Baby's Day (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Baby's Day Elizabeth Bush Blake, Michel Baby's Day; illus. with photographs by Trish Gant. Candlewick, 200714p (Easy-Open Board Books) ISBN 0-7636-3368-2$5.99 R 1-2 yrs An adorable African-American toddler displays, for the edification of lapsitting toddler compatriots, fourteen of the more important accouterments of babydom. The little guy himself is crisply photographed in black and white, while the featured objects are tinted in rich color—yellow teether, red chair, blue diaper, multicolored stacking cups, and creamy stuffed bunny propped against him as he enjoys a well-earned snooze. Older viewers may note that several objects make their way from one photo, where they appear in gray tone, into other shots, where they take the spotlight, and board-book veterans may even be ready to perceive that the nouns in chunky font are directly connected with the objects of interest on the pages. Staggered page widths, with outer pages wider than inner, are designed to make this an "easy-open" board book, but the outer "pages" seem much easier to flip than the inner ones. That's not likely to bother tots in the least: left-to-right book layout hasn't yet registered as a concern, and after mastering the finer arts of sock removal and toilet-paper unrolling, board-book manipulation won't prove much of a challenge. Copyright © 2007 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois