These books work on so many levels, with poetry to hear, pictures to talk about, and a powerful message. They give children just the sort of delightful and mind-expanding experiences they need, while leading parents to see the child’s world through a creative and joyful lens. Wonderful medicine for an overly electronic age!” —Dr. Robert Needlman, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and cofounder, Reach Out and Read, on the Baby Unplugged series
“These are the kinds of books that will bring you and your child together over and over again as you snuggle and read - colorful, welcome additions to your bookshelf.” —Shari Schmidt, OMB (Oh My Books) ChicagoNow blog, on the Baby Unplugged series
“Bright, creative and perfect for young readers just getting introduced to books. Babies and toddlers will love these books as well as the others in the series.” —SocialCafé Magazine, on the Baby Unplugged series
"I am so excited about these books. When you combine the bright colors and the simplistic drawings with the fun rhymes, you've got an engaging book that is perfect to read with infants and toddlers. This is the kind of book you can read while they wander around. Infants and toddlers love blankets, and this is a way to have some fun with them. If you're child doesn't have a favorite blanket before your read this, they will afterward!…(and as for Yard) Don't be surprised if your toddler wants to race outside after reading this book!" —Terry Doherty, the Reading Tub Family Bookshelf, on the Baby Unplugged series
"In the charming board book Play, Dr. John Hutton knows his young audience well, and conveys the joy of ordinary fun with simple rhyme. The text is matched with sweet illustrations by Sarah Jones. Hurray for Play!" —Louise Borden, author, The Journey That Saved Curious George
"Occasionally, there are very little books that contain as much wisdom as whole child development textbooks. This is one of those." —Maryanne Wolf, Director, Center for Reading and Language Research, Tufts University
2014-11-04
The 10th in the Baby Unplugged series, an earnest exhortation to play. A multicultural cast of preschool children and a few parental figures go through a happy day of play with nary an iPad, television screen or Kindle in sight. Curiously, the adults are mostly light-skinned, but some of the children have darker skin and curly hair. For the most part, the rhyming text works: "Roll a ball across the floor. / Build a box house with a door." But occasionally, extra words inserted to keep the syllable count consistent interrupt the flow: "Bang pots and pans, make fun sounds! / Stack blocks high off of the ground." Pastel-tinted line drawing by Jones are pleasant but not distinct. The clear graphic illustrations by Andrea Kang that grace the earlier books in the series provide stronger images for very young children. The back cover lists nine rules to "Unplug and Play Every Day." That message seems to be the real purpose of this book. Parents seeking to unplug their children from electronic devices should seek out more interactive board books, such as those by Lorena Siminovich, Brian Biggs and Hervé Tullet. (Board book. 18 mos.-4)
