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These books give babies a generous helping of their erv favorite subiect: themselves. BUSY BABIES Written and illustrated by Amy Schwartz Building blocks, removing socks, with their mamas, in pajamas - almost anything you can picture a baby or toddler getting up to makes an appearance in this casually rhyming book. The result is a clever catalog of baby life, featuring a pleasing array of families of all backgrounds. Schwartz ("A Teeny Tiny Baby") gives babies lots to stare at, and grown-ups may find themselves just as delighted by her exquisite illustrations. Her delectable babies have big heads, small features and even smaller feet and hands, and they wear outfits of detailed perfection. 32 pp. Beach Lane. $17.99. (Picture book; ages Oto 3) ? IS FOR BABY ByAtinuke. Illustrated by Angela Brooksbank. Who needs the whole alphabet when one letter can tell a story as entertaining as this one, set in a colorful, lively West African village? "B is for baby," of course, but each page adds a "B" word as the baby girls brother rides his bicycle to visit their Baba - grandpa - in his bungalow. Turns out the tyke has stowed away in a basket of bananas, making for a funny, happy reunion. Atinuke and Brooksbank ("Baby Goes to Market") have created an appealing package of rhythmic repetition and vibrant images. 40 pp. Candlewick. $16.99. (Ages 0 to 5) YOU ARE NEW Written and illustrated by Lucy Knisley "When you're new," asks this delightfully assured debut children's book from the acclaimed graphic novelist Knisley, "what can you do?" The comforting answers explain a baby's world to her ("You can fit in tiny spots / You get carried quite a lot") while also preparing her for adventures and challenges ahead ("You might not know just want to do ... / That's O.K. when you are new"). But it's the memorable digital art that makes this book a true standout - the sweet-looking babies who crawl and traipse through these pages have a refreshing hint of comics-style edge. 42 pp. Chronicle. $17.99. (Ages 0 to 3) ANIMAL BABIES LIKE TO PLAY By Jennifer Adams. Illustrated by Mary Lundquist. The animal babies in this adorably drawn alphabet book include a bunny, a jaguar and a quail. They play with jacks and go fishing. They build with blocks and bake pie. Its simpler than it sounds - they are all babies, wearing zip-up animal suits. As Lundquist ("Cat & Bunny") works through the letters, she also delivers a low-key message that playing is fun by yourself, and also with friends. Eagle-eyed babies might even spot Zebra hiding in the background of other letters' pages. 32 pp. Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins. $17.99. (Ages 0 to 5) BABY DAY By Jane Godwin and Davina Bell. Illustrated by Freya Blackwood. Birthdays come once a year, but the excitement around them lasts ... possibly forever? Accordingly, this clever book about a first birthday party can be enjoyed any old day. Adorable babies tumble, squawk and dribble their way to the festivities. Cake time comes, the crowd begins to melt down, and the birthday kid is on to a bath, story and bedtime. Blackwood's loose pencil lines and brushy bright colors lend a lovely naturalistic look. 32 pp. Atheneum. $17.99. (Ages 0 to 3) UP UP UP DOWN Written and illustrated by Kimberly Gee Opposites loom large for babies, and Gee brings the concept to adorable life. Her action-packed visual vignettes refreshingly feature a brown-skinned baby and caretaker dad who dramatize the obvious ("no" and "yes") and the more subtle ("yay" and "uh oh"). Her touch is feather-light, with many telling details to spot. 32 pp. Putnam. $16.99. (Ages 0 to 4) HOORAY FOR BABIES! By Susan Meyers. Illustrated by Sue Cornelison. The pages of this celebration of baby life teem with tiny friends of every stripe, doing baby stuff together. With the little ones collectively narrating ("We raise our sippy cups up high and give a baby cheer") and practically no grown-ups in sight, Meyers ("Everywhere Babies") and Cornelison ("Lost and Found Cat") have created a buoyant mood of baby-centric fun. 32 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $14.99. (Ages 0 to 3) READ TO YOUR BABY EVERY DAY Edited by Rachel Williams. Illustrated by Chloe Giordano. This treasury of 30 classic nursery rhymes runs through the standards - Old Mother Hubbard, Humpty Dumpty - including many you'll be tempted to sing, like "The Muffin Man." Williams keeps old-fashioned words ("I saw a ship a-sailing") but pares down some longer verses to just one stanza, to fit a baby's attention span. Best of all are Giordano's illustrations, done in heart-stoppingly delicate embroidery. 32 pp. Frances Lincoln. $16.99. (Ages 0 to 4) MARIA RUSSO is the children's books editor of the Book Review.

Baby-Toddler--A version of the picture book is perfectly adapted to the board book format, now hand-sized for the audience that will find itself mirrored in the pages. Babies of every hue (violet, mustard yellow, gray) are cuddled and washed, fed and cleaned up, soothed and loved. VERDICT Knisley's book is a delight in any format, but will be particularly at home for laptime snugglefests.