HUSH

Simple, repetitive text, familiar sounds, and developmentally appropriate graphics characterize this simple board book for little ones.

Even the quietest noise—the hoot of an owl, the chirp of a cricket—keeps Baby Bear awake. High-contrast black-and-white drawings placed against mostly black backgrounds should attract the attention of newborns. The subtle change in Baby Bear's quizzical gaze as he eyes the source of each interruption and blue highlights on the other critters, including Mama, help maintain interest for older toddlers. Finding the tiny switch that activates the book’s sound is a bit of a challenge, which could keep young children from driving adults to distraction by repeatedly pressing the buttons located under character-coded tabs at the edges of the pages. The final page, which hides the sound chips and speaker, is quite thick. Older children may be tempted to take it apart to learn what makes the sound, but little ones will just smile at the recognizable sound of a kitty or dog. As with many novelty items, the relatively high price should be weighed against the value of the added sounds. Vroom, Zoom! Here Comes the Fire Truck, published simultaneously, shares the same format, but with louder noises and bright red highlights, it is charming for after nap time.

A mostly satisfying addition to the interactive board-book shelf