Infants will be visually attracted to the bold black and white single images that alternate with the slick feeling ones in color. This may eventually become a knowing, naming and touching book, but for the youngest lapsitter, it is a gazing book. Unlike earlier black and white graphic books with targets and faces and other eye catching images, this one has less high contrast patterns. The items chosen for illustration are also less familiar, i.e. a swan, rhino, camel. They are a little on the abstract side for babies. Still they may hold more visual interest and the satin touch of the forms on the page are sure to interest little hands. 

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

A fabric book with a cottony ball sitting in a wagon that is attached with a ribbon. You can put the ball into, behind, through, and under the many spots provided in this little book.  Baby will have fun finding the ball in all the hiding places. Good for peek-a-boo discoveries as you turn the colorful fabric pages. This is safe enough for baby to explore after you have 'read' from front to back.  

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

A cute set of board books about babies and their parents. Each book shows animal pairs and ends with baby and Mommy or Daddy. Not much story here, but the art is charming and the concepts are warm and fuzzy. The box is designed so that you can put photos of the little one’s parents on each side of the box…a little extra touch. 1 & up.

 

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

An oblong cardboard book with thick pages that allow a color disk to slide from one side of the page to another, coloring the two objects pictures. So on the red page it slides from a strawberry to a ladybug. This is novelty book that does not include orange, brown or black. That said, this is a fun book for developing color awareness, knowing and naming and sheer fun in making something happen. 9 months & up.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009.

Photographs of babies from all over the world fill this beautiful little book. Wearing their colorful native dress these adorable infants with their big eyes look out from the pages of the book reminding us all of the universal need for caring about these innocents with whom we share the planet. This is done in a board book format to make a sturdy book for little ones to handle. But, in fact, this is a book for everyone…in our multicultural world. Give it as a Valentine to support community base organizations that serve vulnerable children through the Global Fund for Children. All ages.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

All Aboard! Maisy is driving a train in this small adventure. Built into the fun are concepts of up hill and down, into tunnels and out, all with the sights and opportunities to add the sounds of a train ride. One of a new series of sturdy shaped board books that are short but colorful and right on the mark for little lap sitters. 6 months & up.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Maisy and her pal Cyril are driving a fire engine. Along the way they frighten a small black cat who needs to be rescued. No fires in this little adventure that has a beginning middle and happy ending…and is just right for lap sitters. Toddlers are often fascinated by the noisy big fire engine that comes down the street. One of a series of shape books that gives tots a view of the behind the scenes world inside the firehouse and on the big truck.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

A charming board book with an attached felt finger puppet bird that sits above the die-cut cardboard pages. With each turn of a page we see a new layer of the nest until we reach the end where the little bird is cozy with its family. A companion book, In My Pond ($8.99 4.5) uses the same concept with a felt fish, a pond and a happy family. Adorable little books for lap sitters.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

It’s bedtime but “Princess Baby” has a lot of important ways to delay the inevitable. A cute little story that reluctant bedtime goers will relate to. We could have done without the scene when she takes a tub without any adult in view. That said, this is another winner from Karen Katz! 2 & up.

 

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2009.