Tummy Time! (Mama Makes Books)

Hello, friends! Our book today is Tummy Time! by Mama Makes Books, an interactive board book for the very youngest of bookworms!

For the first six months of baby’s life, their eyesight is still developing the ability to see the world the way adults do. During this time, babies are drawn to high-contrast black-and-white images, human faces, and eventually bright colors. This clever little title takes advantage of those helpful developmental qualities and creates a fold-out book that babies can enjoy with a caregiver, or especially during tummy time!

An awesome idea! As anyone who’s been through the early infancy stage of parenting knows, babies are absolutely drawn to faces and high-contrast images, which in turn leads to healthy eye development. With a series of simple images – high-contrast illustrations, pictures of babies, and even a mirror page so babies can view themselves while developing visual acuity, as well as head, neck, and other muscles during tummy time. There is minimal text, making this less of a story and more of an activity, but the layout, concertina binding, and perfect weight of the board (not too light as to be flimsy, and not too heavy as to pose a rise to infants) make it an ideal tummy time or early-reading experience. One note: this one is definitely not waterproof, and will likely not stand up long to little chewers and chompers. But as a fun, safe, easily-portable, electronic-free activity for infants, this is a brilliant idea with fantastic execution. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Welcome: A Mo Willems Guide For New Arrivals (Mo Willems)


Hello, friends! Our book today is Welcome: A Mo Willems Guide For New Arrivals by Mo Willems, a hilarious and heartwarming book for brand new baby bookworms and the ones that love them.

Welcome! You have officially been born, and are now experiencing life. It’s a big, complicated thing to do, so we hope that this introductory guide will help you navigate some of the major points, such as what you can expect (friends, music, cats, etc) and what is expected of you (sleeping, eating, pooping, more pooping, etc). Occasionally, there may be disappointments, like injustice or spilled ice cream. But there are people working to make this world better for you all the time, and we can share our ice cream. Overall, there will be much to experience; the good, the bad, and the very silly. So, welcome! We’re so glad that you are you, and that you are here, and that we are reading this book together.

This one was adorable and sweet! Using a instruction manual-style layout and his signature tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, Willems has created a story that captures both the lightness and gravity of welcoming an infant into the family and the world. Sections of silly comedy combine moments of earnest honesty and hope to give the book a weight beyond its whimsy, and simple yet bold block illustrations are perfect for the tiniest bookworm’s developing eyesight. The length is perfect, and JJ enjoyed this one a lot. A wonderful book for those welcoming a new addition to the world, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!