Unknown, My First Learning Book: 123 / abc / Shapes / Colours
2019 / Cloth books / 48 pages / France/China
****
I was planning to get her a Ladybird boxset at some point (I only had their Colours book back in the '80s, so I'm still not sure what a square is), but these rip-offs were better for an early start, since they're made from chewable, washable cloth. Considering the general originality on display here, I'll assume LakaRose didn't invent the medium, but I don't need to get too cynical, since they do the job and I appreciated the angloform spelling. If this is too innocent and wholesome for you, you can speculate about the stupid reasons why the pig from earlier editions was replaced with a pink cat.
Various, illustrated by Gaby Hanson, My Favourite Nursery Rhymes
***
The cheapest one on the shopping app with the nicest art, finding out it was a sturdy board book when it arrived was a bonus. Though a bit annoying that they rounded the page corners but didn't do the same to the sharp covers. And including deep cuts like 'Little Betty Blue' and 'I Love Little Pussy' stretches the definition of 'favourite' like a premature greatest hits album, it's not as if they'd run out.
Helen Nicoll and Jan Pieńkowski, Meg and Mog Treasury
***
Six books in one robust binding seemed like good value at the time, until I saw my toddler struggling to lug this around the kitchen, and before all the unfamiliar sequels to the decent original turned out to be a load of random, wacky shit with barely any relation to the Halloween theme of the pilot. Just space out and enjoy those saturated colours.
****
He didn't invent flap technology, but he obviously hit on a winner. This was the first time my daughter wanted a book on a perpetual loop, right from the first go, and this became more bearable when my mind wandered and I considered what was really going on, and how the zoo owners are clearly taking the piss out of this ungrateful brat before getting fed up and trying to help nature take its course.
2005 / Paperback / 32 pages / UK
***
A bit extroverted for me (leave 'grumpy' fish alone, you have no idea what's going on in his life), but my daughter got increasingly into it with each telling, and its calculated ending seems to work. Though they missed the trick of making a Dad variant and making parents buy both.
