Good Dog, Carl

Good Dog, Carl
by Alexandra Day

What it's about:
This is a story about the adventures of a baby and his dog, Carl. The baby's mommy goes out for an errand and asks Carl to look after the baby. They get into all sorts of mischief while she is away, but they clean up the evidence before she gets home. For all she knows, they were resting in the nursery the whole time.

Why we like it:
As a new mommy, this book actually upset me the first time I read it. How could a mother leave her infant home alone with the dog? Once I forced myself to accept that this is a fiction story, I was able to see the fun in this book. The baby and the dog have a great time breaking the rules together.

There are very few words in this book. Only the first and last pages have any text. The rest of the story is up to the reader to interpret. This is the biggest reason why I enjoy reading it - the storyline is different every time. I think my son likes it for this reason as well, and he also likes watching the baby get away with all sorts of "no-nos!"

Suggested Age Range:
We started reading this story when my son was about a year old. He would actually read it to himself in the playpen while I took my shower. Sometimes I would peek out the bathroom door and see him smiling at the pictures! The illustrations are a bit complicated, so I think a younger reader wouldn't be able to pick out the details as well. Now that my son is 17 months old, he looks as each picture for a long time and seems to study the details. I think he will enjoy it for several more months before he outgrows it.

Additional Details:
Copyright 1986
Little Simon
ISBN 978-0-689-80748-0
$6.99

Binky

Binky

by Leslie Patricelli

What it's about:
This silly board book is a story about a baby who lost his binky. The baby looks in all the usual hiding places, and even asks his pet fishy, doggy, and mommy to help. Eventually, Daddy and the baby find the binky in his crib - just where he likes it best.

Why we like it:
My son loves his binkies. He sleeps with four of them at a time (a strange habit, I know) and would like to have them all day long. Much to his chagrin, he is only allowed to have his binkies when he goes to sleep. I like this book because it reinforces the message that the binky is for sleeping in a playful and non-preachy way. My son likes the repetitive phrasing and the simple, brightly colored pictures. He also loves to point out the lost binky in the crib at the end of the story.

Suggested Age Range:
We checked out this book from the library when my son was about one year old. However, I think it would have been appropriate several months earlier - possibly when he was as young as 6 months. He loved the book at one year, and we just checked it out again at 17 months. He still loves it. I think we will enjoy this story until my son says goodbye to his binkies, which is hopefully reasonably soon!

Additional Details:
Copyright 2005
Candlewick Press
ISBN 0-7636-2364-4
$6.99

How Are You Peeling?

How Are You Peeling?
Foods with Moods

by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers

What it's about:
This unique and colorful book teaches about emotions. The authors used fruits and vegetables to create sculptures showing a wide range of human feelings. The story line is essentially a list of everyday experiences (such as waiting for a late friend or meeting someone new) and the variety of emotions associated with them. The photographs really tell the story with their vibrant colors and the realistic expressions on the sculptures' faces.

Why we like it:
My son and I both find this book absolutely fascinating. It is amazing how you can look at the pictures and really believe that an orange can feel worried or a pepper can feel confused. My son is just beginning to identify feelings, and I think this book is helping him associate more words with his emotions. The expressions on the sculptures' faces are highly defined, so I think this book is a great way to help children learn about feelings. Some of the emotions are a bit advanced for my son (such as timid or bold), but most of them are perfectly appropriate for a 17-month-old (like happy, sad, and shy). This is a beautiful story for both children and adults, and I love reading it with my son.

Suggested Age Range:
My son started taking this book off my bookshelf when he was about 15 months old. I had discovered it in my early 20s and my husband bought it for me. When we first started reading it with my son, he was fascinated by the colorful pictures of the fruits and vegetables. When he was about 16 months old, he learned the word "happy" and started pointing out the happy faces. Now, at about 17 months, we have started talking about the other emotions. I imagine that it will take my son a long time to outgrow this story. It's possible that he will enjoy it for many, many more years. As I mentioned, I picked it out for the first time as an adult!

Additional Details:
Copyright 1999
Scholastic Press
ISBN 0-439-10431-9
$15.95

Goodnight Moon

Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown

What it's about:
This children's classic is a story about saying goodnight to a variety of things and animals in a baby bunny's bedroom. The narrator identifies all of the objects in the the first half of the book, and then says goodnight to them in the second half. The story reads like a poem and is both repetitive and predictable.

Why we like it:
To be honest, this book would never have made my list of "Best Baby Books" when I first started reading it with my son. I thought the pictures were dark and the story was uninteresting. However, I have grown to love this book more and more each time we read it. Now it is definitely one of my favorites and my son's as well. Perhaps it is because of the simple rhymes and peaceful storyline, or perhaps it is because of the detailed pictures of the bunny's bedroom. There is always something new to discover when we look at the bedroom scene. Whatever the reasons, this story has become a cherished part of our nightly routine.

Suggested Age Range:
We started reading this book to my son when he was a newborn. He clearly didn't understand much of it then, but I'm glad we started reading it so early in his life. Now he knows the story inside and out, and I think his familiarity is a big reason why he enjoys it. It is hard to predict when he will outgrow it, but I would guess by around age 3 or 4.

