Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest

Title: Kiss Good Night

Author: Amy Hest

Illustrator: Anita Jeram

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 30 Pages

Publisher: Candlewick

Babies and toddlers thrive on routines. Especially when it comes to bedtime. Its not an easy feat putting a toddler to bed, especially when he is jumping on his bed, ready for another round of play. But, an established bedtime routine can make little ones look forward to the next activity and help them get to bed with little effort. Routines need not be elaborate, but its important to stick to it every single night. They may not notice if you forget to brush their teeth, but what happens if you forget to kiss goodnight? 

In this beautiful board book, Mrs. Bear is putting Sam to bed. As the wind howled outside on the dark and stormy plum street, Mrs. Bear and Sam are warm and cozy in their bed reading their favorite bedtime story. Later, She tucks Sam in bed along with his animal friends. They have a cup of warm milk, as they listen to the rain making huge splats on their rooftop. Sam should be really ready for bed, but apparently he is not. Mrs. Bear wonders what she forgot and Sam offers no help saying she knows already. Finally, it occurred to her that she is yet to kiss him goodnight. Sam drifts off to sleep after Mrs. Bear smooches him with more night-night kisses. 

The charming illustrations and the heart-warming story makes this such a cute bedtime story book. I guess I started reading this to my daughter when she was about 9 months old. She never grew tired of this book and we have been reading it ever since. She loves everything about this book, including Sam's stuffed animal friends and his little white house. She always has to have her teddy bear while I read it to her and her favorite part is when we rock back and forth saying "Book..Blanket..Friends..Milk.." When I ask her what Mrs. Bear forgot, she smiles at me and gives me a big kiss :) Sometimes, we skip the words altogether and just flip the pages to look at the illustrations. The warm tones and the loving expressions makes you relax and sets the perfect mood for bedtime ^_^

My Rating: 4/5

Usborne Touchy-Feely Board Books

Touch-and-Feel books are extremely popular among babies, because in addition to the bold and bright pictures, they also offer a variety of textures for them to explore. Not only does it provide a fun and interactive experience, they help them grasp the concept so much faster and easier. I am a big fan of touch-and-feel books and I still like to read them myself. Honestly, its so much fun. Usborne series have numerous touchy-feely books and several of them are in fact award-winners. 

One of my daughter's favorite books in this series is 'That's not my Penguin' book. As you all know by now, my daughter LOVES penguins. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that she adores this book. Penguins with fuzzy tummy, silky head, rubbery feet and shiny beak invite her to come and explore different textures in this book. There aren't very many textures (only about five or six), but with babies less is more and they are good enough to keep them engaged for a while. I've been reading it to her for a long time now and many times I have wondered if she will ever get bored of this book. It doesn't seem like it though. Today, I wanted to try something different. I read only the first part of it like 'That's not my penguin, its tummy is too...' and she really surprised me by saying out loud 'fuzzzzzyyy...'. In fact, she could recall the names of all the different textures herself. Its truly amazing :) From penguins to monkeys, cars to trucks, princess to fairies, pirates to dinosaurs, the Usborne series has a book for every little reader out there. You only have to look what might interest your little one. One caveat though - You may not want to get every single book out there in this series, because you will find a lot of them repetitive. 

Boynton Board Books -- Part II

In this second part series of Boynton Board books, let me share with you a few more Boynton favorites. Known for their wacky pictures and silly rhymes, these board books will make terrific read-alouds with your babies. 

Title: Opposites

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 16 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Learning opposites is so much fun. Especially when its taught by Boynton's favorite animal characters. In this board book, kids will get to learn opposites like High/Low, Strong/Weak, Whisper/Shout, Big/Small, Fast/Slow and so on. Some pictures are hilarious, like the little pig with a phone receiver on his head and a big elephant drenched in rain in spite of carrying an umbrella. My daughter knows a few of them already, but she learnt quite a few like Weak/Strong, Young/Old from it. Some pictures are depicted well. However, a few of them could have been illustrated better. For night and day, a tiny picture of sun and moon in the picture frame and a sleeping bear may not suffice. In my opinion, it would have been better with a page all blackened out with moon and stars shining through. As for Whisper and Shout, I don't see much difference at all, except that the baby hippo's mouth is tad bit wider than the mommy hippo's. Such a subtle variation may go unnoticed, especially with little ones. Nevertheless, if you like boynton books, it will likely be another hit!!

 

Title: Moo, Baa, La La La!

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 14 pages

Publisher: Little Simon

So far, this is the ONLY book my daughter can ask for by it name. She knows all of her books, but she can't say it yet. Like she used to call it, the "Moo, La Laa" book has been her all-time favorite reads. Is there any better way to teach/practice animal sounds than with a boynton book? Cows moo, ducks quack and pigs sing la la la! Cats meow, dogs go ruff, ruff, ruff and Rhinos snort and snuff. Parents and kids will have lots of fun with this interactive board book. Usually, I read the first half of it (The horse says...) and my daughter finishes it for me (neigh...) She could pretty much make all the sounds, except the snorting and snuffing. It reminds me of a similar book ("What do you say?" by Mandy Stanley) she used to enjoy when she was just a baby. Your kids will fall head over heels in love with this book. Give it a try!!

Kiss-and-Read Books

Title: Counting Kisses

Author/Illustrator: Karen Katz

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 32 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Child Magazine Best Book of the Year 2001

Kiss-and-Read books make reading time extra special, because they give parents yet another opportunity to smooch and bond with their little ones. In this adorable board book, a cranky baby is showered with kisses by her family members. From "ten little kisses on teeny tiny toes" to "one last kiss on sleepy, dreamy head", the tired baby goes from being cranky to a peaceful, sleeping baby. Baby delights in all the attention she gets when mommy, daddy, grandma and her big sister kiss her teeny tiny body parts. Even her cat and dog take part in the act bestowing fuzzy and tickly kisses. Finally, baby falls asleep in the crib, as her loving family watches over. The illustrations are warm, inviting and exuberant. The lovely expressions and pink flowery patterns will captivate your babies for sure. My daughter loves this kiss-and-read book so much, we read it almost every day. She likes to identify and show me her body parts as I kiss and read along. It brings out more giggles than any other books we have ever read. This is a great bedtime book and I enjoy it as much as she does :)

Title: How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight?

Author: Varsha Bajaj

Illustrator: Ivan Bates

Reading Level: Ages 3 - 7

Board Book: 26 Pages

Publisher: L B Kids

No matter how many kisses you bestow upon your precious ones throughout the day, Good Night hugs and kisses are always special. It ends their day on a loving, warming note and helps them unwind after a busy long day. When I ask my little one how many kisses she would like, she always says "two thee". Well, that's pretty much her answer for any question that starts with the phrase "How Many.." But, I know she would love as many kisses as she could get :)

In this beautiful bedtime book, animal parents snuggle up with their babies and ask them how many kisses they would like to get. Little Bear wants one big, loud kiss on his brown hair and little duck yellow gets two - one on his beak and one on his back. As you count along from one to ten, a little dog, horse, bunny and bird get smooched by their parents. Finally, When Daddy asks his little pink princess, she answers "Hundred - One on my nose and one on each curl". Mommy poses the same question to her little knight and he says " A MILLION!" and hugs her tight. This is such a heartwarming book you will love to read with your kids again and again. The illustrations are not so bright, but the warm or rather dull shades sets the perfect tone for a nighty-night read. Older kids would love the beautifully rhyming text and the younger ones would delight in special smooches and cuddles from parents!!

Boynton Board Books -- Part I

Sandra Boynton's board books are terrific 'read-alouds' for little ones. Her books are silly, witty, engaging and downright hilarious! Having sold millions of copies worldwide, many young readers have been attracted to her books for generations. I read them to my daughter when she was very little, but she didn't get it the first time. I waited a little longer and introduced them again. Now, she not only loves them, it seems like she can't get enough of it! I would love to share with you some of our favorite Boynton books (may be in two or three part series). If you haven't already read her books yet (which I highly doubt), do check it out! They are like little treasures hidden in your library waiting to be uncovered :)

Title: Blue Hat, Green Hat

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Age Range: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 14 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Blue Hat, Green Hat, Red Hat, Oops!

