Nif's Five Books to read to Micah (age 5 months)

Look! Look! by Peter Linenthal (Penguin, $6.99)
Detailed, high contrast images made this the first book Micah really enjoyed.

I Kissed the Baby by Mary Murphy (Random House, $6.99)
All the animals want to meet, greet, and help take care of the baby. High contrast pictures! Big kissy noises! I find this one really fun to read.

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Lesléa Newman (Random House, $7.99)
Maleka gave us this one and it is super cute! I love love LOVE that this toddler's routine with lesbian moms is so very ordinary. No preachiness here, just genuine family life. To properly capture our family dynamics, we substitute "Mummy" wherever it says "Mommy" and "Mommy" wherever it says "Mama."

But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton (Simon and Schuster, $5.99)
Bright primary colors and the rollicking rhythm of the rhymes make this one quite appealing now that Micah is a bit bigger. It's like singing him a song, only with pictures and no tune. Sandra Boynton's Barnyard Dance (Workman, $6.95) is pleasing for the same reasons.

[Editor's Note: Barnyard Dance is also one of Janet's August 2010 Picks.]

Little Composter by Jan Gerardi (Random House, $6.99)
We had to get this one because I'm a compulsive composter. It rhymes! There are flaps to lift in all different directions! Micah likes it.

July 2011, Jennifer Woodfin