Category: Reviews

“Once Upon a Story” Reviews Hey, Baby, Look!

Reviewed by Maria Burel for Once Upon a Story

My thoughts: in the 6½ years I’ve been doing this parenting gig, we’ve read a lot of board books. Particularly with my youngest who was a little more “hands on” in his reading. Meaning, he would either eat or destroy paper books.

We’ve read the simplest of board books, with a single image and corresponding identifying word on a page. We’ve read board book adaptations of longer picture books. We’ve read Sheep in a Jeep until the jeep wasn’t the only ting in pieces.

But we hadn’t read anything quite like Hey, Baby, Look! Each page starts with the phrase, ‘Hey, Baby, look! which, if your kid is like mine, actually words to focus the reader’s attention on that page. This is then followed by a series of questions or directions corresponding with one of four images on the opposite page:

Hey, Baby, look!

Which keep you warm?

Point to the boat.

Where is the shoe?

Which one can float?

The questions vary in cognitive ability, which is nice because it extends the life of this book. Skills range from identifying objects, to colors, to counting, to letters. The images are simple, bright, and distinct. Youngest readers can be guided through the questions with finger-pointing, while my older (3yo) reader actively engages and verbally responds without my prompting. We may be beyond the board books with single images and identifying words, but this one keeps his attention and is kept in regular rotation at our house. A fun addition to any early literacy library!

“Indie Reader” Reviews Hey, Baby, Look!

IR Verdict: “HEY, BABY, LOOK!” is a delightfully entertaining book to spark a child’s conversation, activity and learning.

indie-approvedSparking chatter and vocabulary, “HEY, BABY, LOOK” is a beautifully designed board book that offers a simple, thoughtful narrative to provide visual stimulation and talking points for babies and toddlers.

It’s difficult to say which is more enticing and thought-provoking – the crisp, clear and colorful illustrations or the simple abab rhyming pattern of the narrative that introduces color, things, animals and offers a springboard for talking points with toddlers and youngsters about concepts such as our sense, movement and nature.

“HEY, BABY, LOOK!” is aesthetically pleasing. Beside the usual round edges and the high quality stiffness, the layout is equally well thought out. It offers a double page layout, with the narrative facing four images – each clearly organized within a square. This makes for a striking visual impression. The colors are bold and bright, and nicely contrasted against the bright white background, but also within each frame. The range of images and activities that are encouraged, such as pointing to, singing and counting, make this book appealing to a wide range of ages – from babies to toddlers and even preschoolers. The variety of images will also encourage children and parents alike to read and re-read this book to fully absorb all the conversation and information it can offer to young, curious minds.

“HEY, BABY, LOOK!” is a delightfully entertaining book to spark a child’s conversation, activity and learning.

~ IndieReader

“Read Aloud Literacy” Reviews Hey, Baby, Look!

Reviewed by Carol Null for Read Aloud Literacy

This book offers ample opportunities for both interactions and transactions, between the reader, text, and illustrations. The repetitive lead organizes and announces each page, Hey, Baby, Look!…then delivers, with the fluency of rhyme, sentence structure, and with diversity of conventions. This book offers questions, prompts, conversations, and places to pause and think. Each page give you a new reason to revisit this book. Ample samples of sorting, counting, texture, dimension, patterns, color, and science. I appreciate the content vocabulary words like points, float, fins. And the integration of challenges for the reader to find differences, think about their senses, and articulate understanding by answering questions like, “How many are sweet?” or “Which keep you warm?”

This illustrations are colorful and clear and the organization and layout of the art and color demonstrates such purpose and respect for those who will be lucky enough to have access to this book. I do not often get to review board books, and this little treasure shows me that a board book can be so much more than a chewable, stain proof, literacy prop for the toddler in your life. Hey, Baby, Look! scaffolds the reader so they can offer a highly engaging, interactive, and literacy rich read aloud.