Listen to the Seasons

Books for babies are becoming so much more interactive, with flaps to lift, different textures to feel, and in this case, inbuilt sound buttons that correspond with the illustrations. Listen to the Seasons is the perfect book for any baby to toddler aged 0 months to 5 years.

This clever book hits a range of early years due to its many levels. Each page is dedicated to a season and asks what might you find, hear, see in that season, accompanied with a large illustration. The clever thing about this book is that it also has a discreet button to press to then hear the sound of the season, for example, Spring has the sound of lambs.

This book encourages you to read with your child and discuss what else you might find in that season whilst also picking out the features on the page. For younger babies, they will delight in the sounds; my six-month-old's eyes would light up whenever I would turn the page and press the button. The sounds are 'real' and occasionally complex, such as having the sound of thunder and lightning mixed with the chirping of the swallows. The illustrations are superb. Simple enough for a small child to pick out elements and make connections, but detailed enough to raise further questions with a 2-year-old + about the particular season. The animals all have faces which makes this a really friendly and warm book to share. The colours also link with the season which gives further scope to discuss with your child the many colours of each season.

Personally, I also really liked the focus on developing language in this book. Words such as 'swooping',  'snuffly' 'cicadas' are words that children might not come across in day-to-day language. A beautiful, natural picture book that is perfectly designed for a range of early years children and babies.

Board book / Reviewed by Joanna, parent

Suggested Reading Age 0+