A BOARD BOOK Beauty That IS NEVER BORING

 Board books are a specific and appealing format of picture books. Parents, teachers, and librarians will confirm that they are among the favorites for the earliest of independent tots. But they also require some particular qualities to survive their intended audiences in order to be worth the investment. As we all know, the youngest among us tend to flap hands and arms, bang things, and even toss items they love. Those may sound like tantrum behaviors, but they're nothing like the "throw a fit" behavior we witness all too often even among adults. What observers of little ones will note is that the degree of excitement and enthusiasm they feel is expressed in direct proportion to body responses, from bounces to bangs to giggles to chewing. 

All of those spontaneous reactions can be mighty tough on a book.That accounts for the pricing on some of the best of the board books, designed and constructed to survive such tough love! That includes durable covering, expensive but solid binding, wipeable covers, and sturdy interior paper or cardboard stock. If you add in delightful features like lift-the-flaps with inner flap text and tabs, each little copy is its own work of art. 

PHAIDON Press, 2025

All of the above are among the reasons I am such a fan of the recent nonfiction board book, THE SECRET POWERS OF ANIMALS, written by Soledad Romero Marino and illustrated by Sonia Pulido. A recent post featured earlier this month, SUPER POWERED PLANTS is the work of this well-suited creative pair. They both know their target audiences, shaping the design, text, and level of details perfectly for those older readers, but shifting to the crisp, uncluttered wording and visuals for this young board book crowd. 

The main text is rhymed, usually six lines, innkid-friendly language. That's followed by a question that prompts engagement, prediction, and observation. Each creature image has three lift-the-flaps that share a sentence or two about ways the particular creature has adapted and survives. The animals range from insects to land, water, and air inhabitants. They are familiar (from bees to house cats) and novel (octopus and narwhale). In each case the text page is framed/bordered by stylized elements of the habitat, but the animals are displayed on simple-solid color backgrounds that encourage attention to the details of each creature.

Interior: THE SECRET POWERS OF ANIMALS

As I mentioned above, board books are delightful for littles hands, and worth the purchase. If a book becomes read/loved beyond recognition, it might even merit replacement for the same child, next sibling, or succeeding class or group. In this case, the US price listed for the book is $14.95, a surprisingly reasonable cost for a book of this quality. It has excellent language, informational content, interactivity, visual appeal, durability, and charm. Little ones ih laps or on their own can engage with high level thinking, comparing body parts, colors, sizes and shapes, and more. If you know of anyone ion this target range, make yourself a hero and treat them to this fun new board book. 

Interior: THE SECRET POWERS OF ANIMALS

Phaidon Press provided a physical copy without promise of a review. I rarely comment on books for this age and format unless I can examine the durability and construction directly, and I was delighted by this book! It is a great choice for the smallest tots, but will be enjoyed and examined closely by preschools and even early readers.