Both these board books are from Gecko Press: thanks to the publisher for sending review copies.

Get Dressed Belly Button!
Lucie Brunellière

It’s a chilly day so the toddler must be suitably dressed before heading outside into the cold. Tinies will enjoy watching as the adorable infant is clad in ‘two soft socks’, a ‘toasty t-shirt’ and a pair of jeans; but there’s a belly button still visible. What else will be needed before we’re ready to sally forth? Squeaky sneakers, a cosy warm coat, two woolly mittens, a bobble hat and a scarf and a special kiss. Hurrah! Off you go, little one.
An external narrator, presumably the parent or carer, does the talking in this cleverly designed, vertical flip-flap board book

So Tired, So Wide Awake!
Susanne Strasser

A small bedroom drama unfolds as Hedgehog, Fox, Donkey, Pelican and Crocodile lie fast asleep in bed; but not so Seal. He apparently needs to visit the bathroom so up and out of bed he wriggles. Then in turn, his previously snoozing pals leave the bed and troop to the bathroom: Crocodile has forgotten to brush her teeth, Pelican needs a drink of water,

Donkey has itchy ears and so on, until only a scared Hedgehog remains. Up she scrambles and off she tip, tip tips to find the other animals. Where have they all gone? Somewhere where they can each receive a goodnight kiss before falling fast asleep. Unsurprisingly though, the kiss giver is still wide awake, squashed beneath the heap of slumberers.

Suddenly, a voice calls out, “What a stink! Who did that?” Thereupon, the animals rapidly return from whence they came and crash out in their own bed at last.

Little humans will enjoy watching the build up of tension before it’s revealed where the animals are all going, and delight in the whiffy solution that has them hastily retreating to their own bed. Fun to share with tinies especially as a pre-bedtime read.