Today's Sun by Gregg Dreise

I don't usually talk about Board Books on this blog but this one by Gregg Dreise caught my eye. Black and white board books have become quite popular in recent years as research now shows they are perfect for new babies aged 0-6 months. My friend, who is a new grandmother, has been looking for black and white board books too. 

Before I look at Today's Sun you might have a few questions:

What is a board book, you ask? A board book is a book made from heavy cardboard. Board books are very durable and can stand up to a lot of abuse from little hands. In addition, many board boards can easily be wiped clean after baby has drooled all over them. They are usually smaller than a typical picture book and since they are designed primarily for kids 0-3, the stories (if they have one) are much shorter in length. What we do all day.

Why black and white? Since research shows that babies are stimulated by high contrast images, I highly recommend you invest in some black and white board books. Bold black, white and red graphics are much more likely to engage your infant than soft pastels and beautiful watercolor illustrations. What we do all day. 

High-contrasting, black and white images with sharp outlines are much easier for baby to see in the first few months of life while eyesight is still developing. At birth a baby’s retina is not fully developed; a newborn retina can only detect extreme contrasts between light and dark, or black and white. With everything appearing a little out-of-focus it’s no surprise that your baby will be completely absorbed when a book of black and white images is put in front of them. Mesmerised

Here are some text extracts from Today's Sun:

"As today's sun yawned, I munch like a hungry, fluffy possum."

"As today's sun stretched, I laughed like a happy kookaburra."

"As today's sun thawed, I bounced like a joyful kangaroo."

Here are a few more you might be able to find. It only took me a few minutes to discover all of these examples.  I am sure there would be hundreds of others in you local library and independent bookstore.