2002 Best Books for Babies

Appelt, Kathi. Illustrated by Fumi Kosaka. Harperfestival, 2001

A friendly frog and a shiny yellow rubber duck join a grubby toddler in the pleasures of a very bubbly bubble bath. Imaginative images make clean-up fun while playful rhymes will inspire young listeners to chant along.

 

Barton, Byron. Greenwillow, 2001

Bold, brightly colored illustrations accompany this simple story. Young listeners will enjoy identifying familiar places and objects and appreciate the humor of the surprise ending.

 

George, Kristine O'Connell. Illustrated by Maggie Smith. Clarion, 2001

Every baby knows that there are plenty of ways to interact with a book. From wearing it as a hat to reading it to the cat to giving it a hug, this little boy enthusiastically embraces all the possibilities.

 

Katz, Karen. McElderry/Simon & Schuster, 2001

From morning to night, family members shower baby with kisses. From her toes to her nose, siblings, parents, grandparents and even pets show their affection for the initially cranky, eventually serene and sleeping baby in this cheerful counting book.

 

McGee, Marni. Illustrated by Sam Williams. Simon & Schuster, 2001

A wonderful going to bed book, this brief, repetitive story focuses on a sleepy baby whose father is getting him ready for bed. Familiar activities like reading, rocking, and goodnight kisses from Mom lead up to a peaceful trip to dreamland in this charming picture book.

 

Meyers, Susan. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Harcourt, 2001

Flowing descriptions celebrate many moods and infinite charms of babies, while engaging illustrations show infants from a wide variety of cultures engaged in everyday activities.

 

My First Word Touch and Feel Dorling Kindersley , 2001

Crisp, colorful photos of familiar objects in this large board book allow babies to expand and display their knowledge of the world around them, while certain pictures incorporate textures, allowing young listeners to compare the soft teddy bear, silky swimsuit, crinkly potato chip and other items.

 

Come Back, Hannah! Russo, Marisabina. Greenwillow Books, 2001

An adventurous baby enjoys crawling from place to place, playfully testing the limits set by her caring mom. After a busy day for both, they settle down for a story and enjoy their quiet time together.

 

Simmons, Jane. Little, Brown & Co., 2001

Daisy the duck searches for little Pip but finds all the other farmyard animals first. Young listeners will quickly chime in with the appropriate animal noises during the search and be pleased with its eventual end: Pip is curled up safe and sound under Mama Duck's wing. 

 

Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. Harperfestival, 2001

The traditional baby game is illustrated with a variety of young animals (including humans) and their parents. Clever foldout pages (on sturdy paper) emphasize the repeated refrain as each animal shows that he or she is so big!