Winter Media Review
I’m Dirty! By Kate & Jim McMullan, narrated by Steve Buscemi. A 2009 Odyssey Honor Winner for Best Audiobooks, this uplifting CD provides the energy and noise behind a lively and powerful backhoe. This story draws children with its exuberant pictures and Buscemi’s constructive narration. (Weston Woods Studios/Scholastic)
Operating Instructions, by Anne Lamott. This personal diary of a single mom captures the emotions of bringing new life into the world. Captivated by a voice that captures the author’s quirky humor and depth of faith, the reader is mesmerized by baby Sam and the fear, exhaustion and love he brings to his mother. (Random House)
Colors by Simms Taback. These baby-sized board books are perfect for reading again and again to toddlers. Other titles in the same format are Animals and 1,2,3. Taback’s illustrations are lively, colorful and unique. (Chronicle)
It Gets Easier! … And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers by Claudine Wolk. Here’s a book that strips away all the dreamy-eyed romance of a new baby and replaces it with the practical questions like “Will I ever have time to enjoy my spouse again?” No pictures or charts, just frank answers and simple but crucial steps to make motherhood “a little more controllable, and a lot more enjoyable.” (AMACOM)
Trucks Go by Steve Light. Combine the McMullan’s Garbage Truck in I Stink with Donald Crews’s Freight Train and you have this delightful book for the youngest fan. Seven favorite trucks race by in bright colors making crazy loud noises. An animated reader could cause baby laughing fits. (Chronicle)
Dinosaurs! Lacing Cards by Bob Barner. Young dinosaur fans will surely enjoy tying up these color dinosaurs. Ten brightly illustrated cards with colorful laces are tough enough for reusing over and over. Manual dexterity, sequencing and adventure await your miniature paleontologist. (Chronicle)
My First ABC by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A stunning collection of artwork that illustrates A is for Paul Cezanne’s “Apples.” Each page in this solid board book shows a tiny treasure, sure to delight young eyes. The end notes show the artwork in full for grownups to reference. (Little Brown)
Organic Baby: Simple Steps for Healthy Living by Kimberly Rider. There are a number of titles focused on healthier choices for your family and the planet. Try this one – Rider covers all items related to your baby, including cribs and bedding, diapers, first foods, soaps and more. Practical and well organized, a good introduction to organic parenting. (Chronicle)
In Leawood, Julie Hubble likes to stop and talk to babies.