Five Faves: Board Books You Can Sing

Lots of kids LOVE to sing! Singing is especially fun with friends and caregivers, but it doesn't always feel natural to burst into song (well, for some of us). These board books are great because they take classic tunes and put them with fun illustrations and some of them put new words and themes to the music.

The Llamas in the Field

Written by Aly Fronis

Illustrated by Luke Flowers

New York: Little Bee Books, 2020. Board Book.

Set to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus," this book is perfect for kids who love making animal sounds. At this farm, we get to sing about all different kinds of animals and what noises they make, and many of them we don't hear about all the time. Sure, we have the familiar cows, but also coyotes, alpacas, and of course llamas!

I'm a Little Snowman

Written by Hannah Eliot

Illustrated by Anna Daviscourt

New York: Little Simon, 2022. Board Book.

Set to "I'm a Little Teapot," this book describes a fun winter's day with snowmen friends. This is not just great for singing, but the detailed pictures give a lot to talk about. Consider stopping between pages to point out what the different snowmen are doing and wearing.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Robot Beep

Written by Jeffrey Burton

Illustrated by Zoe Waring

New York: Little Simon, 2020. Board Book.

We don't need to just look at the stars twinkling! With this robot take on "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," readers can blast off through those stars with a robot who does not want to go to sleep. This book is also nice for winding down for bed as little robot learns it's good to power down.

Rock-a-Bye, Baby

By Hazel Quintanilla

Toronto, Canada: Flowerpot Press, 2022. Board Book.

To those of you who know this nursery rhyme: don't worry! Both parent and baby end this book safely after the "fall." This cute take on "Rock-a-Bye, Baby" show parent and baby sloth cradled up to go to bed, when the branch they're hanging from inevitably breaks.

Baby Shark!

By Stevie Lewis

New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2020. Board Book.

Hope you didn't get sick of this song! In this book, we see a young girl who is hoping to see a baby shark at the zoo. Once she finds the baby, it is soon joined by a mama shark, daddy shark, and grandma shark. Showing the kids doing the hand motions to go with the song, this book is great for teaching kids about the song that took the internet by storm.

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

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