Books about and for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

A Book Review Column

Linda D. Labbo
Reviews Section Editor
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA

Editor's Note: Any parent or caregiver who holds an infant or toddler in his or her lap and opens up a book is fostering a love of reading in that child. Additionally, when caregivers point out and label story characters, actions, or objects, young children are given opportunities to develop a rich conceptual and language base that provides a foundation for literacy development. In fact, a first "reading" of one of these books might involve commenting in a gentle, conversational tone on just a few of the pictures. These initial, brief interactions will match the young child's attention span, but they will grow as the child demonstrates continued interest.

The titles reviewed in this column include board books, concept books, simple stories, songs, counting books, and picture books. Told in simple rhymes or narrative and with repeated language patterns, they are sure to capture the attention of even the youngest child and are apt to become favorites to be enjoyed at storytime, bedtime, or anytime for many years to come.

The books reviewed are as follows:

All the Mamas: A True Love Story for Mothers and Daughters of All Ages
Bernard's Nap
Bingo
Changes: My Family and Me
Clifford's Puppy Days
Guess Whose Shadow?
The Happy Book
Huggly Takes a Bath
I Spy
Miss Spider's New Car
My Bunny
This New Baby
Water Babies: Colors

Water Babies: Counting

Where possible, links to authors' and publishers' websites are provided. For a list of Reading Online postings on related topics, click here.

All the Mamas: A True Love Story for Mothers and Daughters of All Ages. Written and illustrated by Carol Gandee Shough. Columbia, SC: Summerhouse, 1998. ISBN 1-887714-29-4. 32 pages. Recommended for ages 2 to 6.

Based on genealogical records of the author's family, this story begins with a daughter, Madeline, who was born in the age of computers. The relationships between the mothers and daughters who were Madeline's ancestors are then traced. Events in American history that shaped the lives of each generation form a backdrop for the personal bonds of love that are emphasized in the repeated refrain, "And this I know, I know for sure. Rachel's Mama held her, kissed her, loved her. Just as I love you." This story, told in glowing oil pastel illustrations and engaging text, engenders a warm sense of family history that spans from the 1990s all the way back to the 1760s. For older children, this book may serve as a springboard for discussing family histories and the feelings of love that cross generations.

Bernard's Nap. Written by Joan Elizabeth Goodman; illustrated by Dominic Catalano. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press, 1999. ISBN 1-56397-728-1. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 2 to 6.

It's nap time and Bernard, a little elephant, doesn't want to go to sleep. All of the older elephants in his family try to help him get drowsy. Mama sings a lullaby. Daddy tells a story. Grandmother clicks away with her knitting needles. Before long, everyone but Bernard is asleep. In the end, Bernard discovers how to calm himself down, nestle under his covers, and drift off. Adults who want to help children settle down for a nap may find this book a helpful resource.

Bingo (Bunny Reads Back series). Written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-02913-4. Unpaged. Recommended for ages from birth to 4.

The Bunny Reads Back series includes board books that present verses from familiar children's songs. In this book, softly rendered pastel drawings offer simple visual images that help bring to life the song about a little dog named Bingo and the farmer who owns him. Each two-page layout repeats the letters of the dog's name in different uppercase fonts. Preschoolers will enjoy noticing how replacing the initial letter B with other letters changes the word Bingo into Tingo, Ringo, Wingo, and Singo. Adults who share this book with children are helping them develop an awareness of the sounds and flexibility of language.

Changes: My Family and Me. Written by Beverly H. Hopkins; illustrated by Sarah K. Hoctor. Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America, 1999. ISBN 0-87868-723-8. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 2 to 6.

Hopkins and Hoctor provide readers with a book that honestly and simply deals with the complexities of family life that occur when parents divorce and remarry. The story begins with a happy mom, dad, and child. In the illustrations, the parents' pleasant expressions become subtly angry as the marriage moves toward divorce. Question marks surround the growing child, who stands in the middle of a family that comes to include a stepmother, a stepfather, and a stepbrother. When his stepmother presents him with a baby half-sister, the child is shown sprawled in an easy chair. A happy ending is at hand when the child envisions how his family will change once more when he grows up, gets married, and has a baby of his own. This sensitively told book is likely to foster discussions about children's feelings associated with changes in family structures and family relationships.

Clifford's Puppy Days. Written and illustrated by Norman Bridwell. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-63608-1. Unpaged. Recommended for ages from birth to 4.

This board book tells a story about a time when Clifford, the big red dog popular with children for many years, was just a little puppy. The first pages of the book remind young readers about Clifford's current size in an illustration that shows him gently towering over his owner, Emily Elizabeth. Through reading this book, children learn that when he was a puppy, Clifford was smaller than a tiny ball. In fact, he was so small that he could fit inside a stocking cap and take a bath in a soup bowl! Other books about Clifford's puppy-hood include stories about bedtime, bath time, and a very noisy day.

Guess Whose Shadow? Written and illustrated with photographs by Stephen R. Swinburne. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press, 1999. ISBN 1-56397-724-9. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 2 to 6.

