Note: For all of the following, I have listed the board book publication date first. However, most were originally published as picture books. For those, I have noted the original picture book publication date as well.
Big Red Barn. By Margaret Wise Brown. Illustrated by Felicia Bond. HarperFestival/HarperCollins, 1995 (board book edition; first published 1956). This has Brown's characteristic rhythm and rhyming, and though the illustrations are not as unique as Clement Hurd's (Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny), the story is actually quite captivating. Each page shows us another animal doing what it does on the farm, then moving toward the barn at the end of the day, and going to sleep "while the moon sailed high in the dark night sky." There is much to look at on each page--chickens laying eggs, tomcats screeching and jumping out windows, just-born field mice, bats flying out a window. The darkening sky and quiet ending (reminiscent of Goodnight Moon) are very atmospheric--just right for bedtime. This would also work for a toddler storytime. Age range: 1-4. Fosters: Phonological awareness. Other categories: Animals, Bedtime, Rhyming.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Eric Carle. Henry Holt,1996 (board book edition; first published 1967). Perhaps the hands-down best book for repeated reading to infants and young toddlers, Brown Bear features a different animal on each page, asking, "What do you see?" and leading into the next page, a style that encourages listeners to anticipate and call out the answers. The wonderful cut-out illustrations are absolutely perfect for babies just beginning to pick out images. Age range: 0-2. Fosters: Narrative skills, print awareness, vocabulary. Other categories: Rhyming, Animals, Outstanding Art.
Dinosaur Roar! By Paul and Henrietta Strickland. Dutton, 1997 (board book edition; first published 1994). Another picture book that works even more fabulously as a board book due to its sparse text (two words per page), lack of storyline, contagious rhymes, and fetching anthropomorphic dinosaurs. "Dinosaur roar, dinosaur squeak, dinosaur dierce, dinosuar meek," begins the book, ending with, "All sorts of dinosaurs eating their lunch, gobble, gobble, nibble, nibble, munch, munch, schrunch!" On the last page, the final h is being eaten by a hungry T-rex, adding one last note of hilarity. A surefire hit that children will memorize and want to chant along with after just a few reads. Age range: 0-4. Fosters: Phonological awareness, print motivation, print awareness. Other categories: Dinosaurs, Rhyming.
Each Peach, Pear Plum. By Janet and Allan Ahlberg. Penguin, 1999 (board book edition; first published 1978). Truly wonderful rhymes encourage children to chime in and finish lines, as the pages show humorous scenes from familiar fairy tales and nursery rhymes. This is a book that can be read hundreds of times, as each page has the Ahlbergs' characteristic detailed drawings with loads to look at and search for, and a humor just right for very little readers. Age range: 0-4. Fosters: Phonological awareness, print awareness. Other categories: Rhyming, Fairy tales/nursery rhymes.
The Going to Bed Book. By Sandra Boynton. Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, 1995 (first published 1984). Boynton has a characteristic cartoonish style that may leave adults cold but that endlessly delights children. In this bedtime book, which has an appropriately sleepy lilt, her wonderfully silly animal friends perform their bedtime rituals on a boat, then "rock, and rock, and rock to sleep." Fun for a storytime, but destined to become a family favorite for bedtime. Age range: 0-2. Fosters: Narrative skills, phonological awareness, print awareness. Other categories: Rhyming, Bedtime.
A Good Day. By Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2010 (board book edition; first published 2010). Kevin Henkes has created a masterpiece in this short tale with a beginning, middle, and end in just a few words per page. Although this was first released as a picture book, it works marvelously as a board book for very young readers. Kids will worry then breathe easy as four small animals encounter a problem, then resolve it in the second half of the book. Age range: 1-4. Fosters: Narrative skills. Other categories: Animals, Top Ten.
