Little Concepts: ABC Shapes

Little Concepts: ABC Shapes

Illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius

Published by Walter Foster Jr.

An ABC board book that goes beyond squares and circles and reminds us that there are so many other shapes out there; from cubes to ellipse, helix to isosceles and quite a few more that I had forgotten about or didn’t even know of! 

Children (and I imagine adults too) will learn about unusual shapes along with the alphabet. Throw in some retro and distinctive stylish illustrations by Ingela Arrhenius and you’ve got yourself a winner! 

Each page spread highlights two letters, unconventional shapes and an engaging illustration which incorporates the two shapes that children can try and spot.

This is a fun and colourful, educational book that takes a different angle on learning the ABC!

Age 3+

British Museum First Concepts + British Museum: Mummy

British Museum First Concepts Series 
+ 
British Museum: Mummy

Published by Nosy Crow

I was lucky to receive a selection of board books from Nosy Crow, a while back, who have been working with the British Museum in an exclusive partnership to create a range of children's books. As stated in their book description; the books draw on the British Museum's internationally recognised brand, its unparalleled collection of objects and its world class expertise.

British Museum First Concepts is a range of board books; 123, ABC, Opposites and Colours, all aimed at 0+ years. 

The 123 board book goes up to the number 20 and displays beautiful and interesting collections; from drawings and paintings of butterflies and geese, to mini fish and horse statues to a collection of odd looking hats among many more. With blocks of background colour, the objects are displayed clearly and allows the number and written number to stand out.  

The ABC book is displayed in a similar format and works just as well. Each letter is shown in upper and lower case with the word of the object displayed. 

There's a lovely high quality to this collection that makes them stand out from other ABC/123 books. Though aimed at age 0+, Aoife loves looking through this and talking about the objects shown. It's made me want to take her to the British Museum and try and find the items!

Each book in this series also offers a QR code at the back of the book for parents to scan on their smart phone to find out more about the objects displayed within the book.

Mummy is another board book, and part of The British Museum collection, with large lift-the-flaps and that offers an early introduction into ancient Egyptian life. The book follows a little girl who is looking for her mummy in different locations; market, River Nile, pond, tomb etc. With repetition of 'Where's my mummy?' per page, little ones are encouraged to join in and help look for the little girl's lost mummy.

I was surprised by the hieroglyphs under each flap but it's a nice touch and a good discussion point with toddlers about other languages and symbols. With pretty illustrations that are simple but work really nicely with the theme - a lovely addition to the collection.

For more information on the Early Concept series, please click here.

ABC Birds

ABC Birds

By The American Museum of Natural History 

Published by Sterling Children's Books/GMC Children's Books

This latest addition to the American Museum of Natural History’s ABC series is dedicated to birds. The perfect addition to any child's animal library. 

Twenty-six birds take centre stage in this glossy format board book (ideal for messy fingers as its wipe clean!). Each bird is listed alphabetically and is displayed against its letter using some kind of interaction (perching or flying beside it). The language used throughout is sophisticated, but not to the extent that it would deter its target age group from not digesting it.  

I love how this book is presented. Instead of illustrations we get well shot photography which is skilfully displayed along well thought out typography and colour palettes. The facts that run along each type of bird are easy to read and more importantly easy to remember. A valuable learning tool especially for children that want to expand their knowledge on our feathered friends. 

ABC Birds is available to buy now from all good bookshops and from the GMC Children's books website.

Touch Think Learn: ABC

Touch Think Learn: ABC

By Xavier Deneux

Published by Chronicle Books

Using the same innovative production technique used in the acclaimed TouchThinkLearn series, here is an alphabet book like no other, which literally adds a new dimension to learning your ABC's!

This is an ABC book with a difference, you can touch and feel every letter throughout the book, and each one is designed in relation to an animal, place or object. Raised die-cut pieces nestled in mirroring indented cut-outs engage readers on both visual and tactile levels. The illustration style is graphic, using simple shapes and bold colours. A joy to look at as well as feel!

Touch Think Learn: ABC is a wonderful addition to any young child's learning library. It's beautiful to look at and each page shows how much thought and detail has gone in to designing each little bit. From a parents point of view I can't recommend this more - I for one will be looking at purchasing the rest of the series. It's available to buy now from all good bookshops and from the Chronicle Books website.