Red Shirt, Blue Shirt, Yellow Shirt, Oops!

In this silly, laugh-out-loud board book, Boynton's favorite animal characters, like the elephant, moose, bear and a turkey try on different color outfits. An elephant wears the yellow pants, bear tries on his red pants, moose is sporting his green pants but, the turkey puts it on his head. oops! Apparently, the poor turkey can't seem to get anything right. Can he? He wears the hat on his feet, a green shirt upside down over his bottom, blue pants over the top covering his head, a green coat dangles from his beak, yellow socks go on his hands and red shoes on his head just like a hat :) My daughter loves this book ever since I read it to her the first time. Her favorite is the turkey, of course. The bird's silly acts makes her burst into a fit of giggles!! I love watching her expressions and how she always chimes in when we get to the 'Oops' part! She shows her pointy finger at the turkey saying "No No" and shows the bird where to wear socks and shoes. Its funny to watch her when she turns the book upside down in attempt to find the turkey's head hiding under the blue pants :) She closes the book saying the turkey has gone for a swim, as the bird dives into the pond, fully clothed, finally!! As you can see, she interacts with the book in a lot of ways, which is a great thing. Books at this age should be interactive and fun. This book is a terrific combination of both. Also, it provides a great learning opportunity. It subtly teaches them colors, which in my experience is not so easy with little ones. However, I am quite surprised to see how quickly she learnt all four colors from this book. Also, the colors don't appear in the same order, which makes it a bit more challenging for young ones. But, they'll love the anticipation game and will be curious to know if the turkey will ever get it right :) The funny pictures and whimsical expressions throughout the book will send your kids rolling on the floor laughing!! Check it out...

Title: The Going to Bed Book

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Age Range: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 14 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

If Going To Bed is becoming quite a challenge for your stubborn little one, then pick up this super silly book to spice things up. Boynton's silly animal characters board an ark this time and its just after sunset. The animals soon begin their bedtime ritual where they all jump in one giant bath tub, soaping all over and scrub, scrub, scrub! After wearing pajamas and brush and brush and brush their teeth, they all go up the ark for some exercise on the deck. They finally settle in their bed saying good night as the ark rock and rock and rock them to sleep. The beautiful illustrations along with silly rhymes will entice your toddlers to pick this book time and again. Kids would love to watch their favorite animals doing their nightly routine and might giggle and laugh at hippos brushing their teeth, elephants skipping rope, pigs doing handstands, bears doing pushups and bunny sliding down the staircase rail. If you have a toddler, who resists the nighttime routine, this book should provide lots of encouragement. On the other hand, if your little one goes through the routine like its no big deal, then they will have a lot to relate with this book. In either case, this book is a real winner!!

Title: What's Wrong, Little Pookie?

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Age Range: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 18 Pages

Publisher: Robin Corey Books

These days, Whenever I ask my daughter what she would like to read, this is THE book she brings me to read aloud. And, How does she ask for this book? She makes a sign language for crying and runs to her bookshelf saying "Poo..Poo". She loves pookie, the pig and so do I. We have read this book countless number of times already, but looks like she will never get tired of it. Its so cute to watch her wiping off pookie's tears with a tissue. I can't help smile when she keeps asking pookie if he would like to have a cookie or an apple. As you can see, its an endearing story about little pookie who is upset and crying. Mom wonders what could be wrong with little pookie, but he won't answer. She asks him a bunch of questions like if he is hungry or cold or hurt. Pookie answers "No". She even poses some ridiculous questions like "Did a very large hippo try to borrow your shoes?". But, Pookie waves them all being silly. When she ran out of ideas, she picks up pookie off the floor and gives him a big hug and asks him what really the matter was. "Um..I forget.." says cute little Pookie!! What a perfect ending! And, it does sound a lot familiar too. It reminds me of those days, when my daughter throws a tantrum, then forgets why she even had one, right in the middle of it. When all else fails, I offer a big hug and she just melts in my arms, all screams gone in an instant. Have you ever had one of those moments?

Mommy Hugs, Daddy Hugs!!

Title: Mommy Hugs

Author/Illustrator: Karen Katz

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Are you looking for that perfect book to cuddle up with your sweet little baby? Then, you gotta try this outstanding picture book that is all about precious mommy hugs and that too lots of it!! The book cheerfully captures the familiar rituals of a baby's day starting out with the baby waking up in the morning getting a nuzzle-wuzzle good morning hug. Her breakfast is filled with choo-choo open wide yummy hugs and then she is off to the park with piggy-back hugs. After some sliding hugs and boo-boo hugs at the park, she is back home for splishy-splashy bath time hugs. She basks herself in laughing and playful hugs before she finally settles in for the night with lots of 'I love you' hugs. My daughter and I can relate to this book in many ways. Not only does it bring back precious memories, it gives us yet another opportunity to nurture and strengthen that special bond we share. And, she loves those special mommy hugs I offer her as we read along. A heart-warming book your child simply can't resist!! 

Title: Daddy Hugs

Author/Illustrator: Karen Katz

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 32 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Finally, a hug-and-read book just for babies and daddies out there! It begins as daddy announces his arrival with a "I'm glad you're my baby" hug as he tosses her up in the air. More hugs follow as daddy and baby play peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek and dance together. They bond with special boo-boo and pat-and-burp hugs. Like the mommy version of this book, baby is showered with tons of 'I-love-you' hugs at the end. The cherubic baby and her loving expressions will definitely delight your babies for sure! Try it out :)

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

Title: Good Night, Gorilla

Author/Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 34 Pages

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Some of the best picture books for the very young readers are actually wordless books. With captivating illustrations and an engaging story, this nighty-night book squarely falls into that category. As you can see, the intriguing book cover alone is good enough to pique the curiosity of the little readers out there. Do you think the little gorilla is up to any good? Come on, let's find out. "Good Night, Gorilla!" says the tired zookeeper, as he begins his nightly stroll around the zoo. He was oblivious that the tricky gorilla had already procured his keys when he turned his back. The zookeeper, stealthily followed by the gorilla, bids good night to all the animals in the zoo and proceeds to go home. Little did he know that the gorilla had released the cages of all the animals and now a little parade of animals follow his trail all the way home. He tucks himself in bed, but so do all the sleepy animals!! When the zoo keeper's wife bids him goodnight, she hears not just one, but seven good nights in return. Now, its her turn to take them all back to where they belong.

The author relies heavily on the illustrations to depict her story. But, it also gives an opportunity for the parents to make up their own. It has been a favorite night time book for my little one, ever since I started reading it to her. She loves the gorilla's pranks, who wouldn't? In fact, she likes it better than the "Good night, moon" book. Her favorite pages in the book includes the one with the black inky spread which reveals the shocked wide-open eyes of the zoo keeper's wife and the page with just the voice balloons saying "good night". Even after many readings of this book, she never gets tired of this book (or her favorite pages). I slightly alter the story or add some new elements to it each time, just to bring some novelty to the book. This is one terrific bedtime story you would love to read with your child :)

My Rating: 5/5

 

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

Title: From Head to Toe

Author/Illustrator: Eric Carle

Reading Level: Ages 3 - 5

Paperback: 32 Pages

Publisher: Harper Festival

Toddlers love to run, kick, bounce, jiggle and jump around. They have so much energy during the day, they need to find ways to let off their steam. My daughter is an active kid. She is always on the run. She burns off her calories jumping on the bed, doing somersaults, climbing the staircase, hanging upside down on the couch and running around the house. At times, her idea of having fun could get a little too much for me to handle, but at the end of the day, when I sit back and relax, I realize that its all part of growing up. Toddlerhood is so much fun, in particular. Their minds run faster than their feet could take them. At this stage, they are still mastering that hand-eye coordination, learning how to balance and working on refining their body movements. They enjoy moving their bodies and anything that calls for it could potentially become a big hit. Here's one perfect book that does just that.  