Good Dog, Carl. By Alexandra Day. Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, 1996 (board book edition; first published 1986). The first book in the popular series. First off, Carl is so beautifully, lovingly, realistically painted in these gentle illustrations, that you don't have to be a dog lover to fall for him. With pitch-perfect postures, he looks almost real, and Day clearly spent a lot of time drawing from nature. That aside, the story is just too funny: A mom goes out shopping and leaves her baby in her dog's charge. The two of them get into mischief, that will have toddlers giggling with delight--all the more because they get away scott free. And just as things get crazy, mom comes home--always a reassuring message. Because it's a wordless book, it allows for multiple interpretations and discussions, and for children to take a turn storytelling and developing their narrative skills. Age range: 0-4. Fosters: Narrative skills, print motivation, print awareness. Other categories: Animals, Wordless books.
Good Night Gorilla. By Peggy Rathmann. Putnam, 1996 (board book edition; first published 1994). As the hapless zookeeper takes one last walk through the zoo, saying goodnight to the animals (those goodnights are the only words in the book), the sneaky gorilla steals his keys and unlocks the cages, one by one. There isn't much to the story, so it's up to the adult to add in all sorts of voices and asides as the animals follow the unwitting zookeeper out of the zoo and into his house, to bed down on the rug. It is that very simplicity, and the ability of the reader to tailor it to any age, that makes this an ideal book for the very youngest listeners. There are funny pages galore, the grand finale being when the lights go out and all the animals say goodnight out loud--to the shock of the zookeeper's wife. Parents may get a bit weary of telling the tale over and over and over, but kids won't tire of hearing it! They may even want to take a turn, working their storytelling skills. Age range: 0-4. Fosters: Narrative skills. Other categories: Animals, Bedtime, Wordless books.
Goodnight Moon. By Margaret Wise Brown. Illustrations by Clement Hurd. HarperFestival, 1991 (board book edition; first published 1947). This may be the perfect bedtime story. Although it was first released as a hardback, it is ideal for the 0-2 age range, making it a natural for the board book format. The prose is measured and repetitive, and the familiar green and blue room gets darker as the book progresses and the baby bunny moves toward his bed. This is not for storytime, but just for a parent and child to enjoy cozied up together in bed, pointing out the mouse in each picture, and finishing the rhyming verses together. Age range: 0-2. Fosters: Phonological awareness, print awareness, narrative skills. Other categories: Rhyming, Bedtime.
Jamberry. By Bruce Degan. HarperFestival, 1995. Along with Brown Bear, Brown Bear and several others of that ilk, Jamberry could well be an infant's first book. The rhymes are positively joyful, begging to be read, practically sang, aloud. The colorful illustrations depict a boy and a bear and their outdoor encounters with every kind of berry, ending in a giddy explosion of strawberries. I especially enjoy the pastoral, bucolic look of the scenery. Age range: 0-4. Fosters: Phonological awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, print awareness. Other categories: Rhyming, Animals.
The Little Drummer Boy. By Ezra Jack Keats. Viking/Penguin, 2007 (board book edition; first published 1968). You don't have to believe in the religious aspects of Christmas to fall in love with this lovely Christmas anthem beautifully illustrated by veteran Ezra Jack Keats. Children love being sung to, and unlike with many religious Christmas carols, the words are very literal and relate a distinct story, so children will follow along eagerly. The love of Mary for her baby, and the earnest desire of the poor drummer boy to give his only present, are dramatic features that make for a great tale. Age range: 1-4. Fosters: Phonological awareness, narrative skills. Other categories: Outstanding art, Holidays, Songs.
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear. By Don and Audrey Wood. Illustrated by Don Wood. Child's Play, 1998 (board book edition; first published 1984). The voice in this short, surefire story is unique: The reader is speaking directly to the main character (the mouse), who visibly reacts to the text as the story proceeds. That gives it an allure all its own, that will stretch children's reading experiences and their understanding of what a book can be. The illustrations are also very funny, depicting the mouse getting more and more desperate to keep his strawberry safe. Older children may grasp the subtext--that the speaker is a con man and has tricked the mouse into sharing his strawberry. Clever! Age range: 1-5. Fosters: Narrative skills. Other categories: Animals.
