I believe laughing together is a big part of the glue that bonds people together. Humor has gotten me through my toughest times—and given me much joy in the good times. Laughing over my books with one or both of my toddler grandsons will always be cherished memories for me. Likewise, I love hearing about moments of connection for other readers bonding over Applesauce Is Fun to Wear, Baby’s Opposites, Baby’s Firsts, and Pirate Jack Gets Dressed.
Picture books should appeal to the ear as well as the eye. Coming from a family of musicians, I’m partial to rhyme, as you might guess from most of my picks here.
What's not to love about the bouncy, perfect rhyme and zany illustrations of a day at the zoo packed with action and humorous touches? But this board book has more subtle layers, too. While the first few spreads show the zookeeper getting animals ready for opening, the viewpoint shifts to the animal's thoughts on the humans:
My, what silly things they do,/ all these creatures at the zoo.
The following pages detail actions common to people and zoo animals like dancing feet, carrying babies, and shrieking. I've often thought that if we humans could keep in mind that we’re animals, too, we’d be better at sharing the planet with them. This simple and simply hilarious book does that in a way humans of all ages can appreciate.
In this humorous twist on a visit to the zoo, just who has the more interesting view? As morning dawns, the zookeeper makes his rounds, exhorting the animals to wake up, comb their hair, and stand up straight. Soon their human visitors arrive, and the observations begin to flow: My, what silly things they do, all these creatures at the zoo. Walking on all kinds of feet, dancing to an inner beat. Babies riding on their backs, on their bellies, snug in sacks. Hear the silly sounds they speak, as they howl and squawk and shriek! But just who is…
This book is full of unexpected delights from beginning to end.
The first spread states, “ROAR!! Goes the…” opposite a cutout that shows a tiger driving. The next spread says, “…TRUCK that rumbles up the road,” and shows the tiger driving a truck with a crate of tacks tumbling onto the road.
Likewise, “Hiss…goes the CAR that gets a flat tire,” driven by a snake. A parade of vehicles gets held up behind them until a coyote-driven police car (Awooo!) and beaver-driven tow truck (chomp!) save the day.
Cushman’s illustrations contain even more visual jokes. The sloth passing the pile-up on the sidewalk while pushing a tennis-ball-footed walker made me laugh out loud, even without a vehicle- or animal-loving toddler to read it to.
With a nod to Richard Scarry, this inventive picture book surprises readers with every turn of the page!
Hiss! Screech! Roar! It's a noisy day in Bumperville! But are the sounds what you think they are? That Honk! must surely be a goose. But turn the page and it's the taxi that a goose is driving! Using cleverly placed die-cuts, this inventive book hints at what is making the sound, but with each turn of the page, it's an eye-opening surprise and part of an unfolding story that is part guessing game and part giggle-inducing caper. Abi Cushman is the…
A lifelong cat person, I was drawn to Betsy Lewin’s light-hearted illustrations and lilting rhyme featuring an orange tabby.
It starts, “Everyone knows where Tippy Toes is/ when the sun is up and the day is his.” The next spread shows a mouse’s view of a paw through its hole followed by one from the cat’s viewpoint showing the mouse’s tail through its hole. More clever cutouts add to the fun as we follow Tippy Toe through an adventure with a garden hose, a nap in a drawer, and a dash through a blueberry pie.
The final text reads, “No, nobody knows where Tippy Toes creeps/ when darkness falls and the whole world sleeps…”. The last page turn reveals the cat curled up under his boy’s covers, finishing “…except me.”
Tippy Toes is a tricky cat-sneaking, hiding, creeping, slinking. Over here. Over there. His house is the perfect place to tiptoe the day away, lurking behind unsuspecting birds and mice, crouching behind garden posies, and surprising a little boy with his unusual hiding spots. Die-cut pages let readers discover where Tippy Toe goes as his day unfolds, and end up revealing the most satisfying hiding place of all-a warm cozy bed! Told with simple rhymes and mischievous illustrations by award-winning creator Betsy Lewin, this is a book to curl up with and enjoy-preferably in a nice sunny spot.
My daughter, a children’s librarian, says this storytime favorite is sure to delight the toddler crowd.
It’s packed with interactive fun, with invites to hi-five various animals. “Hi-five a lion. Hear him GROWL. YOO-HOO-HOO! Hi-five an owl.” Each one’s paw or wing is sized just right for toddlers to do just that on this sturdy board book (A Never Bored Book!). They can hi-five both antlers on a moose and, at the end, “Hi-five an octopus, I say. But only if you have all day!”
The final spread encourages the toddler to high-five the reader.
Kids will love hi-fiving their favorite animals in this silly, interactive board book.
Don't miss the companion title, Hi-Five Farm!
Named the Best Board Book of 2018 by Parents MagazineWhat's the best way to say hello to anyone you meet? A handshake? Too formal! A hug? Too scary! The answer is a hi-five, of course! With his flair for hilarious cartooning and charismatic characters, author-artist Ross Burach crafts a brilliant original concept board book that will have young children laughing and hi-fiving their way to developing critical social-emotional skills.
Parents and older siblings will join me in identifying with the sleepy-eyed family members shown here, while toddlers will cheer on the wide-eyed baby.
The text is a litany of everyone and everything that is sleepy, with the title repeated throughout the day’s wind-down. “Sleepy moon,/ sleepy stars,/ sleepy night sky./Everyone’s sleepy/ but the baby,/ why, why, why?” In the final spread, the baby joins both dozing parents in dreamland. Parent readers can only hope their little one isn’t giggling too hard to follow suit.
Sleepy Mommy, Sleepy Daddy, Sleepy little dog. Everyone's sleepy But the baby, Yawn, yawn, yawn. After a long day, the whole family is ready to hit the hay . . . except for the baby. Why is it so hard to get the baby to sleep? With hilarious illustrations that might hit a little too close to home for new parents, Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby is the perfect, true-to-life bedtime story that will help even the most reluctant sleeper wind down for bed.
Who doesn't love the way toddlers throw their whole body into the joy of eating? Rollicking rhyme details how a diverse cast of adorable, messy babies turns various foods into fashion.
Applesauce is fun to wear/ on your nose/ or in your hair. Toast is always nice and flat./What could make a better hat? Each page turn brings fresh giggles to share, and at the bath time finish, a chorus of “again!”
