Skip to main content

Five Faves: New Board Books

Board books are an amazing way to introduce young readers to books, especially with their sturdy pages. These five board books were all published this year, and they're some of the best! Each one has some humor, great illustrations, and is sure to delight young and older readers alike.

Peekaboo Rex!
By Sandra Boynton
New York City: Boynton Bookworks, 2023. Board Book.

A T. rex plays a game of peekaboo with his other, smaller dinosaur friend, but the smaller dinosaur always finds the T. rex, no matter how well he tries to hide! Another adorable book by Boynton that will encourage young readers to play, and love, the game of peekaboo.

Big Kids No Everything 
By Wednesday Kirwan
New York: Little Simon, 2023. Board Book.

In a hilarious play on words, this board book highlights a child’s favorite word: “No!” The book highlights different kinds of no, such as a “small nos.” As children say “no,” time after time, they eventually learn when to say “yes.” An important book in helping children grow and gain autonomy.

Ducks!
Written by Deborah Underwood
Illustrated by T.L. McBeth
New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2023. Board Book.

In a darling story with minimal yet striking colors, one duck wanders around as they seek to find the rest of their duck family. Where have they gone? And will duck be able to find them?

Today I Feel Like a Jelly Donut: A Book About Emotions 
Written by Katie Kenny Phillips
Illustrated by Shannon Snow
Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2023. Board Book.

Being able to recognize emotions, not to mention label them, can be challenging for adults and children alike. This cute board book introduces children to common emotions, linking them with a food item to better understand said emotion, such as excited popcorn, or a nervous egg.

P is for Pirate
By Greg Paprocki
Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith, 2023. Board Book.

A charming alphabet book that gives a different pirate related term for each letter: A is for ahoy, O is for overboard, and of course, P is for pirate. Each page has a fun, child appropriate scene, such as children “walking the plank” as they dive into a pool.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Fresh Start

Fresh Start By Gale Galligan New York: Graphix, 2025. Graphic novel. 270 pages. Ollie Herisson is only in 7th grade, but she has already lived all over the world. Her father is an American diplomat, whose job has taken their family to France, Singapore, Thailand (where her mom is from), and now to Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie loves that her family doesn't stay in one place very long, it allows her to have a fresh start and hide from any embarrassing moments each time they move. But Ollie's parents have big news -- they've decided to buy a house in Virginia and put down roots. Now, Ollie and her younger sister Cat have to figure out how to build lasting friendships which means resolving conflict rather than running away when things get hard.  Loosely based on the author's own childhood experiences, this graphic novel is sure to be popular with readers who like coming of age stories. Watching Ollie learn to think of others as she advocates for her sister Cat, and navig...

Review: Will's Race for Home

  Willl's Race for Home  By Jewell Parker Rhodes Little Brown & Company, 2025. Fiction. 256 pages.    Will is a young man whose father and family are working the land as sharecroppers in Texas. When Will's father comes home with the news that there is land available in Oklahoma to those who can stake and settle it, Will's father expresses his deep desire to go and claim land for their family. Will begs to be included, but his mother is reluctant to let him go. After input from the entire family, they decide that Will is ready for the responsibility. Along the way Will and his father develop a deeper appreciation for each other, form deep friendship, discover hidden enemies, and encounter many challenges which force them to make difficult decisions. Will's father has to rely heavily on him, especially as they get closer to their final destination. Will's bravery is inspiring and commendable.  This book is full of many amazing elements: suspense, adventure, fr...