It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is the original weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, but is now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.  It's Monday! What are you reading? - from Picture Books to YA is a kidlit focused meme just like the original and is hosted weekly by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers .  The purpose is the same: to recap what you have read and/or reviewed and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. Twitter for #IMWAYR

Last week, I posted about all the great picture books I had read the week before. Well, this week, I focused on board book, a whole bunch of board books especially for baby. I begin with

Hair written and illustrated by Leslie Patricelli

Candlewick Press, 2017, 26 pages, age 3 months+

Leslie Patricelli's signature round-faced diaper-wearing baby is back to talk all about hair. Baby may only has that one curly strand, but it's important to take care of it, and baby shows young readers just what to do - comb it when it's messy, wash it when it get dirty. And now that baby's curly strand has grown too long, it's time for that first haircut. The airplane seat that baby sits in for a haircut might be nice, but will it hurt? Like all of Patricelli's baby books, this one is very funny, even as it reassures readers that getting a haircut is no big deal. Her bold acrylic illustrations are bright, the background of each page on in a different color, the foreground subjects are set off in thick blacks outlines. A great book for toddlers still facing that first haircut.

Nighty-Night written and illustrated by Leslie Patricelli

Candlewick Press, 2017, 26 pages, age 3 months+

If your littlest readers can't get enough of Leslie Patricelli's irrepressible baby, they are in luck. This time, it's all about going to bed. Baby's nighttime routine is simple. Once dinner is finished, it's time for baby to say good-night to the sun, hello to the moon, to kick off the diaper, do a little naked dance with mom and dad, and hop in to a bath. Then, it's tooth brushy, hair brushy time, followed by a nice bedtime story and a little bedtime song, kissy kissy with mom and day, and off to sleep. After all, tomorrow's another busy day for baby. If bedtime is a problem in your house, this may just be the book your baby needs. Nighty-Night is another welcomed addition to the Patricelli oeuvre of wonderful baby board books. 

Flora and the Chicks, a Counting Book 

written and illustrated by Molly Idle

Chronicle Books, 2017, 20 pages, age 2+

Flora is back, but this time in a board book for younger readers. It's time to collect eggs, but not the to eggs she finds the hen sitting on. As Flora watches, she sees the egg begin to crack and out come a baby chick. While she is admiring the first chick, another eggs begins to crack, in fact that happens 8 more time. By the end, instead of putting eggs in her bowl, she has 10 chicks. But this is a counting book, and by lifting the full-sized flaps, kids can learn to count to 10, counting the chicks as they multiply on each page. Except for the numbers and the words The End, this is a wordless book in Idle's signature Flora style. Flora's reactions are evident only in the body and facial expressions, which say so much. For collecting chicks, Flora is in red overalls, a yellow bandana and little ballet shoes. The adorable chicks range from bright yellow to orange to brown, each as cute as the other. A fun books for young readers and a nice Easter basket alternative to candy. 

Fly! written and illustrated by Xavier Deneux

Chronicle Books, 2017, 14 pages, age 3+

A bird alights on a tree after a long journey. It's spring and the bird decides to stay. Soon the tree has leaves and apples. Along comes another bird, who has also come from far away. Soon, the two birds are building an nest together, to shelter their eggs, which soon crack and out come two baby chicks. When they grow bigger, the baby birds are encouraged to fly aways on their own. Fly! is a nice cycle of life book for young readers. The illustrations are spare and it is an interactive book. Some of the die-cut characters, scenery, even the sun can be removed from one page and replaced on the facing page to make a new scene, inviting the reader to participate and speculate about what is happening and why. The removable parts of this books are done in thick cardboard with plenty of space for little finger to remove and replace them and they fit snuggly enough without being difficult to maneuver. 

Mommy Snuggles written and illustrated by Anne Gutman, 

and Georg Hallensleben

Chronicle Books, 2017, 14 pages, age 3months+

Animal mommies have all kinds of ways to hold their babies to keep them safe. Young readers will learn that a tiger carries her cub in her mouth, an otter's baby snuggles on mother otter's belly, koala's carry their young on their back, and humans hold their little ones in there arms. There are other animals to learn about in the kid-friendly book, that uses simple text and softly textured painterly illustrations. This is a nice book to read before a visit to the zoo, and a reassuring book to read at bedtime. And it pairs nicely with Daddy Dreams.

Daddy Dreams written and illustrated by Anne Gutman,

and Georg Hallensleben

Chronicle Books, 2017, 14 pages, age 3months+

How do animal daddy's sleep and dream? Young readers will discover that lions dream on their side, horses dream standing up, and bats dreams upside down. There are more animal daddies to discover in the sweet board book, but, kids will learn, no matter how these dad's sleep and dream, they always keep their babies by their side, safe and sound, just like human daddies do. Daddy Dreams is done in the same reassuring simple text and softy textured painterly illustrative style as Gutman and Hallensleben's other books. 

My Little Cities: New York

written by Jennifer Adams, pictures by Greg Pizzoli

Chronicle Books, 2017, 22 pages, age 3+

Young kids are traveling with their families more and more these days and here is a book that can help them prepare for a trip to my hometown, NYC. Adams has included all the fun spots, though I doubt many 3-4 year olds will find themselves taken to the theater. But all the hot spots are here, from the Empire State Building to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park, Yankee Stadium and Coney Island. It's a whirlwind visit, but oh, so worth it (well, I may be biased here). The humorous digital collage illustrations and the loosely rhyming simple text really capture the different moods of the city in a nice age appropriate way. A detailed description of each sight in included at the end of the book. Use this to plan a kid friendly trip or just to dream. 

My Little Cities: London

written by Jennifer Adams, pictures by Greg Pizzoli

Chronicle Books, 2017, 22 pages, age 3+ 

Just as she did with New York, Adams takes young readers on a kid friendly tour of London. From the Tower of London, to changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, to riding the London Eye (no, I passed on that myself - it's a height thing), it is a fun visit. Using the same format as her other book, the book is written in a nice simple rhyming text and the illustrations are digitally produced collages. It is a nice whirlwind tour but watch out for the pigeons - there are lots of them.

Both My Little Cities books will be available on April 11, 2017.

I also finished reading, with reviews to come soon:

That was my reading week. What are you reading?