One Hot Summer Day

This book is a photo collage, with pictures of an inner-city toddler enjoying a steamy summer day eating popsicles, dancing in the rain, and swinging on her swing. The text is almost poetic — “My mother tells me/to play inside games./She has the fan on high” — with soothing rhythms that go over well with older babies. This is a good “point and say” book; label the fan, the girl’s overalls, her chalk, her shadow, and so on for your child. Plus, the heroine is energetic and self-confident, which may help your child learn something just as valuable as words and sounds. (6 – 12 months)