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Two adorable board books for babies and toddlers!

These books come Granddaughter approved! My littlest little, who I’ll refer to as Snuggles, gets very excited when she sees these books come out of my bag. Share them with your littles for lapsit fun!

My Animal Sounds (Baby Basics), by Xavier Deneux, (Aug. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791036382086

Ages Birth-3

A high-contrast book with splashes of primary color, little fingers can this book features animal sounds on every page: littles can hear a cat meow; a bird’s chitter; the glub-glub of a fish; a frog’s croak; a rabbit’s nibble, an elephant’s trumpet (Snuggles’s favorite!); a sheep’s baaaa; a dog’s bark, a pig’s grunt, and a cow’s moo (her second favorite).  The illustrations are chunky and bold, with each animal’s name on the top of the page. A colorful disc calls the reader’s attention to it, where they can easily press and hear the animal sound. Pages are chunky and thick and will hold up to  multiple reads; there’s even an on/off switch so you can save your battery. A definite fun addition to your board book collections. My Animal Sounds is a companion book to Deneux’s other Baby Basics books, My Books (2024) and Animals at Home (2025).

 

Hoot Hoot, by Georgette, (Aug. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791027613632

Ages Birth-3

Another adorable animal sounds book, Hoot Hoot is a bold, eye-catching book that pops out against bright black backgrounds. Die cuts encourage readers to guess at the different animals making sounds by featuring pairs of eyes that reveal identities on the next page. An owl “hoot hoots”; a cat and kitten purr; bats flap, flap their wings, mice scurry, and a playful child tries to fool the reader with his own sound. With bold, bright colors that come alive against the black backgrounds and sturdy die-cut cardboard that will hold up to multiple reads, this is an engaging book that encourages exploration and learning. A must-add! (And a favorite of Snuggles, whose eyes grow like saucers when she sees the cover.)

Posted in Toddler Reads

High-contrast board books for babies

During baby’s early months, babies aren’t able to focus on objects further than about 8-10 inches away. High contrast black and white images also help babies strengthen their focus; adding high contrast board books and images to your storytime collection will be a great resource for new parents and caregivers!

Animals at Home, by Xavier Deneux, (Feb. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791027613274

Ages Birth-3

High contrast meets pop-up die cuts in this adorable board book! Six animals show off their comfy homes: a bear in its den, ants in their anthill, and rabbits in their burrow are just a few of the animals babies will discover. High-contrast black and white images have a splash of color for interest as baby’s sight becomes stronger, and pop-up, die-cut images add an interesting third dimension that little fingers will love exploring. Simple prose on each spread gives readers an introduction to animals and their habitats. Simple and playful images pair with fun book design to make Animals at Home another fun addition to board book collections at the library, in the classroom, or at home.

InfantZoo has free high-contrast printables for you to share with your families or have available for post-storytime activities. Young Wonderer has a good piece on why black-and-white images are good for babies, with a breakdown of baby’s first year in development.

 

 

Uh-Oh! Rabbit, by Jo Ham, (Sept. 2023, Candlewick Studio), $10, ISBN: 9781536233179

Ages Birth-3

Learning about opposites was never so much fun. A rabbit learns that what goes up must come down, whether on a ski slope or a see saw. The story follows an amusing, repetitive pattern: Rabbit attempts an action, there’s an “Oh-oh!” moment, Rabbit learns: one “Rabbit up” spread shows Rabbit sporting bright yellow goggles and preparing to dive into a pool where another Rabbit relaxes on a float; “Uh-oh!” shows Rabbit in mid-air, heading right for the relaxing Rabbit; “Rabbit down” shows the goggled Rabbit clinging to the float in the middle of a big splash as the other Rabbit swims away. High contrast black and white images add pops of bright yellow for visual interest, and the two-word spreads tell readers all they need to know. Easy to read and with a stylish layout, this is a fun addition to concepts and high-contrast collections.

Uh-Oh! Rabbit was a Children’s Book Council pick for Building a Home Library.

 

Yippee! Rabbit, by Jo Ham, (Sept. 2023, Candlewick Studio), $10, ISBN: 9781536233186

Ages Birth-3

A companion to Uh Oh! Rabbit! (and Oops! Rabbit, also published in 2023), Yippee! Rabbit illustrates “Go” and “Stop”, with a brief pause for a triumphant “Yippee!” in between cause and effect: Rabbit runs with a kite (“Rabbit go”), the kite sails through the air (“Yippee!”), the kite wraps itself around a tree (“Rabbit stop”). Rabbit also attempts to swing, use his scooter in the rain, and leap off a chair, all with entertaining results. Endpapers show high contrast blue and black renderings of Rabbit’s activities across all three books. Jo Ham creates a fun way of illustrating concepts using spare text and humor while breaking each action down into three steps and teaching readers cause and effect. The high contrast art will appeal to babies, and the fun stories will sustain readers as they grow.