Additional Details:
We have the board book, although a traditional hardcover version is also available.
Original Copyright 1947
HarperFestival
ISBN 978-0694003617
$7.99

Black & White

Black & White
by Tana Hoban

What it's about:
This fold-out book is a compilation of simple black and white silhouettes. The pictures include everyday objects such as keys, a leaf, buttons, a bird, a fork and spoon, and a cat. There are no written words and the pictures are not organized as if to tell a story.

Why we like it:
I think the simplicity of this book is what makes it so great. The black and white images caught my son's attention when he was only a few weeks old. The pictures also depict everyday objects that fascinate babies. What infant isn't captivated by keys or balloons?! The book's fold-out format is also unique and entertaining. When opened, it is about as long as my arms can reach. This is a surprising way to read a story and fun for my child.

Suggested Age Range:
When my son was just weeks old, we would unfold this book and place it next to him on the floor. At that age, he was fascinated with black and white images, so this was a perfect way to keep him entertained. Now that he is older, we play a game where he points to the objects that we name. Soon, I expect that he will name the objects and ask us to point to them! I estimate that he will outgrow the book sometime before the age of two.

Additional Details:
Copyright 2007
Greenwillow Books
ISBN 978-0-06-117211-3
$7.99

Blue Hat, Green Hat

Blue Hat, Green Hat
by Sandra Boynton

What it's about:
This is a wacky board book about colors and types of clothing. If you are familiar with Sandra Boynton, you will recognize her wacky sense of humor. The animals in this book try on different colored pieces of clothing, and some of them wear the clothes on the wrong parts of their bodies. One animal even wears all his clothes in the pool!

Why we like it:
This book is just plain fun. Now that my son knows where "a hat goes" and where "pants go," he thinks this book is silly and entertaining. He also participates in the reading by pointing out and saying the words for "hat" and "shirt." He sometimes says "Oops!" in the correct places too. It's possible my son is learning something about colors from this book, but the highlight for me is the laughs we share as we read it together.

Suggested Age Range:
We got this book when my son was almost 15 months old. He understood the humor then, and it's possible that a younger child would as well. Part of his current enjoyment comes from his ability to participate by saying the words for objects he knows. I think that he will like the book even more as he learns to recognize and say his colors too.

Additional Details:
Copyright 1984
Little Simon
ISBN 978-0-671-49320-2
$5.99

Where's Spot?

Where's Spot?

by Eric Hill

What it's about:
It is Spot's supper time and he is nowhere to be found. This lift-the-flap book is a game of hide-and-seek to join Spot's mommy in looking for him. As Sally searches, she finds a monkey in the closet, a hippo in the piano, a turtle under the rug, and other animals in other surprising places. Eventually, she finds Spot and he eats his supper like a good puppy!

Why we like it:
This is one of my son's all-time favorite books. In fact, he loves it so much that we've already worn out our original copy and are reading a new one. Each page looks significantly different from the next. This keeps the book engaging over multiple reads - even if the child can't lift the flaps on their own. My son and I also like talking about the animals that Sally finds on her search. This book has been a fun way to practice "what the snake says" and "what the lion says" as well.

Suggested Age Range:
We started reading this book when my son was about 6 months old. Although he couldn't lift the flaps by himself at that point, he still liked looking at the pictures and "finding" Spot at the end. When he got a little older, he loved lifting the flaps, but often ripped them in his excitement. Now (at 16+ months) he can lift the flaps without ripping them, and he still enjoys reading this book again and again.

Additional Details:
Copyright 1980
G.P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN 978-0-399-24046-1
$7.99

Are You My Mother?

Are You My Mother?
by P.D. Eastman

What it's about:
A mother bird goes off to find food for her baby who is about to hatch. The baby bird is born before she returns. Upon hatching, the baby decides to leave the nest in search of his missing mother. He meets several characters on his adventure and eventually finds his way home to his nest and his mommy.

Why we like it:
I remember reading this book with my own mother when I was young, so it is particularly special to me. I am thrilled that my son loves it as well. The simple pictures and repetitive phrasing catch his attention every time we read it. He also gets excited when the mommy and baby are reunited at the end. Naturally, his reaction makes me happy too!

Suggested Age Range:
We started reading this book when my son was about 9 months old and it's still a favorite at 16+ months. We have both the board book and original hard-bound versions of this story. I would suggest starting with the shorter, board book version for young babies. The original version is best for older children with longer attention spans and who won't rip the pages.

Additional Details:
Copyright 1960
Random House
ISBN 0-394-80018-4 (hard-bound)
$8.99
ISBN 0-679-89047-5 (board book)
$4.99

Toes, Ears, & Nose!

Toes, Ears, & Nose!
by Marion Dane Bauer
illustrated by Karen Katz

What it's about:
This colorful lift-the-flap book teaches about the parts of the body. The body parts are hidden under the narrator's clothing, which the reader lifts to uncover each part.

Why we like it:
This book is a great way to learn the parts of the body. My son loves to point to each body part in the book, then to the same part on himself, then to the same on me. His favorite part to uncover is the tongue! The lift-the-flaps are also relatively sturdy so as to withstand my son's not-so-gentle handling.

Suggested Age Range:
My son received this book as a gift when he was about 1 year old. He loved it then and still loves it at 16+ months. I think children as young as 6 months would enjoy it.

Additional Details:
Copyright 2003
Little Simon
ISBN 0-689-84712-2
$6.99