TE AMO, BEBÉ / LOVE YOU, BABY

How many ways can a baby be loved? This bilingual book shows a few of them, in Spanish and English.

Bold, vibrantly colored animal pairs—an adult and baby—are depicted against solid-colored backgrounds engaging in loving ways. A scarf-wearing panda hugs a baby, a hedgehog plants a kiss on baby’s head, and a rabbit holds a baby aloft as it nuzzles its nose. The other animal pairs include pigs, raccoons, and owls. The last page shows a bear cub with an adult on each side expressing their love: “¡Te amo, bebé! / I love you, baby!” Paired with each charming illustration is a simple three-word sentence, first in Spanish, followed by English in a smaller font: “Abrazar al bebé / Hug a baby,” and so on. Companion book ¡Hola, granja! Hello, Farm! illustrated by Maddie Frost, shows farm animals in a colorful cartoonish style. While the text accompanying each animal is spare—“Hola, caballos. / Hello, horses. // Hola, vacas. / Hello, cows”—readers will find much to look at and discuss in the illustrations. What makes these two books, like others in the series, particularly attractive for the littlest of readers is the “indestructible” paper, literally. The thin pages are made from a nontoxic material that is chew proof, rip proof, and washable.

A book babies can read on their own, though snuggling is always best.