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7th Annual Best Books for Babies
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Duckie’s Ducklings. Barry, Frances Candlewick Press: 2005
Cleverly shaped pages, bright, simple images, an amusing story, and a damp, delightful happy ending make this tale of baby ducklings lost and found a pleasure to share with young listeners.
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Tomie’s Mother Goose Flies Again. DePaola, Tomie. Putnam: 2005
Perfect for car trips, stroller rides, poring over and dipping into, this illustrated board book version of selected nursery rhymes offers new listeners the chance to enjoy timeless rhymes.
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Honey Baby Sugar Child. Duncan, Alice Faye. Illustrated by Susan Keeter. Simon & Schuster: 2005
A perfect portrait of a mother’s love for her child, the paintings in this appealing picture book feature an African-American mother and her smiling baby boy.
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My Garden = Mi Jardin. Emberley, Rebecca. Little Brown: 2005
Bold, colorful shapes on white board pages introduce children to familiar garden sights in two languages, English and Spanish, from dirt (la tierra) to vegetables (las verduras).
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Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones. Freedman, Claire. Illustrated by Tina Macnaughton. DGood Books: 2005
Soft illustrations and soothing words combine to show a variety of jungle animals settling down for the night.
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A Truck Goes Rattley-Bumpa. London, Jonathan. Illustrated by Denis Roche. Henry Holt: 2005
Lots of trucks drive noisily through the pages of this book whose pictures tell the story of a family’s move to a new home.
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Star Baby. O’Hair, Margaret. Illustrated by Erin Eitter Kono. Clarion Books: 2005
A beloved baby’s day is described in rhymes and pictures, with the focus always kept squarely on the busy, beautiful baby.
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Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling. Pearson, Tracey Campbell. Farrar Straus Giroux:
2005
This familiar rhyme finds new life in a board book version featuring a sleepy young African-American boy sharing a bedtime story with his dad.
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Alphabet House. Wallace, Nancy. Illustrated by John Sandford. Marshall Cavendish: 2005
Cut paper pictures show plenty of everyday items for each letter of the alphabet, encouraging plenty of point-and-say fun.
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This Little Piggy. Yolen, Jane. Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Candlewick Press: 2005
This charmingly illustrated collection includes instructions on how to play bouncing and clapping games and act out rhymes as well as providing musical notation for songs, all of which will encourage parents and grandparents to enjoy actively sharing these verses with young listeners.
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6th Annual Best Books for Babies
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Buenos Dias Baby! Ellis, Libby. Chronicle Books : 2004
Familiar objects, pictured one per page in appealingly simple illustrations and soft colors, are identified in both English and Spanish in this charming miniature board book.
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Tomie's Baa Baa Black Sheep and Other Rhymes. DePaola, Tomie. Putnam Publishing: 2004
Popular artist DePaolo illustrates four traditional rhymes in this brief board book, providing a perfect introduction to Mother Goose for babies and their parents.
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Little Bo Peep. Pearson, Tracey Campbell. Farrar Straus Giroux: 2004
A wakeful toddler tosses her toy sheep from her crib (a game that will be familiar to many parents) in this amusing board book update of a familiar rhyme.
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Truck Duck. Rex, Michael. G. P. Putnam Son’s Publishing: 2004
Animals and vehicles are paired in humorous rhyming combinations; bright, bold illustrations add to the fun.
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Baby Danced the Polka. Beaumont, Karen. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. Dial Book for Young Readers: 2004
An energetic baby jigs, polkas, and cha-chas with a variety of stuffed animals hidden behind flaps in this rhyming story that will likely inspire both participation and imitation on the part of little listeners.
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Te Amo, Bebe, Little One. Wheeler, Lisa. Illustrated by Maribel Suarez. Little, Brown & Co: 2004
Playful rhymes and colorful pictures describe baby’s first year, punctuated regularly by Mama’s repeated declaration of love and devotion.
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Duckie’s Rainbow. Barry, Frances. Candlewick Press: 2004
A cleverly designed book with pages that grow ever smaller, this story follows a bright white duck as she travels homeward and eventually sees a beautiful rainbow.
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Me Baby You Baby. Wolff, Ashley. Dutton Children’s Books: 2004
Colorful paintings and cheerful rhymes showcase a delightful day in the lives of two families, as two toddlers and their mothers head off to the zoo to admire the baby animals.
