MOWMT 27: Exploring the Why of Board Books with Robin Currie

It happened the other day – a stroller child at the next table was chewing a copy of a board book I authored! When I told his mom, she said, “Oh, he loves to chew that one!” Take that, awards judges! (Obviously, this kid had good taste in literature.)

Really, if a book is less than 300 words (the sweet spot is 150 words) and is primarily going to be chewed, why does one need mentor texts? Because not all board books are the same.

1 Concept

The focus is on one specific concept (ABC, shape, color) without much of a storyline.

2 Novelty

The physical experience (lift the flap, sound buttons, touch and feel) is the focus of the book.

Many are concept books, but some have a storyline.

3 Mini versions

Many publishers print reduced versions of best-selling picture books as board books. It is the

entire book reduced; pictures and type are smaller. These often have 300-500 words, longer than babies like to sit.

4 Original board books

These have a complete story arc with minimal, carefully chosen words to engage children 0-2

years old. They can include factors like counting or teaching shapes or be enhanced to novelty experiences, but there must be a story foundation.

Every book for every age must be researched for accuracy. In the case of How to Dress a

Dinosaur, I had to verify the latest paleontological sources to be sure of names and

characteristics.

Seeing your board book on the bottom shelves of the library is a great thrill. Touching the

youngest lives is worth all the work and love authors invest in them. Those chewers and droolers are our future!

Bibliography:

Babies on the Beach - A First Lift-a-Flap Board Book for Babies and Toddlers by Ginger

Swift (Author), Jennifer Bricking (Illustrator). Cottage Door,2025

Dinosaur Encyclopedia for Kids: The Big Book of Prehistoric Creatures by Dinosaur George Blasing (Author), Cary Woodruff (Author). Calisto Kids, 2022.

First 100 Padded: First 100 Dinosaurs by Roger Priddy (Author). Priddy, 2021.

How to Dress a Dinosaur by Robin Currie (Author), Alycia Pace (Illustrator). Familus, 2022

Little Hippo Books Brilliant Baby 123 I by Sydnie Wittenberg (Other Contributor), Michelle

Fink (Other Contributor). Little Hippo, 2025

The Mitten (Board book) by Jan Brett (Author). Putnam,1996

The Mitten by Jan Brett (Author), Putnam, 1996.

My First Book of Dinosaur Comparisons by Sara Hurst (Author), Ana Seixas (Illustrator). Happy Yak, 2021.

Your Farm (Your Places) by Jon Klassen (Author, Illustrator)

Candlewick, 2025.

PRIZE: One FREE copy of the best coifed dinos ever in How to Dress a Dinosaur!

BIO: Robin Currie spent her library career in the children’s department, where she could baa, moo, and honk without getting shushed. Her writing engages children not only in noisemaking but also in jumping, waving, and face making.

Despite her incessant need to wiggle, Robin earned a Master’s Degree in Library Science and worked in public libraries before answering the call to seminary. She holds a Master’s of

Divinity and Doctorate of Preaching, and remains active in area churches. She writes stories to read and read again!

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Landing page: Robin Currie | Substack

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/robincurrie

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/165559.Robin_Currie

Facebook: Robincurrieauthor

Linked In: rc2147/

Instagram: authorrobincurrie/

BlueSky: @robincurrie.bsky.social

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