Last week we previewed thirteen 2020 picture books, and this week we have twelve 2020 board books! All of these are from the first half of the year and are perfect reads for babies and toddlers (and many of them will be equally delightful for parents).
Twelve 2020 Board Books To Look Forward To
Five Little Monsters Jumping on the Bed by Bill Cotter (January 7)
Bill Cotter books are always funny, and this song is quite funny for toddlers.
“A new take on the classic rhyme, Five Little Monkeys! Larry the monster is back in this perfect read-aloud from Bill Cotter, creator of the USA Today bestseller, Don’t Push the Button.
Larry is back! And this time he has enlisted his monster friends to cause monster mayhem! Prompts to “pet,”; “press,”; and “tickle”; the monsters make this a fun, interactive story that little ones will enjoy.
Five little monsters jumping on the bed.
One fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monsters jumping on the bed.”;”
Llama Llama Hide & Seek: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Anna Dewdney (January 14)
Alert, a new Llama Llama book! And this one has flaps!
“Llama Llama can’t find his Fuzzy Llama anywhere. Where could he be? Near the blocks? Behind the door? Beneath the bed? Children will love following along and lifting the flaps as LLama looks for his beloved Fuzzy. This $12.99 casebound book includes flaps on every spread and a mirror at the end in a story that kids will want to read over and over again!”
Little Learner Board Book Set (January 21)
I love these tiny board book series for the tiniest of tots. This one will be especially enjoyed by babies because of the bold colors.
“Introduce your own littler learner to first words, colors, shapes, and numbers with Mudpuppy’s Little Learner Board Book Set! The Board Book Set features bold, high-contrast artwork by The Indigo Bunting and includes 4 extra-sturdy board books, packaged together in a slipcase box.”
Bookish Cats Board Book by Mudpuppy, Illustrated by Angie Rozelaar (January 21)
This book looks hilarious! This one will probably be more humorous for the parents than the toddler, though my toddler does love cats and says “That’s funny” a lot.
“A pawsitively purrfect collection of literary classics: Introduce little ones to great works of literature and their famous writers through these adorable cat portraits and clever kitty-inspired book titles and author names. The entire family will enjoy this book’s hilarious puns including Romeow & Juliet by William Shakespurr, Alice’s Adventures in Whiskerland by Lewis Catroll, Oliver Hiss by Charles Lickens, and many more!”
Who Loves Books?: A Flip-Flap Book by Lizzi Boyd (February 11)
A bookish lift the flap board book that will be a lot of fun to read.
“Who loves books? Is it Rabbit? Is it Bird? Is it Butterfly? Flap and flap the sturdy pages of this playful book to find out.”
Bravo! (Bilingual board book – Spanish edition): Poems About Amazing Hispanics / Poemas sobre Hispanos Extraordinarios by Margarita Engle, Illustrated by Rafael López (March 10)
This book looks amazing! It’s a bilingual collection of poems about famous Hispanics. The art is gorgeous. It’s already in picture book format, but it’s being released now as a board book.
“Adapted from the Texas Bluebonnet Award–winning Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics, this board book of poems and portraits from writer Margarita Engle and illustrator Rafael López celebrates the lives and accomplishments of amazing Hispanics.”
The Kids on the Bus: A Spin-the-Wheel Book of Emotions by Kirsten Hall, Illustrated by Melissa Crowton (March 17)
A sing-along board book about emotions.
“Take a turn on this busy city bus to discover what everyone is feeling. Spin the wheel to match the feeling to the scene, then sing along with the familiar song in this creative introduction to emotions. A fun, updated take on the classic children’s song, this novelty board book shaped like a stylishly modern bus will have kids acting and singing along—and reflecting on their own varied emotions.”
Nita’s Day by Kathy MacMillan, Illustrated by Sara Brezzi (April 26)
This is the second board book in the Little Hands Signing series. It’s a great series for anyone teaching their children sign language.
“Sign language makes it easy to communicate with your child, and Nita makes it fun! The second book in the Little Hands Signing series (which introduced the bestselling Nita’s First Signs), Nita’s Day teaches ten new and essential ASL signs for every parent and child to know: wake up, change, clothes, eat, potty, go, play, bath, book, and bed. A simple story about Nita and her parents teaches each sign in context. Even better, each page slides open to reveal accurate instructions on how to make each sign, plus tabs on the side of each page make it simple to locate every sign for later reference. No signing book collection is complete without Nita!”
Prince & Knight (Mini Bee Board Books) by Daniel Haack, Illustrated by Stevie Lewis (April 28)
First published several years ago in picture book format, this award-winning LGBTQ+ children’s book is now in board book format! As a side note, I wish the princesses hadn’t been portrayed as stereotypes, but I otherwise love this spin on fairytales.
“In this modern fairy tale, a noble prince and a brave knight come together to defeat a terrible monster and in the process find true love in a most unexpected place.
“Thank you,” he told his parents.
“I appreciate that you tried,
but I’m looking for something special
in a partner by my side.”
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far from here, there was a prince in line to take the throne, so his parents set out to find him a kind and worthy bride. The three of them traveled the land far and wide, but the prince didn’t quite find what he was looking for in the princesses they met.
While they were away, a terrible dragon threatened their land, and all the soldiers fled. The prince rushed back to save his kingdom from the perilous beast and was met by a brave knight in a suit of brightly shining armor. Together they fought the dragon and discovered that special something the prince was looking for all along. This book is published in partnership with GLAAD to accelerate LGBTQ inclusivity and acceptance.”
Citizen Baby: My Vote by Megan E. Bryant and Daniel Prosterman, Illustrated by Micah Player (May 5)
Marian has accompanied me at every election, local, state, or nation-wide since she was born. This book is a must!
“Citizen Baby knows a thing or two about voting. It’s important to meet the candidates (they love babies!) and to call voters. Plus, you get a sticker at the polls! Children and adults alike will enjoy learning about voting in this adorable, informative board book.”
Friends at the Firehouse: Double Booked: 35 lift-the-flaps inside! by Kayla Stark (June 2)
Pretty sure toddlers dream about this book–fire trucks, dogs, flaps, search and find. Toddler’s book heaven.
“When a Dalmatian puppy goes missing on the day of the big parade, the firefighters need all the help they can get to find their furry friend. But is the missing pup hiding in the dispatch room—or napping in the captain’s bunk? Shaped just like a firehouse, this board book’s double pages open out from the middle, inviting toddlers to explore a firehouse’s many rooms and to meet the friendly folks who work there. With cheerful art and clever seek-and-find flaps throughout, this latest title in the Double Booked series is an interactive story full of sweet surprises.”
S Is for School! (Sesame Street): A Lift-the-Flap Board Book by Andrea Posner-Sanchez, Illustrated by Tom Brannon (June 23)
Let me be honest–we read all Sesame Street books regardless of how good they are. Marian loves them all! And some genuinely are pretty decent. Marian just started preschool so I’m sure she’s going to love this one.
“Head to school with Elmo, Abby, Big Bird, and other Sesame Street friends! Girls and boys ages 2 to 5 can lift more than 30 fun flaps as they join Elmo and his friends at an exciting day of school. This sturdy interactive board book is perfect for easing first-day-of-school jitters or entertaining a little student any day of the year!”
Any 2020 board books you’re excited about! Also check out last year’s list, for board books you can read now!
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