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Snug in Mama’s Arms. Medearis, Angela Shelf. Illustrated by John Sandford. McGraw Hill children’s Publishing: 2004
Celebrating the comfort found in cuddling on mama’s lap, this soothing picture book uses soft, somewhat dark colors to evoke the dreamy drowsiness of a lullaby.
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Wynken, Blynken, and Nod. Field, Eugene W. Illustrated by David McPhail. Cartwheel Books: 2004
Field’s classic poem is brought to vibrant life by McPhail’s exquisite, oversized paintings that excel at capturing both the elements of fantasy and the coziness of being tucked safely in bed.
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5th Annual Best Books for Babies
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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¡ 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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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4th Annual Best Books for Babies
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Babies edited by Lara Holtz Dorling Kindersley, June 2002 ISBN#0789485753
Photographs capture babies as they laugh, play, splash, and smile their way through a typical day familiar to every baby.
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Boo Hoo Boo-Boo by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Elivia Savadier Harper Growing Tree, May 2002 ISBN#0439153115
When typical toddler activities result in bumps and bruises, Lulu, Andrew, and Zuzu know just what to do, as do their grown-ups. Medicine and band-aids are good, but kisses and hugs help to speed the healing.
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Daddy’s Lullaby by Tony Bradman, illustrated by Jason Cockcroft McElderry Books, May 2002 ISBN#0689842953
Most of the family is sound asleep, but Daddy and his baby are up late exploring the house. No reader will be surprised at where Daddy and baby are found as the sun comes up.
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Dig, Dig, Digging by Margaret Mayo, illustrated by Alex Ayliffe Henry Holt, May 2002 ISBN#0805068406
From familiar favorites like fire engines and dump trucks to transporters, road rollers, and rescue helicopters, there is plenty to see and talk about in this colorful collection of big machines.
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Mama’s Little Bears by Nancy Tafuri Scholastic Press, March 2002 ISBN#0439273110
Three young and curious little bears head out exploring. But, don?t worry- Mama Bear always has them in her watchful view.
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Peek-A-Boo, You by Roberta Grobel Intrater Cartwheel, March 2002 ISBN#0439339618
Readers are invited to play along as they lift flaps to discover babies hiding behind blankets, balloons, hats, and bears.
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Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora G.P. Putnam’s Sons, May 2002 ISBN#0399236023
A grinning toddler enjoys a morning of peek-a-boo with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, a friend, and even the reader.
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Song of Night: It’s Time to Go to Bed by Katherine Riley Nakamura, illustrated by Linnea Riley Blue Sky Press, February 2002 ISBN#0439266785
Bunnies, squirrels, ducks, and bears are lovingly tucked into bed in this soothing lullaby of a book.
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Wake Up, Me! by Marni McGee, illustrated by Sam Williams Simon & Schuster, February 2002 ISBN#0689831633
Bouncy rhymes showcase a young child?s early morning routine, as shared with Mom, Dad, and a beloved bear.
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Who Said Moo? by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Simms Taback Handprint, March 2002 ISBN#1929766475
Young listeners will be enthusiastically barking, mooing, and cock-a-doodle-dooing as they share this colorful, lift-the-flap book with their favorite grown-ups.
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 3rd Annual Best Books for Babies
Bubbles, Bubbles 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.
My Car 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.
Book! 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.
Counting Kisses 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.
Sleepy Me 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.
Everywhere Babies 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.
Daisy's Hide-And-Seek: A Lift-The-Flap Book 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.
So Big! 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!?
2nd Annual Best Books for Babies
Again! by John Prater Barrons
The loving relationship between child and grandparent comes alive in this playful and engaging book by John Prater. Don’t be surprised when young listeners want to hear it "again!"
Away We Go! by Rebecca Kai Dotlich; illustrations by Dan Yaccarino Harper Collins
Simple, bright, colorful illustrations catalog the ways that people travel on the ground, in the water, and in the air. Young listeners will enjoy pointing at the pictures and "reading" the brief rhyming text.
Brown Sugar Babies by Charles R. Smith Hyperion
Large, luscious photographs capture the love between parent and child while smaller snapshots show off the diverse beauty of these "Brown Sugar Babies.""
Cat’s Play by Lisa Campbell Ernst Viking
Rhymed phrases combine with charming illustrations to present everyday activities enjoyed by a smiling young toddler and a plump friendly cat in this gently appealing board book.
