From: Payne, Rachel <R.Payne>
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:13:03 -0400

Thanks for making board books the topic in this half of September. I feel like board books are finally getting their due, even there may be a prejudice against them among a few. A librarian once told me she would rather deal with "real" books than with board books.

I like the lap-size editions and, like any format, they do have pluses and minuses. Plus- they encourage parents to share books with babies and toddlers and they don't shrink the art down so things are lost in translation. Minus- they are really too heavy for babies and toddlers to manipulate on their own.

I also like the accordion format for board books. These books stand up on their sides and are perfect for babies to look at while they are on their tummies. Toddlers and preschoolers are also charmed by the novelty of their construction. While there aren't that many of them and they are difficult for libraries to circulate, they do make unique baby gifts. My favorites are "Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces" by Jane Wattenberg (photos of happy babies on one side and cranky babies on the other) and Tana Hoban's "Black & White" (one side features the book
"Black on White," the other "White on Black").


~ Rachel Payne
Received on Mon 22 Sep 2008 03:13:03 PM CDT