Reviews

These four playful board books for babies and toddlers have plenty of the rhythm and rhyme we have come to love in Alison Lester's work. Her illustrations delight as ever and her text is simple and fun. These books will be a joy to share with little ones. Rollick and roll with Bumping and Bouncing; dress for the occasion with Bibs and Boots; see how baby is feeling with Happy and Sad; and play along noisily with Crashing and Splashing. Parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles will have a lot of fun joining in the play. As always, there is plenty to engage in Lester's pictures. She has thoughtfully bordered each board page opening with little objects that echo the central illustration and everyone will love to point them out. See the whisks, spoons, tongs and other kitchen utensils bordering the kitchen romp in Crashing and Splashing. How many clothes pegs surround the clothes-line scene in Happy and Sad? Shells, starfish and other sea creatures float about the beach-play picture in Bibs and Boots. Watch the butterflies flutter and hear the frogs chirrup around the creek through which a family splashes in Bumping and Bouncing.