Let's Go, Baby-O!

This is a small, board book version, the title being an action rhyme that is played between baby and his much older girl cousin who together jump and twirl:

‘To the up,

To the down,

To the turn around.’

In between their wibbles and wobbles, their bounces and pounces, their jumps, bumps and thumps, their flip flop hops, their twists, twirls and whirls, the two stop to gaze out of the window at the story that is unfolding in the garden. Two adults are hard at work, the baby birds sing and the children play in their den but then the birds raise an alarm call as a fierce-looking cat edges closer; cat and dog circle the tree before coming face to face. Another dog appears, dogs chase cat, the den is wrecked, then dismantled, the fledglings are fed, the den restructured to offer alternative play activities involving water and mud. Everyone, human and animal can join the fun; not the birds though – they are ready to take flight. Then it’s time to tidy up and the insiders come face to face with those without.

This is a wonderful book to share with the very young, both with all the actions included and then, much more slowly, taking plenty of time to explore the delightful details of the drama depicted in the watercolour illustrations.