This week I will be reviewing several board books. The first being an alphabet book titled, A is for Activist, written and illustrated by Innosanto Nagara. I found this book interesting, as it goes beyond a traditional alphabet and introduces a lofty concept for very young readers. I think this is one of those titles that appeals more to the adult reading the book than the baby listening to it. The image below shows the use of high level vocabulary words, but it is written in a rhyme, so that does appeal to the 0-3 demographic. I don’t think a young child would necessarily come away with more awareness of social justice issues, but I do believe the pictures and sounds would engage them. 

The next book is a classic counting book, titled simply Count, published by Dwell Studio. This book is written to the tune of the classic, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? for those of you that know it. It is a cute enough book. The colors and pictures are appealing. It is very simple and it is appropriate for a baby or toddler. It does not wow the reader, but it is a fine choice. 

The third book is a concept book about animals. It is called Animal Shapes and is written by Christopher Silas Neal. This book introduces basic shapes and is great for its targeted demographic, 0-3 years. This book is a beauty. The artist uses gorgeous illustrations and in a different way. It is fun and it is unique. This would be a great selection for a gift, as it is unlike many of the other board book choices out there. 

The final book is an engineering book, titled Farm, by Xavier Deneux. This is a great touch and feel book, designed for babies and toddlers to play with, more than read. There are great illustrations and textures throughout the book. There are words on the pages that describe the scene, but are not so much for reading aloud. This would be a great addition to a personal library to show how to ‘use’ a book. It is also quite cute.

All four of these books are good for the targeted audience of 0-3 years. They are all engaging. Some are more engaging than others, but all are good choices for different aspects of the board book genre.