As part of my weekly library baby story time programs I like to highlight great books that caregivers can share with their little ones at home. Reading shouldn’t just be a once in a while activity, after all! One of my favourite author/illustrators to share is the great Yusuke Yonezu, whose deceptively simplistic board books are absolute baby perfection.
Infants’ eyes are still developing, and Yonezu not only recognizes that but capitalizes on it with clear, simple illustrations featuring bold black outlines and bright, eye-catching primary colours. Did I mention he also uses sparse, repetitive text in a clear, bold font? To put it simply, these board books are perfection.
One of my pet peeves is board books that are clearly not made with infant development in mind. No, you cannot simply take a complex picture book and make it smaller and sturdier! Babies aren’t just smaller versions of preschoolers, and what works for one demographic isn’t necessarily going to be developmentally appropriator for another. These books, however, check off all my baby board book boxes (well, with the exception of baby faces, which are my other favourite kind of board book).
Oh, and did I mention a lot of these books have flaps, which are perfect for developing fine motor skills? PERFECTION.
Here are just a few of my favourite Yonezu titles, which are all available on Amazon and most other retailers:
If you work with infants in a library or care setting, I cannot recommend these books highly enough. My only wish is that they came in a larger format for sharing at big group events, they’re just that good!
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