BABY FACES

These babies' faces display full-on reactions. 

A variety of quirkily drawn, multiethnic babies, their vastly oversized heads often displaying two-toothed gaping mouths, enthusiastically respond to the environment around them. A few of the pairings are complementary: "yum-yum!" appears opposite "yucky!" (Nutrition mavens will sigh to see that "yucky" is provoked by green vegetables.) Some are more action-driven than strictly emotional or responsive. “Kiss!” depicts a youngster giving a loving smooch to her stuffed blue teddy. Sometimes a catalyst for the displayed emotion is unclear. “Boo-hoo!” depicts a ball directly behind a little girl, but why this produces tears is a mystery. At other times, though, a depicted object (a broken car, a diaper pail) has a clear relationship to a baby's response. Companion Baby Babble serves as a picture dictionary for the youngest set with familiar objects labeled in thematic spreads. Though not strictly board books, these seemingly flimsy paper books resist tearing and, according to the publisher, are washable.

A more-or-less effective introduction to the ever-important subject of emotional literacy.