Sandra Boynton: The Master of timeless and witty board books
Sandra Boynton is a prolific and well-known children’s book author and illustrator. She got her start creating hilarious greeting cards for Recycled Paper Greetings. From there she went on to write and illustrate over 50 board books and adult books, and wrote and produced several award-winning children’s albums.
Sandra’s books are aimed towards young children – babies and toddlers. Her board books include simple and friendly illustrations with rhyming, fun-to-read text.
Boynton’s sense of humor translates perfectly to children’s books. Take a look at her website, it’ll have you giggling. She’s goofy and wry and well written. The magic of her writing is remaining clever and witty while writing in simple text. This quality is probably what made her so successful as a greeting card creator. (I’m embarrassed this birthday card took me longer than it should have to figure out.)
If I had to choose one author for my baby to read until they turned two, it would be Sandra Boynton. Her books are sturdy and thick, ideal for pudgy little hands to hold. Her illustrations are simple and appealing to small children. The animal characters participate in well-known activities that the very young can relate to, like going to bed and making animal noises.
While my three-year-old is slightly too old for board books, she enjoys helping me read Moo, Baa, La La La! to the baby and will go around the house for the rest of the afternoon saying Moo, Baa, La La La in a sing-song voice. It’s a small price to pay for the witty and charming board books Boynton has provided. You get the sense that she writes with the adult in mind just as much as the child, which is a breath of fresh air for some children’s books.
According to Publishers Weekly, Boynton’s top-sellers include Moo, Baa, La La La!, The Going to Bed Book, Barnyard Dance, A to Z, Blue Hat, Green Hat, and Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! Our personal favorites are Moo, Baa, La La La!, Snuggle Puppy, and Barnyard Dance. While we have yet to listen to her musical albums, reviews concur that the songs are catchy and fun, and sung by celebrities such as Weird Al, Brad Paisley, and Hootie and the Blowfish.
Sandra Boynton is the definitive board book author and illustrator and deserves a place on every baby’s bookshelf.
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