Board Book Review Rundown: Spring 2024

Though my youngest kids are four now and we're phasing out most of our board books, I still can't resist taking a peek at the new ones now and then. Little Simon kindly provided me with copies of all of these titles in exchange for my honest review.

Hey, Little Night Owl by Jeffrey Burton, illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz

published 12/12/2023 
An owl parent and its wakeful baby sit up together at night trying to put the baby to sleep. The illustrations are illuminated by a warm light, which is very cozy, but every other detail of the book is very confusing. Why are we trying to get a nocturnal owl to sleep at night? Why are we suddenly removed from nature and placed in a car where the owl parent is driving and baby is rear-facing? I understand the parallels between the book and a real-life human mom trying to get an infant to sleep by any means necessary, but it would have made more sense to illustrate the book with people than with actual owls. 

My Little Lamb by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell

published 1/16/2024 

This small board book with a soft, somewhat squishy cover is perfect for little hands, as are all the sweet illustrations showing a fluffy lamb temporarily leaving its parent and then coming home again. Unfortunately, though the rhymes in the text are okay, the rhythm is inconsistent from page to page, making it very difficult to read aloud smoothly. 

The Mommies on the Bus by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Airin O'Callaghan

published 3/12/2024 
When I was doing story time, there were never enough picture book versions of The Wheels on the Bus. That song is a crowd pleaser. This version, starring moms of many backgrounds, is a reflection of real life for many urban moms who travel with kids on public transportation. In all seasons and forms of weather, these mamas hold their little ones' hands, tell them repeatedly to stay seated, and offer them snacks and love. I love all the fun details in the illustrations and the way the singable text matches so well with the original song. This would be ideal for baby and toddler story times on so many themes: buses, transportation, families, mothers, seasons, community, etc. If I were still working in libraries, this would go right on my story time cart. 

Tell Me About Oceans by Lisa Varchol Perron, illustrated by Jennifer Falkner

published 4/16/2024 
This is a factual text told in two different narratives. One is a conversation in rhyme between a father and daughter walking on the beach, and the other is a nonfiction text explaining the scientific concepts behind their discussion. The rhyme and rhythm read very smoothly, and the nonfiction segments are simplified for young children in a way that makes them easier to understand without dumbing them down. This would be a great addition to a toddler or preschool story time about the ocean. 

Hush, Little Dozer by Rebecca Colby, illustrated by Katya Longhi

published 4/23/2024
This book is very similar to Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, but with fewer words and more cartoonish illustrations. The rhythm and rhyme flow smoothly throughout the book, but there isn't much new or creative about the text or illustrations. Digger-loving toddlers won't care in the least, but it wouldn't be at the top of my list for story time. 

The Great Outdoors by Yuli Yav, illustrated by Laura Bee

published 5/14/2024 
This celebration of hiking evokes nature with its brown and green color palette and its descriptions of what can be seen and heard in the woods. The rhythm and rhyme are a bit forced, and some of the end rhymes don't actually rhyme at all, which threw off the flow of reading it aloud. Families who love hiking will probably enjoy the opportunities this book provides to discuss what they might see on a family hike, and to spark an interest in nature in young children. 

What Goes in the Ocean? by Dori Elys, illustrated by Katie Cottle

published 5/21/2024
This seek-and-find book provides several spreads depicting the ocean filled with some things that belong there and other things that don't. The child reader is invited to sort out the ocean-dwellers from the imposters. My four-year-old son enjoyed looking at this book and laughing over some of the silly things he found. This is a lap book, not one to share with a large audience, but it could be a fun rest time read for a preschooler, or a read-aloud with a parent or caregiver.