Interactive Books

Baby and Me by Emma Dodd

Baby and Me, written and illustrated by by Emma Dodd (Nosy Crow/Candlewick Press, $14.99, Ages 3 and up) is reviewed by Rita Zobayan.

imageNosy Crow has hit its mark again with Baby and Me by Emma Dodd. This 16-page, interactive picture book is a wonderful introduction to becoming a caring, helpful older sibling. A little girl is playing with her baby doll, and soon realizes that taking care of the doll is hard work. She must feed her, change her diaper, play with her in a bath, keep her warm, and put her to bed. The girl learns empathy for her mommy, who has had a new baby.

Children will enjoy the friendly features of the girl and of her baby doll, toys, and pet cat. The brightly-colored illustrations are simple, as is the text, and those simple explanations work best for a younger audience.

And when it’s bedtime, I say, “Night-night. Sleep tight, sweetie.”

                  Being a mommy is really hard work!

                  That’s why I’m going to give my mommy lots of help…with our new baby!

Each page has an interactive component, as such pulling a tab to see the baby doll drink milk and covering the baby doll with a cozy towel. (My younger daughter can attest to this. She has commented a number of times as to how soft the towel feels.) The pages and cover feel sturdy, so little fingers can turn, pull, and lift without much chance of tearing the book. If your child loves to play mommy or if she’s about to become an older sister, Baby and Me is a winsome read.

 

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Dare to Doodle

Debbie Glade gets doodly with today’s review.

The Pirates vs. Ancient Egyptians in a Haunted Museum ($6.99, Nosy Crow, Ages 7 and up) is the fourth book in the Mega Mash-Up series by Nikalas Catlow and Tim Wesson with more due out December. Basically the reader draws his way through the comic-style book to put his own mark on the story. There are a handful of pirate and Egyptian characters living separately. But both groups run into some financial distress, and they each have maps to the city’s abandoned museum where a valuable statue of a Golden Howler Monkey is housed. The real fun starts when the two groups of robbers both search desperately for the treasure and collide inside the museum. Kids can read the book and doodle their way to the end to find out who gets the treasure and what happens after that.

Due to the nature of the subject, this story may appeal to boys more than girls. What works so well in Pirates vs. Ancient Egyptians is that the story is silly, fun and easy to read and stirs the imagination of the reader. Plus readers get to draw and participate in the story. They can create original art and also add to what’s there already. (There are some drawing tips and a picture glossary.) Reluctant readers will have so much fun with this book, they won’t even realize it is helping to hone their reading skills. Another bonus? This humorous book is really affordable and would make a great gift for a themed birthday party.

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