Boynton Board Books

Beloved Board Books for the Ages

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.