Board Book Look (5): Titles from Xavier Deneux, Joyce Wan, Christopher Silas Neal & more!

A while back, I realized I had fallen rather behind on posting about board books! So, here’s a look at some the standout board books I have read and enjoyed over the last few months. Most all I have shared as read alouds with my littlest one, as well as with my three year old to pretty solid acclaim; some have already been featured on my Twitter feed! Some, such as the titles by Xavier Deneux, Joyce Wan, Molly Idle, Matthew Van Fleet, Janik Coat, Becky Davies and Gareth Lucas, or Yujin Shin are more interactive; these are innovative titles featuring pull tabs, fold out pages, fun tactile surfaces- standout ways to get kids involved in the reading process. Deneux’s books also feature grouped vocabulary; for example, in Little Critters, the words featured on the ‘spider’ and ‘fly’ page go from animal parts (legs, abdomen) to action verbs (weaving, spinning). Some, like the ones by Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert are, quite simply, beautiful, vital classics for learning and exploration that I was so happy to reread and rediscover. The board book titles by Christopher Silas Neal are knockouts, with very clever wordplay and concept learning (shapes and colours), all highlighting his unique illustrative style (my three year old was positively cackling while we read together). For Canadian loveliness, or unicorn joy, or an all-around delightful story, there are titles by Trish Madson and David W. Miles, Dana Simpson, and Sandra Boynton and George Booth, respectively. (Note: For double the unicorn awesomeness, pair My Magical Unicorn with Today I’ll Be a Unicorn!)