Jump on board

Anyone familiar with board books knows that the phrase refers to more than their solid, sturdy construction; the genre yields a rather unfortunate homophone, expressing how parents feel about reading the same simple story night after night (i.e. “board” equals “bored”). So we polled the experts—children’s librarians from branches in all five boroughs—to find out which tales will spark your child’s love for all things literary, and, moreover, keep you from nodding off during storytime.

Fuzzy Fuzzy Fuzzy!: a touch, skritch, & tickle book

By Sandra Boynton. Little Simon, $13.

The text accompanying this tactile menagerie by the author of Philadelphia Chickens is “fun, quirky and descriptive,” says Queens Central Library youth services manager Lynn Gonen. Full of silly animal cartoons and durable textured surfaces, the book also offers delightful read-aloud cues: Piggy’s sunglasses aren’t just smooth, they’re “smoooooooth”; and a puppy’s paw pad isn’t plain old scratchy—it’s “rough rough rough.”

My Very First Book of Colors

By Eric Carle. Philomel, $6.

In a perfect world, all of Carle’s classic collage masterpieces, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, would line your babe’s bookshelf. Start the libary with this one, in which the author “takes  a book about colors and transforms it into a fun matching game,” says Yolanda Gleason, senior children’s librarian at Staten Island’s St. George Library Center.

Where is Maisy?

By Lucy Cousins. Candlewick, $5.

Take peek-a-boo to the next level with this entry in Cousins’s hit series about the lovable mouse Maisy. Brooklyn Public Library’s assistant director of neighborhood and children’s and family services, Judy Zuckerman, says that “the bold, high-contrast illustrations are ideal for babies.” The lift-the-flap surprise on every page, such as a grinning gator hidden behind a boat’s sail, should keep little ones enthralled.

Black on White

By Tana Hoban. Greenwillow, $6.

Each page of this wordless classic has a single, striking black image (a bib, an elephant, a set of keys) set on a blank white background. Its elegant simplicity is best suited to babies “still working on basic shape recognition” says John Peters, supervising librarian at the New York Public Library’s Central Children’s Room in Manhattan.

Have You Seen My Duckling?

By Nancy Tafuri. Tupelo, $7.

Moms and Dads will relate to this sweet story about a worried mother duck looking for one of her brood, while young ones will have fun “spotting the mischievous little duckling hiding in each picture,” says Gonen. Whether he’s peeking out from behind a tree trunk or nestled into a lily pad, the little bird shows big personality.

David Smells!: A Diaper David Book

By David Shannon. Blue Sky, $7.

Diaper David’s just like your tyke—he’s always getting himself into trouble. In what Gleason calls a “rib-tickling installment,” David explores the five senses, discovering sound by banging pots; learning about taste by licking a dirt-encrusted lollipop; and finding out about smell by—yes, you guessed it—filling his diaper.

10 Minutes till Bedtime

By Peggy Rathmann. Putnam, $8.

Do as Bronx Library Center’s supervising children’s librarian Deborah Allman does when she reads this book aloud: let your tot “scream out the countdown till bedtime,” then insist on quiet when the book’s protagonist goes to sleep. Rathman’s illustrations overflow with comical details; keep an eye out for hamsters in swimsuits and a tiny gorilla carrying a jumbo banana.

Big Fat Hen

By Keith Baker. Red Wagon, $7.

This book teaches counting with a traditional refrain (“1, 2, buckle my shoe”), but it’s the vivid colors and adorable chicks and insects that charm readers. Babies “too young to count will enjoy the rhyme and the antics of the animals,” Gonen says.

Lilly’s Chocolate Heart

By Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow, $7.

Baby gets to preview big-kid books with this board edition of the popular school-age series. During Lilly’s heroic (and doomed) effort to save her last piece of Valentine’s Day chocolate, the charming mouse “jumps off the page and into the hearts of toddlers,” says Peters.

Binky

By Leslie Patricelli. Candlewick, $7.

Gleason adores the main character: a “cute little baby with a lone curl on top of his head.” The colorful pages combine two things that fascinate babies most: a cherished pacifier (“Binky”) and other babies. Patricelli’s happy ending—a reunion between baby and  Binky—serves as a perfect send-off for your own babe’s good night’s sleep.