Mama, Do You Love Me? By Barbara M. Joose. Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee. Chronicle, 1998 (board book edition; first published 1991). A sweet, simple ode to mother-child love, with colorful folk-art illustrations. A little girl tests her mother's devotion, creating outlandish situations and asking if she will still be loved: "Mama, what if I carried out eggs--our ptarmigan eggs!--and I tried to be careful, and I tried to walk slowly, but I fell and the eggs broke? Then I would be sorry. But still, I would love you." This is one of very few 0-2 books featuring Northern Native American (Inuit) characters, and is valuable for that fact alone. Age range: 1-4. Fosters: Narrative skills. Other categories: Multiculturalism.
Skip to My Lou. By Nadine Bernard Westcott. Megan Tingley/Little, Brown, 2000 (board book edition; first published 2010). Westcott has become the master of illustrated song books. This one bursts with fun and happy chaos, as a little boy says goodbye to his parents, then has to deal with a houseful of rambunctious farm animals, in Cat in the Hat fashion. Each page offers much to look at, making this a better choice for one-on-one than storytime. Age range: 1-4. Fosters: Phonological awareness. Other categories: Songs, Rhyming.
Time for Bed. By Mem Fox. Illustrations by Jane Dyer. Red Wagon Books/Harcourt Brace, 1993 (board book edition; first published 1993). Each spread features a small animal preparing for bed, and two lines of charming verse: "It's time for bed, little mouse, little mouse, / Darkness is falling all over the house." "It's time to sleep, little bird, little bird, / So close your eyes, not another word." On the last page, a human mother similarly puts her child to bed, making this an ideal pre-bed ritual. Age range: 0-3. Fosters: Print awareness, phonological awareness. Other categories: Bedtime, Rhyming, Animals, Top Ten.
Tomie's Three Bears and Other Tales. By Tomie dePaola. Putnam, 2004 (first published 1986). Prolific author-illustrator dePaola has created a welcome addition to the world of board books--three classic tales (The Three Bears, The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs) in one wee tome, with bare-bones text and simple illustrations that very young children can appreciate. In a day when the wide range of new materials means that traditional folk tales are often overlooked, this is a good way to introduce young ones to the classics. Age range: 1-4. Fosters: Narrative skills, print awareness. Other categories: Animals, Fairy Tales, Nursery Rhymes and Mother Goose.
The Wheels on the Bus. Inspired by Raffi. Illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz Wickstrom. Troubadour Learning, 1988 (board book edition; first published 1988). There are quite a few book versions of Wheels on the Bus, but this is my favorite. Raffi being Canadian, the scenes are set in Quebec and look very French, leading to interesting conversations with slightly older children. The illustrations are simple, but include some interesting things going on, such as crying babies, dogs, rain coming and going, eggs falling out of a basket, and all sorts of different characters interacting. Key to making this enjoyable is knowing the accompanying movements. The combination of music, movements, and illustrations may turn this into a child's favorite. Age range: 0-3. Fosters: Phonological awareness, narrative skills. Other categories: Songs, Trains and vehicles.
1-2-3: A Child's First Counting Book. By Alison Jay. Dutton, 2009 (board book edition; first published 2007). If you wonder if we really need another counting book, the answer is that yes, we do, if it's this delightful one, in which Alison Jay has employed a unique technique to illustrate a different fairy tale on each page. She has painted each rich picture so that it looks as if it were a Renaissance oil painting, replete with cracks. The effect is that of stepping into a magical fairy tale. On the first page (“One little girl sleeping”), a child falls asleep with a book of fairy tales on her chest. In her dreams, off she soars on the back of Mother Goose, popping in and out of scenes from 16 familiar stories, as we count from one to ten and back down again. Infants will appreciate the bright colors. Older children will enjoy the “I spy” aspect, figuring out which story is featured, searching for the clues to the next story, and locating Mother Goose and the little girl, always hiding somewhere in each illustration. Age range: 2-8. Fosters: Narrative skills. Other categories: Concept, Fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and Mother Goose, Top Ten.
