Toesy toes

A charming collection of 12 baby pictures with toes as the unifying principle. Pictures on the right-hand pages show a variety of unique (mostly) diaper-clad toddlers engaged in recognizable baby activities. Each left-hand page uses just five playful words to describe what's happening. Each line begins with the child's name and ends with "toes." Judging by naming convention, the pictures are evenly split between female and male. The final three photos, without names, are appropriately androgynous. The well-chosen pictures are a mix of stock photos and family snapshots. The cover picture is of a baby with light brown skin and tight brown curls. A pale-skinned tot named Gabby, naked but modestly posed, is totally focused on rinsing her feet at a spigot. Abha is brown-skinned. Aleen's lifted high by a woman in a hijab. "Oliver has piggledy-wiggledy toes" shows an older child playfully nibbling on Oliver's feet. A few pages later Izzy is obviously nursing. These babies are winsome but they are not airbrushed, making them all the more delightful. Liam has a red rash around his smiling mouth. Toddlers will easily recognize themselves, and children who have outgrown diapers will enjoy remembering what it was like when they (or their siblings) were babies. Simple, age-appropriate, and thoughtfully diverse. Exactly what we want in a board book. (Board book. 18 mos.-3) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.