancy

I was not expecting Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas to be one of the first books on Atticus's blog, but it is.  Ivy and I read this to him two days ago, and his eyes were glued to the pages.  The illustrations are just gorgeous in this book - explosions of color.  Although newborns can see color, they have trouble distinguishing like colors.  Contrasts are best.  Maybe there were enough contrasts, or maybe he just likes the plot.  Either way, Ivy and I had a blast reading this Jane O'Connor classic.  Fancy Nancy loves Christmas - it is the season of fanciness!  She is so excited to finally put her glass angel tree topper on the tree.  In the excitement of waiting for her grandpa, there is an accident and her tree topper is shattered.  Grandpa swoops in to save the day, teaching Nancy and JoJo about heirlooms along the way!

Helen Oxenbury

Ivy has been very excited to read Atticus Helen Oxenbury's Baby Love: A Board Book Gift Set. Oxenbury is famous for her illustrations of babies and young toddlers. She was one of Ivy's first favorites. Atticus can stay awake during these little books because there are only a few words a page. Included in this set are: All Fall Down, Tickle, Tickle, Say Goodnight, and Clap Hands. 

The Power of Dr. Seuss

Despite the length of any Dr. Seuss book for a newborn, the rhythmic flow of the words appeals to babies.  Both Atticus and Ivy were read a Dr. Seuss book the day they came home from the hospital.  Atticus heard Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?  He stayed awake for all of it - a commendable act for a three day old infant.  This book is great because it contains just a few of the many sounds a newborn infant will hear upon entering the world - a cow's moo, the frying of an egg, and the boom of thunder. It is just fun to read out loud!