Board books should be easy to handle, engaging, and fun. Listen, Listen fits that bill as Barefoot Books enters this market. Readers are encouraged to listen to the seasonal sounds around them, and there are plenty. From the newness of spring to the whispering snowflakes of winter, Alison Jay’s illustrations literally crackle with sound. The movement in the illustrations furthers the theme of listening and the characters are so generic that they overcome what some may interpret as a lack of multiculturalism.

The words are fun and can be easily matched to sounds and their illustrations. The cyclic nature the seasons was used to provide an ending that provided more confusion than clarity on a first reading. The point is necessary, but simplicity is essential.

There is no doubt about it, this is a fun book that can be shared together and then read again and again by a developing reader who embellishes the story with their own seasonal sounds. Add it with confidence to your collection, or buy a copy at any time of the year as a gift for a young reader.

4 out of 5