Boynton Board Books

Board books by Sandra Boynton Blue Hat Green Hat Moo Baa La La La Going to Bed Books But Not the Hippopotamus

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Beloved Board Books for the Ages

Board books by Sandra Boynton Blue Hat Green Hat Moo Baa La La La Going to Bed Books But Not the Hippopotamus

  • What: Boynton board books
  • When: Birth to three years
  • Why: Loved by generations, durable, appealing to wide age range
  • Where: Amazon

My youngest child has returned yet again to the joy of Boynton board books. They’ve been around since I was a kid, but all three of my offspring have enjoyed the various titles from the classic set.

Boynton's Greatest Hits Volume 1 on Amazon

Boynton’s Greatest Hits Volume 1 on Amazon

The eight most common titles come in two sets of four. If you think you might want them all, buy them in the set. You get more for your money and don’t end up with two copies of anything, plus they come in a convenient box for storage.

Spine view of four popular Boynton board books
Four of the classic Boynton books we own. You can see the love on the spines.

We still have all our copies, despite getting rid of lots of board books as my youngest child ages. We’ve come back to reading them time and time again with all three kids, and find them just as delightful each time. The cute cartoon animals will appeal to the youngest readers. As a parent, I can’t resist the giggles that come with each reading, whether the first or the hundredth.

Pant page from Blue Hat Green Hat
The “Oops” gets kids every time.

If I had to pick just one, I’d start with Blue Hat Green Hat. It has been a huge hit with every kid I’ve known, as it follows the antics of Boynton’s classic illustrated animals trying on clothing in all the wrong places. It also reinforces colors with the main four – red, green, blue, and yellow – appearing over and over again.

Page from Moo Baa La La La
We also love the noises in Moo Baa La La La.

Moo Baa La La La also ranks high in both giggles and popularity in our household. My son still loves the sounds from all the animals in that one. Doggies, and their accompanying howls, barks, and yips, will delight any small kid, even the ones who don’t care at all about canines. We like to get this one in multiple languages, but no matter which language you choose, it works great to help reinforce numbers from one to ten. The Going To Bed Book works great at bedtime to reinforce bedtime routines and habits, with a dash of fun thrown in. And the fun and rhymes in But Not the Hippopotamus and Barnyard Dance get my kids going every time.

Back of Blue Hat Green Hat board book by Sandra Boynton showing collection of eight classic books by same author
All eight of the classic books appear on the back.

Whether you’re new to the Boynton books or remember the characters from your own childhood, you can’t go wrong with any of these selections.

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