It has been quite some time since a board books round-up! With my firstborn, she wanted to explore just about every single board book- from our library’s collection, from bookstores, from our home library, you name it! With my youngest, he has his specific handful of favourites, with new ones making the cut if they really tickle his fancy. Luckily enough, we’ve had a spell of reading terrific ones lately, enjoyed by us all! Here, in no particular order are the latest board books I’ve read and would recommend: 

If you are looking for more penguins- and I mean More Penguins!– in your board books, then take a peak at the darling Where is Fuzzy Penguin?: A Touch, Feel, Look, and Find Book! by Yayo Kawamura. The look and find element is done especially well here: the search for the Fuzzy Penguin asks readers to locate the fuzzy (i.e flocked surface) penguin in crowds or rows of seemingly similar adorable black-and-white penguins. A multi-sensory experience, with the added bonus of charming rhymes to accompany, this is a packed and busy board book experience for a range of ages. Richard Van Camp’s board books are ones not-to-be-missed- think of We Sang You Home (illustrated by Julie Flett) or Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns. The acclaimed author’s latest, May We Have Enough to Share, is a gorgeously written, lyrical board book that speaks to love and gratefulness for those close to us and around us. It is meaningful and cozy at the same time, brilliantly accompanied with  photographs by Indigenous women photographers from the collective blog tea&bannock. My littlest one loves looking at the photos, and it is such a joy to share the simple passages together! Elise Gravel’s A Potato on a Bike immediately hit it off with my kids. You may recognize Gravel’s distinctive bright and appealing artwork from her large and growing oeuvre of work (The Mushroom Fan Club, I Want a Monster, The Cranky Ballerina); Gravel turns her vibrant and zany eye to a board book featuring all kinds of happy, silly, goofy things. The book uses a call and answer format with ‘Have you ever seen…?’/’No way!’ to the most effect, with broccoli, sausage, and yes, even potatoes, doing unbelievable things! Written by Jeffrey Burton and illustrated by Zoe Waring, the super appealing and simple Twinkle, Twinkle, Dinosaur is an adorable, perfect-for-nighttime read aloud. This one has been another winner in our household- tried, tested and loved over numerous read alouds- and especially popular at bedtime. When you have kids who love both the original Twinkle Twinkle and dinosaurs, you couldn’t ask for more than this cheery and sweet take on the classic. Rock-a-Bye Tree Sloth, a sweet and gently off-kilter take at the classic lullaby, by Aly Fronis and illustrated by Anna Süßbauer, has been another tremendous hit in our household for a nighttime read aloud. The verses are charming and snappy (I have a blast singing it out loud to my kids, and my five year old likes to join in!), the illustrations are bright and the sloths are adorable (and arguably in fashion!). Last but not least, we have another Hamster series title from Canadian illustrator Kass Reich! One of the the latest fixations in our household has been Up Hamster Down Hamster, which is the cutest, most cheerful, and fun hamster-tastic look at opposites you could imagine. Enjoy!