MY FIRST LISTEN, PLAY, AND SAY!

What this book lacks in durability it makes up in the sheer abundance of its gimmicks.

Like its concurrently published companion volume, My First Touch, Feel, and Play, this book works better in theory than in practice. Friendly animal characters on the thick, die-cut cover invite young fingers to touch and trace the cutaway shapes embedded in the picture. Inside, six scenarios walk baby through the sights, sounds, and activities of a child’s busy day, including waking, indoor play, a trip to the park, dinnertime, bathing, and bedtime. The vignettes are short on narrative, but the pictures are rich in detail, offering plenty of opportunities for kids and caregivers to interact. Debossed shapes and peekaboo flaps invite a child’s touch, but take fair warning: the flaps are easy prey for a youngster’s firm grip and quick hands. Expect some of the flaps to separate from the book. Fortunately, even minus the freezer-door flap, for example, a charming picture of a mouse feasting on cheese, fruits, and cupcakes remains. Arguably the most entertaining feature of this book, though, is the attached musical device, with 10 easily activated buttons with cute icons that play brief, soothing melodies. The choice of music over vocabulary may seem a missed opportunity, but keying the tunes could occupy children for hours even if they never open the book.

Though fragile, a likely favorite for kids.