Amazon.com (ISBN 0789474123, Board book)

Based on the big book version, My First Farm Book, this chunky little board book is the perfect size for small, inquisitive hands (and teeth!). As with all DK Publishing's My First Word books, the emphasis is on language development. Kids build up vocabulary and prereading skills as they learn about life on a farm. Each page features creatures, products, or tools found on the farm, from straw bales to combine harvesters to eggs. With DK's always-crisp photographs, new readers will have no problem identifying objects on the pages and soon will be making the connection between the object and the word printed in bold letters beside it. Soon, even kids from the most urban environments will be slinging around terms like "manure spreader" and "rooster comb" like old farmhands--and reading like fiends! Readers are also introduced to numbers, colors, and animal noises, as they count one bull, two ducks, three limes; identify chicks and bananas as yellow; and discover that sheep say baa baa and hens say cluck cluck. Readers simply can't go wrong with DK's excellent titles in this series, including My First Body Board Book, My First ABC Board Book, and lots more. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter