[.ca] Baby Beluga (ISBN 0833586114)

Even my husband sings this song:
Before we even knew of this book we had been playing Raffi's "Baby Beluga" CD for our small boy. I had noticed the book in stores but thought it was silly to have a book for a song we already knew. And then we found the book in the public library. Hello! Our two year old was so excited. He adores sea creatures so he would have liked the book even if it were just illusrations of fish and whales, but it thrilled him to discover that his song was in this book! He often sings full phrases of the song to us. He has memorized many of the words and has for a long time been taken with the line "Moon is shining and the stars are out" which to him is THE correct way to discuss any night sky in any picture, even if no stars or moon are visible. I digress. The book is a hit. Last time we went to the library our son put in his order. He wanted "Baby Beluga" and "Caps for Sale". Unfortunately "Baby Beluga" was out, so we had to wait by the phone till it came in. This evening I went to say goodnight to our son while my husband was reading the bedtime stories, and I caught him singing "Baby Beluga" as they read the book together--a sweet sound in the ears of a wife who rarely hears her husband sing. The words are simple imagery; the pictures have introduced our youngster to other sealife, like seals, walruses, narwhals (the ones with the unicorn tusk)... but we like the book mainly because of our son's enjoyment. It's simple to sing, and it's a sweet lullaby full of joy. I'm sure our little guy imagines himself to be the little beluga whale in the song. After all what toddler doesn't love to be surrounded by those who hold him dear? We can all use a little dose of adoration.

board books becoming thinner..:
Great book, as described by other reviewers. One thing I noticed is that the copy I bought from here has thinner pages than the one we borrowed from the library. When matched up against the thicker book, this one was about 2/3s thinner. I hope that these pages will hold up in durability since my daughter loves it when I "sing" her stories to her. On the positive side, the illustrations are more vibrant in color.

We love baby beluga:
My daughter loves this book. Loves the variety of sea animals and the like. I'm just wondering if anyone knows what the animal is with the unicorn horn sticking out of its head. ...

Make the song come to life with pictures:
My sons love Raffi music and videos. We have checked out all of his "song" books at the library so I decided to buy a few of them for our own use. My guys grab the books when they hear the song and like me to turn the pages with the music. My only complaint is that the library editions had the music and words at the back, whereas the board books do not, so if you can carry a tune but haven't heard the song, you won't know the rhythm of the music. But these books are still great for reading, even if you don't know the tune. And if you have Raffi music in the car, include this book for the back seat passengers to "read" while the music is playing. Baby Beluga has delightful illustrations of "sea creatures" (whales, penguins, etc) as well as making the song personal by including a young eskimo child in the book. Most children are fans of whales, seals and the like anyways, but parents should enjoy reading this book to their children. It's easy to read, with clear, large print and simple pictures. Great for the toddler age to read or sing along and the short enough for the under 18 months crowd. And while the animals are not labeled, it would be perfect for a before and after book if you take young children to an aquarium or zoo.

Awesome children's book:
This book is soooooooo.... cute. My daughter loved it! This has become one of her favorite animals.... A MUST HAVE BOOK FOR EVERY CHILDS LIBRARY. Also in the back of the book are the words and music notes. A great children's book, beautiful pictures, and simple to read.