LOVE YOU, HUG YOU, READ TO YOU

This sweet, simple board book promises the tiniest audiences constant, enduring love.

Reading with kids, especially babies and toddlers, is about more than just vocabulary building and storytelling. It’s also a way to build physical and emotional bonds. Bedtime books establish a routine, ease the transition to sleep and ensure the little ones get what they crave: a cuddle and the sound of their parent’s or caregiver’s voice. “There are three things I’ll always do,” Rabe (Huff and Puff and the New Train (My First I Can Read), 2014, etc.) promises these little ones: “love you, hug you, read to you!” Parents and babies from all parts of the animal kingdom—horses, monkeys, polar bears, ducks and more—all cozy up and read together in their natural habitats. Rabe’s words are simple, and her clear if not particularly imaginative rhythm and rhymes are laced with the repetition the tiniest audiences love. The result is as gentle as a lullaby, though not an original one: “I’ll read to you when bright leaves fall. / We’ll pick some books and read them all. / I’ll read to you when soft winds blow… / in summer sun… / and winter snow.” As any board-book reader knows, they’re often forgettable and over in a flash. To extend the reading experience, engage toddlers’ attention and encourage two-way conversation, each page here has three questions, e.g., “What is Mama Cat doing?” and “Where is Baby Polar Bear sitting?” Some of the questions have straightforward answers, while others are cleverly positioned to spark discussion: “Why is Mama Duck reading to her ducklings? What is their book about?” Endersby’s illustrations have a classic, familiar style, with a soft color palette in mostly pastels. While he establishes each animal in its own natural setting (a den, an ice floe, etc.), he misses the opportunity to enrich the conversation with more details and clever touches.

A board book both babies and parents will enjoy, though it’s not quite original enough to be memorable.