In this fun, interactive picture book, various animals invite the readers to participate along, as they turn, bend, wave, kick, wriggle and jiggle the various body parts. There isn't any story or anything in this book, but it gives a total body workout for your energetic toddler. I guess I read it to my daughter when she was about 18 months old and I remember she had a total blast with it. She loved to imitate the animals, especially thumping her chest like a gorilla, stomping her foot like the elephant and bending her neck like the giraffe. I returned my copy to the library after a few renewals and I totally forgot about it. When I came across this book last week, I checked it out once again. I am surprised to see how much she still remembers from this book. Just by looking at the picture of the animals, She knows what to do even before I actually read it out to her. She could do most of the things illustrated in the book and asks for "some more!" every time I read it out. Its a great way to teach them different body parts while having loads of fun with it. Check it out...

My Rating: 5/5

Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

Title: Clifford the Big Red Dog

Author/Illustrator: Norman Bridwell

Board Book: 32 Pages

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 5

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Clifford is a BIG, red dog. He belongs to Emily Elizabeth. She loves her dog more than any other dogs. She feeds him, bathes him and provides him a dog house to stay. She even takes him to dog shows. And, Clifford is a loyal watchdog too. He keeps an eye on bad boys and burglars. He loves playing hide and seek with Emily. But, like other dogs, he makes mistakes too. Like he runs after cars, throws sticks and chews shoes. He is playful, silly and and mischievous. Emily loves her dog and will keep Clifford no matter what.

The Big, Red Clifford dog has fascinated kids for many generations and you will find all sorts of story books, toys, TV shows and video CD's related to it. My daughter is totally crazy about this cute, big dog. She loves to read this book over and over again and it has been one of her favorites for a long time now. She learns a lot from it too. It teaches her what good and bad behaviors are. It talks about loyalty and caring for pets as well. We haven't tried other books in the Clifford series, but I am sure she would like them all. When we make a trip to the library, She always find the big, red Clifford perched up on the shelf and demands to hold it while I browse the shelves. She would lug it around within the library and she would mostly end up crying when its time to put it back. I don't think she could get enough of this adorable little (sorry, BIG) red dog. 

My Rating: 4.5/5

Time for Naps by Jane Yolen

Title: Time for Naps

Author: Jane Yolen

Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 16 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

This is one beautiful board book that illustrates the nap time ritual of a little girl who tucks in all her stuffed animals in bed before she herself settles down for a nap. With warm yellow and orange tones, Nakata's illustrations are not only pleasing to the eyes, but also soothing to the babies.

Nap time, kitty, time for bed.

A pillow for your furry head.

No more books can now be read.

Time to close your eyes instead.

"No More Books", "Time to close your eyes", "No Peeping", "Yes, I'll get some water" are some common phrases used by parents when they put a child to nap. The little ones should find it very comforting watching the toddler in this book imitating many of the things their parents do before nap time. It may not send them off to slumberland right away, but at least get them in the mood for it. Whether it works or not every time, at least its worth a try.

 

Nap times are hard to come by, as a toddler grows. Sometimes, the time it takes to put a toddler to nap can exceed the actual nap time itself. Some parents at their wit's end would be looking high and low for anything that would help their little energizer bunnies rest a little. DD is not 2 yet, but getting her to nap has been a monumental task for me lately. Whether she is tired or not, she fights nap time. She could easily wear me out with her incessant demands for water, toys, potty, books and more. After a few tantrums, she would finally settle down for a nap. Sometimes, she will skip it altogether. The transition from play to nap time has never been easy and I am exhausted trying all sorts of things to make it a smooth one. Often, I find myself at the end of the rope. Like many parents, I am seeking for that elusive downtime her nap could provide. I guess it might as well be a pipe dream...

Picture This... by Alison Jay

Title: Picture This

Author/Illustrator: Alison Jay

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

The other day, I was thinking about books I used to enjoy reading to my daughter when she was a little baby. I didn't have to think too hard because, Alison Jay's picture books immediately sprang up to my mind. The gorgeous illustrations with a word or two on every page makes it a perfect first book for babies and toddlers.

It might look like a very simple picture book, but when you look closer, you would realize that it has much more to it. The author cleverly adapts some classic nursery rhymes like 'Jack and Jill' and 'Hickory Dickory' for words like 'Hill' and 'Clock'. On top of that, every page takes clues from the previously illustrated picture for a clever word play. For instance, a gold fish that adorns a fisherman's hat on the previous page, now swims inside a tiny fish tank on the next page. A red airplane that is swooping over the fields on one page, flies past a soaring kite on the next page. A painting of a rabbit inside a car hanging over a ship enclosed in a glass bottle makes a reappearance in the following page to emphasis the word 'car'. Many of the pictures make more than one appearance to reinforce the concept. 

I am not sure if my daughter grasps the 'déjà vu' effect , but she loves to look at the beautiful illustrations and she has learnt many of her first words from it. It is unlike any other first word books I have ever read. I don't think its an easy feat to take some irrelevant words and somehow link them to create a story using the pictures alone. My daughter is not as crazy as before about these books, but she likes to look at them from time to time. Ideal for Babies!

My Rating: 4.5/5

Splish Splash, Baby Bundt by Jamie Harper

Title: Splish Splash, Baby Bundt

Author: Jamie Harper

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 24 pages

Publisher: Candlewick

Need a recipe for a clean sparkling baby just before bedtime? Look no further. This amusing little board book will tell you how. It begins with a list of ingredients like 1/4 cup of bubble bath, soap, hand mitt, plenty of toys, rubber ducks, towel, powder, sprinkles and so on... And, of course you need a sticky baby. Now, Baby Bundt's big sister helps him with his bath, as they have fun scooping bubbles, floating rubber ducks and fishing toys. Remove the baby when he is all wrinkly, pat him dry and add some sparkles to his pajamas and there you have it. A sparkling baby bundt!!

With the amusing, playful watercolor illustrations, this board book is one of my dd's favorite bath time books. Before we read this book, she runs around the house picking up her doll, a scarf and a rubber duck. She pretends that her doll is sticky, then picks up the scarf, scrunch it all up and scrub the doll from head to toe. The doll happily plays with the rubber ducky and eats scoops of bubbles she offers. When its all over, she adds some imaginary sprinkles and powder. Voila! That's one pretty sparkling doll everyone would love to play with. DD and I always like to read it either just before or right after bath time. She loves to add sprinkles on the pajamas and pretends to scoop up soap bubbles and eat it like an ice cream. This board book will delight your toddlers to no end with its cutesy little pictures!

My Rating: 4/5

Duck & Goose Board Books by Tad Hills

Title: What's Up, Duck?
Author: Tad Hills
Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 22 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade

I'm not sure if there is any board book out there that teaches the concept of opposites better than our beloved duck and goose.

As you can deduce from the cover itself where the duck looks UP and the goose looks DOWN, the book is laden with amusing pictures of duck, goose and thistle bird teaching opposites like fast/slow, near/far, asleep/awake, heavy/light, clean/dirty, happy/sad and so on.

A Duck stands NEAR by whereas a goose stands FAR back. (My little one demonstrates her understanding by pushing the book farther to the end of the bed and pulling it closer in one swift motion. Of course, I showed her the first time).

The goose looks neat and CLEAN while the duck stands smudged with mud all over and DIRTY. (Here, She looks up at me wrinkling her nose and pretends bathing the duck with an imaginary soap in her hand).

Now, the Duck is happily quacking away LOUDly while the Goose is WHISPERing a secret in bird's ears. (She hunches her shoulder even before I bend down to whisper in her ears and bursts into giggles when I do so)

A HAPPY Duck vs a SAD Goose (She is very upset by now and we linger on this page for a while. She pretends to feed the goose in order to make him happy!)

Well, I could go on and on about this book. But, I guess you get the idea. This is one terrific book every child should have. Please, go buy yourself a copy!

My Rating: 5/5



This is yet another board book in the "Duck & Goose" series by Tad Hills that's highly recommended! Two ducks, a goose and a bluebird teach numbers this time. My daughter simply adores this book. Especially the page that is completely black but for the 8 eyes that pop out. She will keep saying "Eyes, Eyes, Eyes" until she finds that page by herself and then goes hysterically laughing at it for a while. Sometimes, its the ONLY page she will look at. I guess she derives her satisfaction of reading it just from this page alone!