More Board Books: Hide-and-Seek and Non-Fiction

I launched this blog almost seven years ago with THIS POST, in which I clarify my thesis: Picture books are NOT limited to books for babies. 

All these years I've been featuring books and author interviews for a multitude of ages and interests. I've tried to shine a light on how quality picture books can inform, entertain, and engage audiences of all kinds. In making my point I've often said, 

"Remember, picture books aren't baby books!"

 I don't mean to imply that BOARD BOOKS aren't important, only that they are just one of many formats of picture books and are targeted exclusively to the infant-to-toddler age. That means they are written, illustrated, and designed with very distinct guidelines suited to that age and developmental stage.

I mentioned that books for this very young audience include many genre in the previous post about some outstanding  Board Books among the Cybils Awards nominees. As this post title indicates, I'm back now to share examples from two more categories: Guess/Search books and nonfiction. 

The guess/search/puzzle format is as natural to babies as the universally human "peek-a-boo" game. GUESS WHICH HAND, written by Hans Wilhelm and illustrated by Ilaria Guarducci, is a delightful twist on a familiar game. 

I recommend this for a litany of reasons that you can read about in my Goodreads review, here.

Next up in the seek-and-find category is HERE I AM: A Finger Puppet Book, written by Sarah McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram.

You can read some of my thoughts about this appealing and interactive book in my Goodreads review, here.




Baby games, no matter how appealing and squeal-inducing they may be, are the flip side of an emerging category of board books, NON FICTION. This extends far beyond the familiar basic concepts topics of colors, numbers, letters and animals sounds and names, although some terrific choices in that category will be featured in my next post. A growing market for informational board books with vibrant illustrations and well-written text has emerged. You really should take a look at these:

EXOTIC FRUIT is created by author/illustrator Huy Voun Lee. This book is as delightful and appetizing as the featured fruits, and the variety of text (child focused and fine print adult messages) makes it a book that could grow with the child and family. Read what I had to say about it on Goodreads, here.

BOTANY FOR BABIES is one of the BABY 101 series. I am not a fan of cramming learning into tiny heads, so I approached this one cautiously. What I found, though, is a well-designed and appealing book that works on many levels. The "story" of plants in nature is developed simply and naturally with flair and fun. The book involves enough turns and surprises to keep the shared experience lively, and there are loads of familiar critters and details for tiny fingers to point out and later name. The parts of plants presented are colorful and simply designed to emphasize important elements. Many are labeled with dark, small  print. These labels do not distract from the overall plant narrative, presented in large, interesting font and layout. 

WE ARE MUSIC is written by Brandon Story and illustrated by Nick Radford. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can imagine it being shared with music playing, then turning household items into instruments.
Read more about it on this Goodreads review, here.

I'd love to read what you think about these in the comments, and read your own suggestions for classic favorites or new board books you've discovered!