By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 22, 2009
Sabuda & Reinhart Pop-Ups: Baby Signs
by Kyle Olmon (Author), Jacqueline Rogers (Illustrator)
Reading level: Baby-Preschool
Hardcover: 12 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; Pop edition (April 14, 2009)
What to expect: Babies, Parents, Sign language
Because speech develops at a slower rate than an infant’s or toddler’s cognitive abilities, more and more families are choosing to practice sign language with their children. Sign language lets children a way to communicate what they want or need, alleviating some of the stress and frustration that often leads to tantrums. Hand-and-eye coordination develops much sooner than verbal skills. This is why infants and toddlers are able to learn simple signs for some of the more common words faster than they learn to speak them in a comprehensive way. There are many books that teach parents to sign with their children, a few that teach both baby and parent, but none that will engage baby as much as Sabuda & Reinhart’s pop-up version of Baby Signs — paper engineering and text by Kyle Olmon and illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers.
Covering many of the basic daily events of a baby, this book demonstrates basic signs that can be used every day. None of the guesswork that normally comes from learning signs from a flat page is necessary. By simply pulling down on the sturdy tab the sign is demonstrated by a well illustrated baby. A small amount of text is provided to ensure you have it correct. Families who don’t plan on signing with their children will also enjoy this interactive delight — finger-plays and hand-gestures are always entertaining for this age group, no matter what their meaning. The engineering is sturdy, and although I recommend it for supervised reading time, it can withstand considerable hardship. Babies who can communicate are generally more happy, and a happy baby equals a happy parent. I think this book is great, and it would certainly make a lovely baby-shower gift.
Add this book to your collection: Sabuda & Reinhart Pop-Ups: Baby Signs