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!

Ta-Da! November is the Second Annual PICTURE BOOK MONTH!

To celebrate ALA sponsored Picture Book Month, I'll reserve two short reviews for the end of this post and devote the bulk of my comments to sharing/linking to other posts featuring the celebration of PICTURE BOOKS! 

(Let's all hum along to the Oliver tune: FOOD, Glorious FOOD! Substitute the words PICTURE BOOKS, Glorious PICTURE BOOKS!  It's a stretch, but you can do it! All together now, 1...2...3... HUM!)

For starters, try this post with comments from leading picture book creators about WHY picture books are so important (and always will be). Who better to comment than Rosemary Wells, Tomi DePaola, and other award-winning stars of the kid-lit world?

Then there's Mr. Schu's remarkable homage to Picture Book Month on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  You won't want to miss this one: video book trailers, outstanding titles, and the announcement of his Mock Caldecott list for 2013 picture books.
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An impressive variety of outstanding titles is featured in the @YourLibrary blog, too. A quick glance at the book covers and brief reviews offers a sampling of the wide-ranging topics, targets, and tones within the world of picture books.

Wrap up your tour with BookLovingGrandma'sBlog post. She reminds us that picture books from the past are worth celebrating, too. In fact, the timeless quality of picture books is one of their most amazing qualities. For example:

Chronicle Books, 2002

RUBY'S WISH, written by Shirin Yim Bridges and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, offers a glimpse into the life of an exuberant young girl growing up in China. This takes place at a time when boys were favored with education, privilege, and the best of everything, while girls were educated in domestic skills and expected to marry and tend to a family. Ruby's wise grandfather heard the truth in her poem, listened to her wishes, and helped them to come true. Based on a the real life of the author's grandmother, Ruby, whose grandfather supported her with finances and his love to attend university and shape a life for herself outside the expectations and conventions of her time.

Capstone: Picture Window Books, 2014

With a story created by Patti Kim and pictures by Sonia Sanchez, HERE I AM is a 2014 release set in modern day New York City. When a young Korean boy's family relocates there he finds himself overwhelmed and confused, unable to read his new environment, literally and socially. Self-imposed isolation is his solution. When his special seed, his familiar source of comfort, drops out a window he braves the unknown and gradually discovers a welcoming array of people, places, aromas and activities in his new city. This is a wordless book blending picture book illustration patterns with graphic panels to reveal a story that is both specific and universal. The author note indicates it, too, is based on a true story, the author's own. 

In both cases there are fascinating visual details, emotions, and cultural references. The story lines are location referenced and anchored in specific times, separated by an ocean and more than a century. Yet both address the question of a young person feeling alienated from his or her home life and society's expectations. 

The power of picture books lies in this remarkable versatility and universality. What are you doing to celebrate and share picture books this month? (Or ANY month!)

Popped back in to add a post from the incredible Debbie Ohi on this topic just posted on her InkyGirl blog.