The author provides basic background information in a foreword to this delightful book that invites young children to ponder the hows and whys of shadows. Photographs of children and objects (e.g., a swing set, a dog, a bicycle) that cast shadows at the seaside, on sidewalks, at the playground, in a parade, and at other everyday places set the stage for the final pages of the book. Children are invited to guess what object, person, or animal is casting each distinctive shadow, and can find out if their predictions were correct with the turn of a page. Adults who point out clues in the shape of the shadows will help children develop skills of deduction.

The Happy Book. Written by Diane Muldrow; illustrated by Patti Ann Harris. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-10993-6. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This is the perfect book for engaging all of a child's senses during a shared reading. On different pages, children can smell chocolaty cocoa and the sweet scent of a flower. They can feel a plastic shower curtain, a cuddly blanket, a scratchy sand castle, a soft kitten, and a pig's curly tail. When held up to a light, the final pages reveal fireflies that glow in the dark. There's even a message hidden inside an envelope that little ones will enjoy opening.

Huggly Takes a Bath. Written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold. New York: Scholastic, 1998. ISBN 0-590-91820-6. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 2 to 6.

Both adults and children are likely to appreciate this charming book that gives a humorous look at the life of a little monster who lives under the bed. Unlike the bigger, meaner monsters who roar through other less friendly storybook pages, this little green monster simply wants to learn more about the everyday activities of humans -- such as taking a bath. Those children who balk at bath time, may even learn that baths can be fun.

I Spy: Little Numbers. Written by Jean Marzollo; illustrated with photographs by Walter Wick. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-68714-X. Unpaged. Recommended for ages from birth to 5.

Written and photographed in the same style as the larger versions of the I Spy series, this board book offers a search-and-find activity for very young children. Each colorful photograph of a group of items is accompanied on a facing page by a simple rhyme and picture clues. Adults can help young children identify, label, and locate each of the items within the larger groupings. Additional pictures on the last pages of the book will inspire children to go on a visual scavenger hunt. This book may serve as a springboard for oral language development as children and adults describe the objects they spy.

Miss Spider's New Car. Written and illustrated by David Kirk. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-439-04675-0. Unpaged. Recommended for ages from birth to 4.

Miss Spider and a little spider companion set off to find a new car in this board book adventure. Fanciful paintings show Miss Spider's delicate world populated by insects and whimsical modes of transportation. Adults will enjoy many of the details, such as those in an illustration of "snail mail" delivered by a snail who carries tiny letters in a saddlebag strapped to his shell. The search for just the right car takes Miss Spider to Mantis Motors, Snail's Slick-Tail Speedsters, and Hop Daddy's Hop Rods. Frog cars, grasshopper cars, and matchbox cars are all too fast for Miss Spider, but a bumblebee has the perfect car to meet her needs. Adults and children will enjoy talking about how the different modes of transportation might be powered to move through water, land, or air.

My Bunny. Written and Illustrated by James Young. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-18375-3. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 2 to 5.

Any adult who has ever tried to help a young child deal with the anxiety of losing a favorite toy will appreciate the comfort offered in this book. Humorously told in rhyme, the story begins when a father, who is tucking his little girl in for the night, helps her locate her lost bunny from under the bed. When the child has trouble falling asleep because she is imagining what might happen to her bunny in various dreadful situations, her father cleverly offers outlandish but comforting reassurances. If the toy is lost again, father promises he'll catch the bunny with a lasso. If the toy is abducted by space aliens, father promises he'll take a space ship to the stars. In the end, the comforted child falls soundly asleep after father has gently reminded her of his love for her.

This New Baby. Written by Teddy Jan; illustrated by Karen Reczuch. Vancouver, BC: Groundwood/Douglas & McIntyre, 1998. ISBN 0-88899-327-7. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 2 to 6.

Poetic text and translucent watercolor illustrations are just the right combination to capture all the warm emotions experienced when a mother gently cuddles with her baby in the quiet hours of the night. When the house is still and other family members are asleep, mothers and infants have special times for bonding. The baby sleeps in mother's arms "like a moon sleeping on a cloud." The baby cries and "chases old ghosts back into the shadows." Having a new baby in the house is "like early morning love... Like two cats jumping...." Illustrations of the morning hours display a happy father and an excited older sibling all nestled with mom and baby in a big, blue gingham-covered bed. This is a book that older siblings are likely to enjoy sharing with the new babies in their families.

Water Babies: Colors. Written and illustrated with photographs by Zena Holloway. New York: Scholastic, 1998. ISBN 0-439-04774-9. Unpaged. Recommended for ages from birth to 4.

Photographs of babies swimming through a vivid underwater world combine with simple text in this sturdy board book. Babies swim with green turtles, they harness red sea horses and play in soft yellow sand. Babies smile when they see tiny orange fish because they love the deep blue sea. The book reinforces color concepts in a delightful way.

Water Babies: Counting. Written and illustrated with photographs by Zena Holloway. New York: Scholastic, 1998. ISBN 0-439-04775-7. Unpaged. Recommended for ages from birth to 4.

Adults and young children will be enchanted by photographs of babies swimming with various sea creatures in this board book designed to introduce the number concepts from 1 through 5. Each spread includes an oversize numeral displayed in a corner and a simple phrase that highlights the number concept. Children will see one big fish, two sea lions, three dolphins, four starfishes, and five little fishes.

Readers who enjoy these reviews might also be interested in the following postings:

Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted April 1999
© 1999-2000 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232