Lulu’s Busy Day by Caroline Uff Walker & Company
Lulu’s back and she’s busy enjoying the kind of day readers can relate to--drawing colorful pictures, playing in the park with a friend, eating dinner, enjoying a bubble bath and snuggling into bed. Welcome back, Lulu!
Mother Goose Remembers by Clare Beaton (illustrations) Barefoot Books
Delicate, detailed, embroidered illustrations decorate a collection of traditional Mother Goose rhymes.
Night-Night, Baby by Elizabeth Hathon (photographs) Grosset & Dunlap
Familiar items and textures are featured in clear, attractive photographs that show a diverse group of babies and toddlers engaged in their bedtime routines.
Papa Papa by Jean Marzollo; illustrations by Laura Regan HarperCollins
Attractive pictures of various parent-child animal pairs illuminate the many ways that fathers care for and protect their offspring.
What Shall We Do with the Boo-Hoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell,
illustrations by Ingrid Godon Scholastic
Baby doesn’t want food or toys or tub-time-so what does he want? Puzzled parents everywhere will appreciate this light-hearted look at just what to do with a bawling baby.
Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz Little Simon
Charmingly childlike illustrations in bright colors focus readers’ attention squarely on the babies pictured in this simple lift-the-flap board book.
1st Annual Best Books for Babies
Sleepy, Sleepy! by Emily Bolam (Price Stern Sloan)
This wordless book is made of cloth - perfect for babies to cuddle while parents point out the various animals snoozing happily on each colorful page. Simply outlined animals appear in familiar settings, like strollers, beds, and bounce chairs, allowing readers to create any story they choose as they turn the blanket-style pages to reveal (or tuck in) each sleeping baby animal.
Sleepytime Rhyme by Remy Charlip (Greenwillow Books)
A master of the picture book form uses lilting rhyme, a playful touch, and flowing stylized illustrations to depict a mother's love poem to her child. Small viewers will discover to their delight other parent-child pairs scattered through the vibrant pages. Extraordinary skill and style set this book apart from the flood of "I love you" books for babies.
Babies by Susan Canizares, Pamela Chanko (Scholastic, Inc.)
Close-up photos framed in borders of pink and blue illustrate "what babies need." From food to naps, baths to laughs, to hugs, kisses, and love, these babies are shown getting just what they need from parents and siblings.
Babies on the Move by Susan Canizares, Daniel Moreton (Scholastic, Inc.)
Clear, colorful photos of babies in exotic and familiar settings show readers and listeners that babies can be carried in baskets, pushed in strollers, or strapped in car seats, among other modes of travel. But all over the world babies are moving toward walking independently - a feat that's featured on the final page.
Here Comes Mother Goose by Iona Opie; Illustrated by Rosemary Wells (Candlewick Press)
Time-tested rhymes, both well-known and obscure, fill the pages of this exuberantly illustrated collection. Wells' comic pictures exude charm and energy, making these old poems come alive for a brand new audience.
Flappy, Waggy, Wiggly by Amanda Leslie (Dutton Children s Books)
Animal identification is made fun and easy in this "Peekaboo riddle" book. Half pages barely conceal the boldly drawn animals, while appropriate noises offer additional clues. Only eight animals are featured but the book's brevity will be appreciated by parents asked to "read it again" repeatedly.
Oh Baby! A Touch-and-Feel Book by Elizabeth Hathon (Grosset & Dunlap)
Babies love books - not just to listen to, but to hold, feel, open and close, and, of course, chew. This sturdy board book offers an opportunity for babies to interact on every page. Crisp photographs provide the perfect background for a movable mobile, shiny mirror, a soft teddy bear tummy, and even a lift-the-flap dog house door
Show Me! by Tom Tracy; Illustrated by Darcia Labrosse (HarperFestival)
Mom and baby share tickles and hugs in this brisk board book full of lively rhymes and familiar activities. Simply drawn smiling faces clearly show parent and child enjoying their time together.
Hello Lulu by Caroline Uff (Walker)
The essentials of a small child's world - house, car, family members - are rendered in large, glowing, childlike sketches that are just right for a very young audience. We predict babies will request repeated visits with Lulu
The Baby's Word Book by Sam Williams (Greenwillow Books)
A catalog of common objects and everyday activities, displayed and demonstrated by a cute crop of multicultural kids, this over-sized board book will provide plenty of opportunities for babies to "point and say" as they begin to practice their language skills. Parents can make up stories to link pictures and people together or can simply encourage young listeners to recognize and name the pictures.
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