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The very youngest readers are a strange audience. They’re as likely to lick the book as look at it. Sitting in a loved one’s lap is as big a part of the experience as the book itself. And the wiggling, giggling delight of a book that works is a joy — but who knows what those little, pre-verbal aliens are thinking as we read with them? The best board book authors perform some sort of mind meld with their infant and toddler fans, and put together mysteriously alluring (and sturdy) books that are a delight to young readers’ eyes, ears and (occasionally, lamentably) taste buds.
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“Your Truck” by Jon Klassen. (Ages 2-5. Candlewick. $8.99.)
Children’s literature fans know Jon Klassen well as a creator of rule-breaking picture books and as an astute analyst of the words and pictures that undergird this art form. It should be no surprise that his board books are odd and engaging, and tuck a sneaky emotional resonance into their simple package.
“Your Truck” is the first in a “Your Things” series (following his “Your Places” board books about an island, farm and forest). The book simply introduces the reader to a truck — a truck that is “yours to have” for carrying a chair or a table or a dog or a horse, but perhaps not all at once. The truck has eyes and a cryptic expression, and so do the dog, horse and furniture, leaving the adult and child reading the story to add their own feelings about it all.
The young reader may be thrilled by the idea that “when you say to go fast, it will go fast.” Parents may have their own reactions to the idea that the truck “will take you as far away from here as you want” — but not right now, as dark falls and the truck (like, one hopes, the young reader) “is closing its eyes.”
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“Merlin, Are You Small or Big?” and “Merlin, Are You Near or Far?” by Eva Rasano. (Ages 0-3. Candlewick. $7.99.)
Like many board books, the Merlin stories are also part of a series, this one aimed at illuminating basic concepts for the very youngest humans.
Merlin, incidentally, is a cheerful black bird who flits through his brightly colored world, having adventures conveyed with bold art and few words. “He goes in … and out” in one story, and in another is dwarfed by a giant eagle and towers over a tiny worm.
Through it all, Merlin remains happy and energetic as he leads young readers on a journey through simple ideas.
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“How Do You Jew?” by Suzy Ultman. (Ages 2-4. Rise x Penguin Workshop. $9.99.)
Some board books tackle such basics as colors and shapes — but Suzy Ultman’s series about Jewish culture aims for much more nuanced topics. “How Do You Jew?” takes on a huge subject: how members of the global Jewish community blend their shared religious heritage with their particular homes.
With wit and striking art, Ultman explores the Jewish diaspora, depicting how “you can be Jewish in so many ways,” from having a henna party at a wedding (as Moroccan Jews do) to dancing to klezmer music (as Polish Jews do). Along with “It’s a Mitzvah!,” “Shabbat Shalom” and “I Like Your Chutzpah!,” this book shows how a series for the very youngest readers can tackle a complex topic of identity in a fun, approachable way.
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“Peekaboo, Flowers!” and “Good Morning, Garden!” by Jillian Miao, illustrated by Riley Samels. (Ages 0-3. Doubleday Books for Young Readers. $8.99.)
This gentle, upbeat look at everyday delights in backyards and gardens highlights the small things that little eyes and hands always seem to find.
Packed with vibrant blooms and ladybugs, butterflies and worms, the “Baby Botanicals” board book series invites young people to explore the world close at hand: “Take care of your garden. It needs you year-round. Each season there is something new to be found.”
Caroline Luzzatto has taught preschool and fourth grade. Reach her at [email protected].
