The Children’s Book Review | May 3, 2017
6 New Release Board Books
Introduce the youngest readers to the natural world, a literary masterpiece, a daddy-daughter treat, and colorful and captivating early concept board books. The 6 fun new board books listed here are the titles we feel represent the best of May 2017. Little fingers will delight in the colorful, thick pages and the interactive aspects that offer a playful reading experience.
Written by Nichole Mara
Illustrated by Alexander Vidal Santillanes
Publisher’s Synopsis: High feet, slow feet, fast feet, snow feet! So Many Feet introduces young children to the great diversity in the natural world, using feet as an accessible point of entry. The playful, rhyming main text offers some information, but is mostly fun to read aloud. The secondary text offers more facts about each animal and what makes its feet so unique. The book ends by asking children whether their feet can do all the things animals’ feet can do.
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Ages 0-3 | Publisher: Abrams Appleseed | May 2, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1419723186
Created by Jack Wang and Holman Wang
Publisher’s Synopsis: Cuddle up with a classic! In twelve needle-felted scenes and twelve child-friendly words, each book in this ingenious series captures the essence of a literary masterpiece. Simple words, sturdy pages, and a beloved story make these books the perfect vehicle for early learning with an erudite twist. Budding bookworms will delight in this clever retelling of the classics made just for them!
In L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a storm transports Dorothy to the magical Land of Oz. Can she defeat the Wicked Witch and find her way home? It’s a first words primer for your literary little one!
The Cozy Classics series is the brainchild of two brothers, both dads, who were thinking of ways to teach words to their very young children. They hit upon the classics as the basis for their infant primers, and the rest, as they say, is history. From Moby Dick to Pride and Prejudice, here are The Great Books of Western Literature for toddlers and their parents in board book form—a little bit serious, a little bit ironic, entirely funny and clever, and always a welcome gift.
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Ages 1-3 | Publisher: Chronicle Books | May 9, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1452152523
Written by Jacky Davis
Illustrated by David Soman
Publisher’s Synopsis: Perfect for Father’s Day or any day, this board book from the New York Times bestselling Ladybug Girl series celebrates Lulu’s bond with her dad and pairs perfectly with Ladybug Girl and her Mama.
Join Lulu and her papa as they spend a perfect day together. They take a hike complete with rock-skipping at the stream, make a delicious pancake breakfast, and build a birdhouse. Even hanging the laundry to dry is an adventure when Ladybug Girl is with Papa. This sweet story captures the everyday magic of the love between a little girl and her dad.
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Ages 0-3 | Publisher: Dial Books | May 9, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-0803740358
Illustrated by Bastien Contraire
Publisher’s Synopsis: One of these things is almost like the others…
Inspired by the picture book Undercover, a sixty-four-page masterpiece of spot-the-odd-one-out published in 2016, comes a series of odd-one-out board books for the youngest readers. Bastien Contraire creates spreads with four to eight images each – all of which belong together, except one that may resemble the others but has no business joining the lot. A teapot amongst sitting cats, a belt amongst snakes, and a feathered hat amongst birds are all hiding in plain site for the delighted toddler to discover giddily! Young readers will exercise skills of categorization and visual acuity in finding the ‘poser’, and bask in the preposterous silliness.
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Ages 2-5 | Publisher: Phaidon Press | May 22, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-0714874227
Written and Illustrated by Cindy Jin
Publisher’s Synopsis: Powered by parents. Played by kids. Catch Me If You Can is a whole new interactive way to share a story with your little ones.
Are you ready for a game? Here’s how to play—
Catch my fingers before they get away!
The race is on in this action-packed, highly inventive board book that lets your fingers become an engaging part of the playful reading experience! Use the holes in each scene to pop up, wiggle, and surprise your youngest readers as they try to catch you if they can.
Whether you’re in a car, on a plane, in space, or on a train, Catch Me If You Can is a nonstop, hands-on adventure that makes for hours of creative and surprising entertainment.
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Ages 1-4 | Publisher: Little Simon | May 30, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1481492188
Written and Illustrated by Agnese Baruzzi
Publisher’s Synopsis: A colorful and captivating early concept book—illustrated in Agnese Baruzzi’s inimitable style!
Is it big . . . or is it small? You can’t be sure until you’ve turned the page! Is that an elephant’s tail—or does it belong to a tiny mouse? Is that a huge tornado brewing? Or could it be a snail’s swirly shell? This board book makes learning about relative size enormous fun!
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Ages 3+ | Publisher: White Star Kids | May 23, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-8854411104
*Header image from the cover of Crossing Ebenezer Creek, by Tonya Bolden
For more of the best new board books for kids, follow along with our articles tagged with New Books for Kids, Books for Ages 0-3, and Board Books.