BABY TALK

Baby’s busy day is punctuated by a few of the words and phrases he has learned. After dressing and brushing his hair, baby makes his wants clear: “Up, up, up!” Then it’s playtime. “Baby with a blanket, Baby with a bear. Baby playing hide-and-seek. Where’s the baby? There!” A trip to the park leads to a barrage of words. Baby’s day ends with the nighttime routine common to so many families—dinner (“gone”), bath (“splash”) and then bed. Young children will delight in the familiarity—the routine so similar to their own, and simple words they can chime in on. Hindley’s rollicking rhymes lend the text a bouncy feel that may just transfer to the lap the child is occupying. (But don’t look for consistent rhymes.) Granström’s illustrations are perfect for the youngest set; there are no backgrounds, and details are both minimal and chosen to reinforce the familiar. An added bonus: Baby’s body language and words are perfectly in sync, so older siblings can practice “reading” baby’s cues. (Picture book. 2-5)