Jan Ormerod’s baby books are right up on top of my list of favorites for the youngest book readers. And their moms, dads, big sisters and brothers, grandparents, babysitters…

Her ability to draw believable, wonderfully-natural human figures in almost a sketchbook style, yet in such an appealing, child-friendly way, is the first thing you might notice. This woman has been observing real life.

This could be your family. Mom isn’t a fashionista. Dad isn’t a professional hipster. The kids aren’t dressed in Baby Gap.

The other magical quality to her work is how she elevates the mundane, the truly simple world of egg cartons and tupperware lids and saucepans. She focuses her lens on the wonder and quiet happiness of investigating the world at a baby’s level.

No bells and whistles. No razzamatazz. Just electric discovery. Peace. Understanding. Figuring it out on the fly. This is the way we nurture real children.

Her 100 Things to do with a Baby is a well-known classic.

But her series of books featuring one little baby with his Dad (Dad’s Back, Messy Baby, Reading, Sleeping) and his Mom (Mom’s Home, Making Friends, Bend and Stretch, This Little Nose) are some of my most-loved books. Our copies are utterly worn to the nubbins.

Here are a few peeks:

 

Reading…

…features Dad and his attempts to read while minding the baby.

Bend and Stretch…

…is a glimpse of the baby joining Mom’s yoga workout.

This Little Nose…

… showcases a pitiful little guy with a cold and Mom’s tenderness.

The Saucepan Game focuses on all the jolly things one can do with a saucepan.

These books are harder to come by, but truly worth seeking out. Look her up in your local library or used book store and see what you can find. I think you will love her, too 🙂