Peek-a-Boo Board Book

As an adult, I find much to admire in this board book. The best feature, without question, are the illustrations. They are delicate and detailed, filled with charming people. sweet babies, and cluttered yet comfortable scenes of domestic life. The pictures are very inviting. Coupled with them is a soothing poem that uses a lot parallel constructions and repetition for a pleasing sound, which focuses on the items a baby can see in the next scene. Finally, the book uses a little hole to imitate a peekaboo game. The baby sees something, and on the other white page we catch just a glimpse of what baby sees through the hole in the page. Turn the page, and we get the whole scene, along with a description of everything baby sees. These are all fine qualities in a book. For some reason, however, my children are not interested. They will listen for a few minutes, and then they are done. Perhaps it is not exciting enough for them, or perhaps board books employ so many clever innovations these days that the simple spy hole doesn't appeal. For whatever reason, they would rather read something else. Also, although I think it is well-written and has lovely illustrations, I'm not that excited, either. The book is missing a spark. I am splitting the difference and giving this three stars, because I see the quality in the craft here, but if it doesn't interest me or my girls, then I don't have much use for it. ( )

This is a great board book. I also provide a small window that would allow small children to play peek-a-boo alone with the book. ( )

This book is, I believe, a British import. The language has changed to be more consistent with American usage, though.

My nieces love this book, they love counting "One, two, three - PEEK-A-BOO!" with me and pointing at things through the cut-out holes in the book. I don't have any problems with the book (except one scene where, confusingly, the image shown in a mirror in no way reflects what's really going on. Very odd, and I wonder if the mirror was originally intended to be a photograph), however some people might have trouble explaining some of the more old-fashioned imagery.

Many of us nowadays are going back to hanging clothes outside, so that's all right, and a clothes-horse for indoor drying is okay, and a bucketful of coal is explainable, and... well, it does add up. If you have a very inquisitive sort of child, you might get tired of answering all their questions, that's all. (On the other hand, knowledge of different things broadens the mind.)

So I took off one single star. ( )