Spring Board Book Round-up, Part II

Spring Board Book Round-up, Part II

New Individual Board Books

Aroeste, Sarah. Mazal Bueno! Illus. by Taia Morley. Kar-Ben, 04/202. [10p.] $8.99. 978-1-7284-4558-8.

     In this unique board book, the Sephardic Ladino language and culture is celebrated. The parents praise the baby with the title phrase, for accomplishments such as his first steps. The full color illustrations depict a family with black curly hair and tan skin.

Silberman, Rosalind. My Family Haggadah. Illus. by Hiroe Nakata. Kar-Ben, 02/2023. [14p.] $8.99. 978-1-7284-5937-0.

     Toddlers will learn a little bit about a Passover seder in this look at the traditions of that celebratory meal. The children participate by eating certain foods and looking for the afikomen. The full color artwork shows the family members and items used at the table as part of the celebration.

Slack, Michael. The Sun Shines on the Jungle. Candlewick, 10/2022. [22p.] $9.99. 978-1-5362-1472-7.

     In this companion to Slack’s The Sun Shines on the Sea, preschoolers are introduced to the food chain. Plants are eaten by beetles, then spiders eat the beetles, then frogs eat the spiders, and so on. The full color illustrations depict the animals close-up, and in a fairly realistic manner. Most spreads feature a flap – when lifted, we see what that animals has eaten. A clever, entertaining science book.

Board Books Adapted from Picture Books

Atinuke. Catch That Chicken! Illus. by Angela Brookbank. Candlewick, 10/2022. $8.99. 978-1-5362-2804-5.

     Lami lives in a compound with her large extended family, where one of her chores involves tending the chickens. The story has repetition, making it a great choice for storytime, but the picture book edition is better for that. This board version is great for one on one sharing, and learning about West Africa, where it is set.

Coyle, Finn. Bus Buddies. Illus. by Srimalie Bassani. “Finn’s Fun Trucks” series, bk. 12. Flowerpot Press, 03/2023. [14p.] $8.99. 978-1-4867-2275-4.

     In this informational book with gatefold flaps, different buses are shown and the drivers explain what each does. For example, the trolley bus is for sight-seeing, and the mass transit bus takes people to work or places throughout a city. The full color illustrations show the buses in a clear way, with drivers of various ethnicities, including one female. This oversized board edition would work well for a bus-themed storytime.

Jarvis. Alan’s Big Scary Teeth. Candlewick, 01/2023. [30p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-2803-8.

   Alan the alligator scares the other jungle animals, until they discover that his teeth are false! But he soon makes friends and becomes the jungle’s storyteller. The text contains onomatopoeia and will hold a storytime crowd, and the full color multimedia illustrations support the text. The board edition is great for one on one sharing.

Kerbel, Deborah. Windy Days. Illus. by Miki Sato. Pajama Press, 09/2022. [22p.] $11.95. 978-1-77278-270-7.

     Part of the Weather Days series, this simple look at how wind affects the weather is illustrated with full color collage artwork, depicting children of various races. The text is set down in two-line rhyming couplets: “Autumn wind – geese take flight, Perfect day to fly a kite.” The book concludes with a few suggested science demonstrations on the wind. This large board edition is equal to the picture book version.

Klassen, Jon. This Is Not My Hat. Candlewick, 09/2022. [32p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-2805-2.

     This board edition of the 2013 Caldecott Medal-winning picture book features a little fish who has stolen a hat from a much larger fish. The humor is likely to go over the head of a toddler, but this edition works well for emergent readers and home use. Klassen’s full color illustrations art set underwater and are clearly reproduced in this version.

                                 

Penny Peck, SJSU iSchool