I read a lot to my 8 month old and I'm always looking for children's books that not only capture the baby's attention but are pretty for me to look at as well. For Just One Day written by Laura Leuck and illustrated by Marc Boutavant has the best of both worlds. It opens with simple colored line drawings on white and reads, "For just one day I'd like to be, a busy buzzing bumble..." and then long before you spot the word "Bee!" on the following page, your brain is busy taking in the stunningly graphic illustrations, whimsical details and pop art colors that are bleeding off the page. It continues, "The flowers would belong to me if I were a bumblebee." The fact that I am reciting this from memory is also a testament to how much I enjoy reading this book to my baby girl. The way it is written, it gives you no choice but to be animated and illicit squeals with each reveal. "I'd climb a big banana tree, that's if I were a (turn page) Chimpanzee! I'd pick the ripest bunch for me if I could be a chimpanzee." Crocodiles, butterflies and grizzly bears follow until it all culminates with, "The other days I'd want to be that special someone that is...Me!" And if that hasn't sold you, above the word "Me!" is an illustrated frame with a piece of mirrored paper pasted inside. After all, if you can't win a baby over with a book, you rarely lose with their own reflection.
