WHAT NOISE DOES A COW MAKE?

A short, simple board book introduces animals and their sounds.

The bright and bold illustrations feature up-close images of very cute, very wide-eyed creatures, including a horse, a chicken, a sheep, a pig, and a cow. The thick, black lines and solid backgrounds—in vivid colors with minimal embellishments—make the images appealing and kid-friendly. Each double-page spread asks a version of the same question: “What noise does a horse make?”; “What noise does a chicken make?”; etc. Pull-tabs provide the answers in a text bubble: “Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!” and “Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!” The word choice here—“noise” instead of “sound”—is a little odd, and tots might be a little disappointed to find only word bubbles filled with text they can’t yet read as their reward for pulling the large, easy-to-grab tabs on each right-hand page.

Still, the simplicity and brevity of this one combined with its cheerful illustrations make it a good choice for lapsit storytimes or sharing with babies and toddlers one-on-one.