Here are some brief reviews of new Board Book series. Next month, we will focus on new individual board books, and new board editions of popular picture books.
New Board Book Series
Drago, Flavia Z. “Monsters Play” series. Candlewick, 06/2022. [22p.]. $8.99 each.
Monsters Play Counting. 978-1-5362-2052-0.
Monsters Play Peekaboo. 978-1-53622-053-7.
Colorful non-scary monsters are featured in this simple rhyming story, that displays both the numeral and word for the number. The mixed media artwork resembles gouache on white backgrounds, showing the monsters in different activities with a counting element. Monsters Play Peekaboo features flaps to lift, to display the answer following a rhyming question on a monster’s identity. Both books are useful and sure to be popular.
Guillain, Adam. “I’m Thinking of” series. Nosy Crow, 08/2022. [8p.]. $9.99 each.
I’m Thinking of a Pet. 978-1-5362-2394-1.
I’m Thinking of an Ocean Animal. 978-1-53622-395-8.
In each spread of this interactive story, a child gives clues to a hidden animal. To reveal the answer, pull on the slider and see if you were able to guess. There are many clues and the animals are all easy to figure out. The children giving the clues represent a variety of skin and hair colors depicting diversity. This is especially effective for emergent readers who will be motivated to read the text and make guesses.
Henson, Mike. “Little Mouse Learns” series. Happy Yak, 08/2022. [14p.]. $9.99 each.
Colors. 978-0711268562.
Numbers. 978-0711268548.
Opposites. 978-0711268500.
Shapes. 978-0711268524.
Die-cut holes reveal fun details in this delightful series on concepts. Little Mouse and his friends demonstrate the concept within a story. For example, in Numbers, the text encourages the reader to count how many mice are needed to eat a large cheese. Only the numeral is shown, not the word for the numbers 1 through 5, making this better for toddlers than emergent readers. In Shapes, the setting is a mouse birthday party. For the younger crowd, this is very effective and fun, using bright saturated colors and cute mice.
Ishida, Sanae. “Little Sumo” series. Little Bigfoot, 09/2022. [20p.]. $9.99 each.
Sumo Shapes. 978-1-63217-311-9.
Sumo Colors. 978-1-63217-344-7.
Sumo wrestlers introduce toddlers to important concepts. The colorful cartoon illustrations depict the wrestlers in the ring and in other related situations, while the facing page gives an example of the shape or color. The text is in English and Japanese. The final two pages depict some of the Japanese cultural items shown throughout the book, such as the Yukata kimono, Mikan citrus fruit, and Geta sandals. Two previous books in the series were released in 2021, depicting numbers and opposites. This series will be especially popular in communities with Asian American populations.
Loewen, Nancy. “Hide and Peek” series. Illus. by Lucy Semple. Happy Yak, 08/2022. [6p.]. $9.99 each.
Mermaid. 978-0711268401.
Unicorn. 978-0711268340.
With flaps, tabs, and small pop-ups, this series should be a popular book for toddlers even though it contains only three spreads per book. In Unicorn, a little girl is sure a unicorn is living in her house – can she find it? She looks in the closet, bathtub, and under the bed. In Mermaid, a boy at the beach finds a mermaid. The text is offered in one sentence per page, and the graphic-style full color artwork depicts the children with tan skin and brown hair. A well-done but minimal offering.
Madden, Carly. “Adventures of Evie and Juno” series. Illus. by Neil Clark. Happy Yak, 09/2022. [18p.]. $13.99 each.
Explore the Planets. 978-0711268493.
Explore Under the Sea. 978-01711268487.
In these unusual rainbow-shaped board books, Evie and her dog Juno explore planets and oceans. Beginning with the inner ring of the rainbow, each spread is slightly larger than the previous one, and as you turn each page the spread becomes a half-circle. The text is brief but for older toddlers and preschoolers, with facts on the topic. In the book on planets, the first spread introduces Mercury, showing Evie and the dog skateboarding on the bumpy, hot surface. In the book on oceans, Evie and Juno visit a tide pool, coral reef, kelp forest, and more. The full color artwork depicts Evie with tan skin and black hair. This is fun for a wide age range, from preschoolers to emergent readers.
McQuinn, Anna. “Leo Can!” series. Illus. by Ruth Hearson. Charlesbridge, 10/2022. [18p.]. $8.99 each.
Leo, Rise and Shine! 978-1-62354-339-6.
Leo, Sleep Tight! 978-1-62354-338-9.
Lola’s little brother Leo is the star of this board book series on the everyday life of a toddler. The text is great for introducing new vocabulary, with words like breezy, zingy, minty, and hazy. The full color artwork depicts the Black family in loving, warm situations. Recommended for all libraries.
Ormes, Jane. River. “Animal Families” series. Nosy Crow, 06/2022. [10p.]. $9.99. 978-1-5362-2401-6.
Sixth in this series of lift-the flap books focusing on animals of specific habitats, river animals are described. The animals include birds, insects, and mammals, showing what they are called. For example, “A daddy duck is called a drake. A mommy duck is called a hen. Baby ducks are called ducklings.” Previous books covered animals seen in the jungle, forest, farm, snow, and safari. A fun, educational look at animals.
Patricelli, Leslie. Splash! Candlewick, 06/2022. [26p.]. $7.99. 978-1-5362-1983-8.
The 27th entry in this popular series starring a white baby (no name or sex included) sees the family going to the beach with a Black family. They splash in the water, build sandcastles, and eat ice cream in the brief, rhyming story. Sure to be as popular as previous books in the series.
Silverstein, Karol Ruth. Stuck! (Help, Please!). Illus. by Greg Paprocki. “Chicken Soup for the Soul Babies” series. Charlesbridge, 10/2022. [22p.]. $8.99. 978-1-62354-285-6.
The latest board book in this popular series focuses on learning to stay calm. A ferret gets stuck on some of the equipment at the playground, but his grandma reminds him to breathe and relax. The brief text rhymes, and is augmented by some dialogue balloons, making this a great choice for both toddlers and emergent readers. A good choice for social and emotional learning.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University iSchool
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