My First Board Book: Shapes product reviews

Board books are so good for toddlers. When they are just starting to look at picture books on their own, they are still learning to turn the pages without tearing them, and there is the occasional attempt to chew the corners as well! Books with conventional pages are likely to be damaged quickly by this age group; a board book is not only sturdier but also easier to look at because the pages open flat.

Miss Nine Months was delighted with this book. She is just starting to become independent, exploring her surrounds and using all her senses to understand her world. Although she loves being read to, she also likes to look through her books on her own and even tries to "read" them. She loved the bright colours and bold drawings; her favourite was the page featuring the semicircle, possibly because of the multi-coloured presentation with its emphasis on primary yellows and blues.

Miss Nine Months' mother was impressed by the detail and depth of the drawings. She said that she thought her daughter would get a lot of fun out of the book as there was something worthwhile to look at on each page. She also appreciated the fact that the book is bilingual as she can learn some new terms along with her daughter. Because she was born overseas, she has not had exposure to Te Reo from an early age so she is now trying to catch up, learning alongside her daughter.

The drawings, so admired by both Miss Nine Months and her mother, are of the high standard I have come to associate with Donovan Bixley's work - bold and attractive and most appealing for beginning readers. I love the way that the pictures represent lots of items that we associate with New Zealand, from the iconic tomato sauce bottle to the old-fashioned caravan, thus delivering a lesson in kiwiana along with the Maori terms.

The actual content of the book is yet another aspect that has true kid appeal. It offers a lesson in geometry through the most accessible of means - the naturally occurring shapes in the world around us. These are everyday items that even very young children can recognise as following a particular shape blueprint. Confining each page to one or two simple words focuses the reader's attention on the key idea: it sets the foundation for use of comparison as a verbal technique as the child's command of language develops.

Miss Nine Months loves the book, and is bound to enjoy it even more when she starts to read. It is a text she will find highly accessible, having already become totally familiar with the contents of each page. I look forward to seeing many more in this series.