2004 Best Books for Babies

Babies On The Go. Ashman, Linda. Illustrated by Jane Dyer. Harcourt.
Oversized, appealing paintings and engaging verse illustrate the variety of ways that animal and human babies and their parents get around.

Fuzzy Fuzzy Fuzzy!: A Touch, Skritch, & Tickle Book. Boynton, Sandra. Little Simon.
This brief board book features cartoon-style illustrations of animals and offers young listeners the opportunity to feel different textures and make a choice about whether (or how many times) to “read it again.”

Rock-A-Baby Band. McMullan, Kate. Illustrated by Janie Bynum. Little, Brown, and Co.
Strong rhythm, amusing rhymes, and energetic illustrations make this description of a group of musical tots a rockin’ read-aloud.

I Kissed The Baby! Murphy, Mary. Candlewick Press.
A baby chick is fed, tickled, sung to, and (of course) kissed by admiring animal friends and its own loving mom in this endearing picture book with eye-catching black and white illustrations.

The Baby Goes Beep. O’Connell, Rebecca. Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. Roaring Brook Press.
Young listeners will love hearing about baby’s day, filled with familiar experiences described in entertaining ways. Bold black outlines and brightly colored shapes create illustrations that match the energy of the text as the baby beeps, flips, splashes, and smooches his way through the day.

¡Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes. Ada, Alma Flor, & F. Isabel Campoy. English adaptor, Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Vivi Escrivá. HarperCollins.
Favorite Spanish rhymes and their English adaptations are decorated with colorful, appealing illustrations. Those unfamiliar with the rhymes presented will find that the poetic language of the nursery is truly universal as they read the bouncy, soothing, and or just plain silly verses included here.

What Do You Say? Stanley, Mandy. Little Simon.
This bright board book presents a catalog of questions for babies to answer and enjoy. Expect plenty of enthusiastic meowing, mooing, and quacking when this book is shared.

I Love Trucks. Sturges, Philemon. Illustrated by Shari Halpern. HarperCollins.
The young narrator of this engaging board book loves (and names) all kinds of trucks, from diggers to dumpers to his favorite—the ice cream truck!

Baby Day! Wallace, Nancy Elizabeth. Houghton Mifflin.
This cheerful look at a typical day in the life of a baby includes clever cut-paper illustrations of familiar clothes, toys, and household items as well as descriptions of everyday activities and fun.

Animal Play. Ziefert, Harriet. Illustrated by Simms Taback. Blue Apple.
This colorful cloth book shows simple but vibrant illustrations of familiar animals. Each picture highlights a “touch and feel” feature of the animal shown, making it a good choice for very young babies.