by Sherry North, illustrated by Marcellus Hall; Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2008; $15.95; www.hnabooks.com. A mother shares her wishes for her baby in this celebration of a parent’s love for a child.

Baby Colors, by Rachael Hale; Little Brown Books, 2009; $6.99; www.lb-kids.com.

In this small, sturdy board book, adorable babies with expressive eyes are paired with sweet rhyming text and a rainbow of colors. Each baby showcases a color, along with a four-line rhyme and photograph. For example, the little baby for yellow is holding a yellow banana. Author Rachael Hale, well known for her animal-portrait photography, has now turned her considerable expertise to photographing charming babies. Visit Hale’s Web site to learn more about her and her work at www.rachaelhale.com.

“When my girls were little they loved board books with photographs of babies.”
– Parent of two young girls

Best Bang for the Buck!
 

When I First Held You: A Lullaby from Israel, by Mirik Snir, illustrated by Eleyor Snir; Kar-Ben Publishing, 2009; $9.95; www.karben.com.  

This book is a lyrical lullaby in rhyme in which a parent describes the beauty of the happy day when the young child was born. There’s a place to affix the child’s baby photo and note the birth date. Translated from Hebrew by Mary Jane Shadow, the book features a quote in English and Hebrew from Rabbi Nachmna of Breslov, “The day you were born is the day God decided that the world could not exist without you.” Snir, the illustrator, is the fourth daughter of the author. This charming book captures the love and joyous emotion of a baby’s birth.
 

by Nancy Tafuri; Simon & Schuster, 2008; $15.99; www.simonsayskids.com. When Farmer Gray goes away, little chicks mix colors to paint the barnyard and add primary and secondary colors everywhere!

 

For more barnyard fun, check out:

Every Baby Company, 2008; $14.95; www.eebee.com. This clever cloth book, part of a series, features colorful items from a laundry basket to sort, play with and talk about.

Creature ABC, by Andrew Zuckerman; Chronicle Books, 2009; $19.99; www.chroniclebooks.com. 

Beautiful bold photos and an ultra-simple design streamline this deluxe ABC book to match a baby’s attention span. Each letter of the alphabet gets its own two-page spread, and sometimes more – from alligator, bear, and cobra to oryx, yellow canary, and zebra. A glossary provides more information that older kids will find satisfying, but it’s also perfect for sharing with the baby perched on your lap.
 

by Catherine Maria Woolf; Dawn Publications, 2008; $7.95; www.dawnpub.com. In this board book, a little hiker joins his grandpa and discovers the joys of a first hike and the wonders of nature.

My First ABC, by The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009; $8.99; www.lb-kids.com. 

This board book pairs stunning masterpieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art for each letter of the alphabet. The letters are each presented in upper and lower case, and accompanied by a word that begins with the letter. For example, the book highlights the letter “D” with the word “dancer,” and the painting “The Dancing Class” by Edgar Degas. The back of the book provides specifics about each artwork. A great choice for children ages 2 and up, this book will be read and looked at again and again – and with new understanding as the growing child looks more closely at the art and its details.
 

Good Egg, by Barney Saltzberg; Workman, 2009; $9.95; www.workman.com. 

Barney Saltzberg has created an adorable interactive board book for ages 2 to 5, following the adventures of an endearing little egg. The egg moves as directed (it sit, speaks, catches, etc.) and has Velcro catches, pulls, cutouts, lifts and pull-tabs for interactive fun while showing how this good egg performs. There’s even a fun surprise at the end that will crack you up!

 

by Richard Van Camp; Orca Book Publishers, 2007; $9.95; www.orcabook.com. Photographs of babies complement an evocative lullaby in this sweet board book.