Synopsis
With years of experience teaching parents and babies across the country to sign, Michelle Anthony and Reyna Lindert bring their expertise to these interactive board books.
Each page focuses on one word, showing a photo of an adult to model the sign. Beside it is a photo of a baby making the sign to ease parents' identification of the sign as young hands might make it. Facing these photographs is an illustration of the object, as well as a touch-and-feel!
Children's Literature
Some studies have shown that babies and toddlers who learn to sign even before they can say the equivalent words are less frustrated and develop good communication skills. This award-winning book in the "Signing Smart" series teaches some basic ASL-certified sign language. In this tabbed board book, baby shows that he wants to put on his hat and shoes. Later, it is time for a ride in the car perhaps heading to the airport to fly off for a vacation. Some of the things he may see are a bird, flowers or a cat. The signs are all provided. There is a lot happening on each page. Words or concepts are presented with photographs of real babies/toddlers and adults. However, the main illustrations are more whimsical. Each one includes a tactile component such as a fuzzy bat on the cover, textured petals on a flower and textured parts on the cat's body. The closing spread offers strategies for using the book, and the back cover provides even more information about this series, including a website address. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot