[.ca] My Very First Book Of Shapes (ISBN 0399243879)

Educational:
This is definetely not a bedtime story book, but it is very cleverly done and well illustrated. We actually borrow that book from the library, and my 3 year-old daughter, who is learning shapes at preschool, found that book pretty interresting. You can identify the shapes as you look through it with your kid, or your kid can match each shape with the corresponding objects/animals as a quiet activity to do on their own.

Boring...:
Like all Eric Carle books, My Very First Book of Shapes has colourful, simple pictures and very sturdy pages. But simply put, this book is boring. There is no story at all, nothing to read, nothing to hold a toddler's attention. Instead, the book's pages are divided across into two sections. The top sections have black shapes. The bottom sections have pictures of objects that match the shapes (for example, a slice of watermelon, a crescent moon). The child is supposed to flip through both sections and match up the shape to the object. That's it, there's no more to the book than that. Perhaps some preschool age children might find this book more fun, but as it's a board book you'd think it would be appropriate for toddlers, and I don't think it is. If you're looking for a book that will be something good to read at bedtime, this definitely isn't it. Nor do I think toddlers will be interested in matching the shapes to the pictures. My 18-month old certainly isn't. He enjoys books with stories and rhymes, and interesting pictures. This book is a bore in comparison to so many other wonderful board books that are out there.