31 Days, 31 Lists: 2018 Board Book Reprints & Adaptations
What’s even better than a board book the first time around? A board book a second or third or forty-fifth time around!! Just take a gander at some of the books that saw new life in 2018, and you’ll be forced to agree that 2018 really was a banner year for board books.
2018 Board Book Reprints & Adaptations
Baby Says by John Steptoe
The good news is that a longstanding crime has been corrected. I’ve been waiting, not so patiently, for more than a decade for this book to be republished. To my infinite delight, it has been and I could be more pleased. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the publication date will completely miss the holiday season and is slated for December 31st. What the what?
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Big Bug by Henry Cole
I had to double check with the original Henry Cole book to make sure that the storyline hadn’t been condensed in some way. No worries, it hasn’t. As a result you’ve a smart cookie of a story here. I love how you delve deeper and deeper into it, before pulling back again. This book definitely deserved to find new life in board book form.
Counting with Tiny Cat by Viviane Schwarz
As I may have mentioned yesterday, I’m a Schwarz fan through and through. Tiny Cat, you can come at me in any format you choose. Picture books. Board books. Easy books. YA novels. Seriously, I’ll read it all.
Everyday House by Cynthia Rylant
Everyday Town by Cynthia Rylant
1993 was the last time these little puppies saw the light of publication, and even then they were in picture book form. I’d love to find out how it came about that they were republished now in board book formats. As they systematically catalog what it is that makes a house a home or a town a town, the board book casing suits the story to a tee.
The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord, ill. Janet Burroway
Remember this old chestnut? The latest iteration will be released December 11th of this year, though to be perfectly honest with you I think it’s never really been out of print.
Goodnight, Good Dog by Mary Lyn Ray, ill. Rebecca Malone
Another book where you have a hard time believing that it wasn’t a board book in the first place.
Happy Easter, Country Bunny by Du Bose Heyward, ill. Marjorie Flack (feminist!)
And the winner of the oldest book republished in board book form award goes to . . . Happy Easter, Country Bunny!! With its original 1974 publication date (when it was the working mother/feminist wonder picture book The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes) this is certainly an older title, but I like how smoothly it made the transition to an abbreviated board book.
I Am a Baby by Kathryn Madeline Allen, photos by Rebecca Gizicki
When this came out in picture book form I was just counting the days until the board book arrived. Babies love to look at faces and the faces here just ABOUND!! Love it all so much.
Just Like Me series: Feeding Time! by Ailie Busby
Just Like Me series: Feeling Great! by Ailie Busby
Just Like Me series: Looking Good! by Ailie Busby
Publisher Childs Play alerted me to the fact that this series was a reprint at all when the description for these books read, “A modern remake of one of our bestselling series.” You’d have no idea it wasn’t completely contemporary, though. Everything here feels free and new and interested.
Mama, Is It Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
Another adaptation from a picture book, and a clever one. I love McClure’s careful art, and I suspect that there is many a parent out there right now hearing this exact question. Only 4-5 more months to go, kids!
One Big Pair of Underwear by Laura Gehl, ill. Tom Lichtenheld
I read this book to my kids constantly. The picture book worked well, but anytime you can make a math-related board book, you should go for it. One of the winners of the Mathical Book Prize as well, as I recall.
The Piggy In the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz, ill. James Marshall
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I wasn’t completely honest with you when I said earlier that Happy Easter, Country Bunny was the oldest title here. This funny little book also came out in 1974, and it has all the wit you’d expect of a James Marshall-illustrated title. One of the more delightfully unexpected surprises of the year. Unapologetic, just like he was.
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani
I consider this a math book as well, actually. There are six cats. You can stack them into different columns of numbers. And some of those columns work better than others. Combined with Ghahremani’s eye-popping colors, this book is just cool.
There’s a Bear On My Chair by Ross Collins
Ross Collins! No one does disgruntled as well as Ross Collins. Note the mouse’s peppy sweater and how it stands in sharp contrast with his expression. There are lots of books about bears on chairs, but this is my favorite.
What’s Your Favorite Color? by Eric Carle and Friends
These crowdsourced books of artists are always a bit hit and miss, but goes as simple as “color” gives them all a concrete topic to work with. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more work along these lines if they keep to basic concepts like this.
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes, ill. Laura Dronzek
I was a big fan of the Henkes/Dronzek book Birds and Spring Comes didn’t disappoint. Now it is a board book. Just in time for spring.
Interested in the other lists? Here’s the schedule of everything being covered this month. Enjoy!
December 1 – Board Books & Pop-Ups
December 2 – Board Book Reprints & Adaptations
December 3 – Wordless Picture Books
December 4 – Picture Book Readalouds
December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books
December 6 – Alphabet Books
December 7 – Funny Picture Books
December 8 – CaldeNotts
December 9 – Picture Book Reprints
December 10 – Math Books for Kids
December 11 – Bilingual Books
December 12 – Translated Picture Books
December 13 – Books with a Message
December 14 – Fabulous Photography
December 15 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales
December 16 – Oddest Books of the Year
December 17 – Poetry Books
December 18 – Easy Books
December 19 – Early Chapter Books
December 20 – Comics for Kids
December 21 – Older Funny Books
December 22 – Fictionalized Nonfiction
December 23 – American History
December 24 – Science & Nature Books
December 25 – Transcendent Holiday Picture Books
December 26 – Unique Biographies
December 27 – Nonfiction Picture Books
December 28 – Nonfiction Chapter Books
December 29 – Fiction Reprints
December 30 – Middle Grade Novels
December 31 – Picture Books
Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists
About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
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