Sandra Boynton is the master author and illustrator of many whimsical board books for babies. Find out more about some of her great board books.
Sandra Boynton has written nearly two dozen board books (plus box sets, picture books, calendars, CDs, and more!) filled with active, entertaining animals. Here is a sample of Boynton’s popular board books for kids:
Barnyard Dance. “Stomp your feet! Clap your hands! Everybody ready for a barnyard dance!” So begins Boynton’s rollicking celebration of a book. You can almost hear the melody coming out of this book, and it’s easy to sing the words instead of just reading them. With older kids, it’s also fun to act out some of the actions. Barnyard Dance is such a joy to read, you are almost destined to end up memorizing this classic Boynton book.
Doggies. This board book’s tag line is “a counting and barking book,” which sums up Doggies rather well. Boynton introduces ten very different dogs, with ten different barks (and a shared passion for baying at the moon) one by one in this simple counting book. A potentially boisterous read, this board book is also available in Spanish as Perritos.
Moo, Baa, La La La. A cow says moo, a sheep says baa… but wait! What are three pigs doing singing la-la-la?!? This drastic departure from reality is promptly corrected (pigs say oink, of course) before Boynton continues with the sounds that dogs, cats, horses, ducks, and oddly enough, rhinos make. A fun read (especially out loud), this board book is also available in Spanish as Muu. Beee. Asi Fue!
One, Two, Three! This is not your typical counting board book. Instead of just numbers and names of objects, there is a sweet, simple rhyming narrative (from “One is good for a quiet walk” to “Ten makes a celebration LOUD! LOUD! LOUD!”) The book is graced by the same cats, hippos, pigs and more that appear in Boynton’s other work.
Opposites. Eighteen types of animals – including cats, dinosaurs, and a snail – demonstrate 14 opposites in amusing ways. A STRONG moose lifts a heavy weight, while a WEAK mouse lifts a feather; one turtle is in his shell, while another has crawled out. There is no narrative to this book, but it is pure Boynton nonetheless. Also available in Spanish as Opuestos.
Pajama Time! This board book is almost too invigorating for its purpose – preparing little one to go to bed. Written as a song (listen here), Pajama Time has lots of action (“pajammy to the left, pajammy to the right”) and description (some pajamas are old, others new, striped, polka dotted, or fuzzy). This board book is a treat to read (especially when you know how it’s supposed to sound), but may not be a good choice for a bedtime ritual.
