Hoban, Tana Books

Black on White

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Classic book for new babies 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Newborn babies' vision is not highly developed. High-contrast patterns or pictures are easiest for them to see in the first few months of life. Tana Hoban's black & white board books are terrific choices. With simple illustrations of objects that will be familiar to babies, this book meets all my criteria for choosing books for babies. A fantastic choice for a new baby gift.

Editorial Review:

Tana Hoban has created an elegant solution for those who want to initiate children into the infinite wonders of reading. This picture book compels parents to talk to their babies as they share the wordless pages with their little ones. Black illustrations on a white background provide high contrast for infants' underdeveloped eyes. Soothingly familiar, silhouetted shapes--a leaf, a key ring, a bib, an elephant--will be recognized by the very young, and through these simple pictures, aspiring readers will begin to identify the link between the objects they see and the words their caregivers say. Hoban, beloved author of many childhood favorites, including Black on White's companion piece, White on Black, as well as Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue? and What Is It?, has struck gold again--black gold, that is. It's the perfect baby gift! (Baby to Preschool) --Emilie Coulter

White on Black

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best gift for a newborn 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is wonderful, as long as you know that it is meant for a newborn. It is unlikely to interest an older baby.

But it is, in my opinion, a must have. This was one of the few things that our son really enjoyed during the first few months of his life.

We would either hold the book up or prop it up next to him and he would just stare at it for the longest time. You could see his eyes scanning the page. One page, of some buttons, was his favorite. His eyes would light up and he would get excited when you turned it to the buttons page.

I would recommend that you buy two of these books - one for the diaper bag and one for home. I bought four contrast books, which was more than necessary.

Of the four, this was his favorite.

This isn't a particularly interactive book. You can name the objects on the page, of course, but the point is that it's interesting to newborns because of their baby vision and the fact that they can see the contrasting figures with ease. When our son was in a fussy mood, I could prop up a book in his play yard and take a ten minute shower. He was highly entertained by these for a couple of months.

He is now one and books are his favorite things. He "reads" to himself several times a day, book after book, flipping through the pages, pointing at things, and babbling to himself. I have no idea if this has anything to do with the fact that he's been exposed to books since he was about a week old. Maybe all babies love books this much, or maybe he would have loved them anyway.

Editorial Review:

It's never too early to start kids reading. Even in infancy, young eyes can begin to make connections between images on a page and the real thing. White on Black is an ideal first book, and one that will continue to fascinate the very youngest readers as they grow. Exquisitely simple, solid white pictures of everyday objects--a banana, a duck, a bottle--against a black background provide high contrast for developing eyes. This wordless picture book encourages caregivers to engage the child as they "read" together: "Oh look, a boat, that looks like your bath toy, doesn't it?"

With White on Black's companion book, Black on White, Tana Hoban has created a striking pair of visual tools to increase the youngest readers' burgeoning powers of perception. In this complex world, it's a joy to find a book that sees the world in the simplest of terms. (Baby to Preschool) --Emilie Coulter

Black & White

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Must have! Adds variety to black n white collection 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Another great black and white book! It's okay to have variety. Maybe baby is content to see the same images over and over but will appreciate variety soon enough as they get older. Different black and whites make it interesting for mami and siblings too! A great buy. My 2 year old likes to "flash" the pages for his brother. Even my toddler can tell that he can get the baby's attention with "reading" to him.

We like the images but... 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Several of the images are duplicates from other Tana Hoban books. This one is not our favorite especially since it is an accordion style foldout book. I recommend White on Black, Black on White and What is That?

Great Book for Babies 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

These black and white books are great for babies - I buy them to go with all my baby shower gifts! This one is really great because it folds out like an accordian and you have black on white on one side and on the other side it is white on black. Babies will just lay and stare at the images! Still a good book for when the baby is 2 - my 2 year old will now "read" the book to my baby - she tells her what the pictures are!

Editorial Review:

It's never too early to look and talk together!

Perfect for babies from birth to age two!

This accordion style foldout book is sturdy enough to stand by itself, and it is just the right size for little hands.

Who Are They?

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A good book for infants 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Babies generally like two kinds of books: ones with photos of other babies and animals, and ones with solid black on white illustrations. I experienced my own frustrations in trying to get my infant daughter interested in books with bright colorful illustrations, and she just didn't perceive them as something worth looking at. But then I remembered what I had been told years before in a children's bookstore, and when I switched to the two categories above, she got very excited. This is a sweet little collection of black animal shapes on white backgrounds, with no text at all. It's a good book for a few months, but as soon as your child gets past this stage, it quickly will get put in storage (until the next one comes along, or for the next baby shower gift).

Good for newborns 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My son was completely fascinated with this book from about 1-4 months. He's 10 months now and still flips through it (I think because he loves animal books) occasionally.

Editorial Review:

Share these animals
and their babies with your baby.
It is never to early
to look and talk together!

What is That?

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( H ) -> Hoban, Tana

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

My little one loves this one too 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

What else more is there to say? Black and White shapes, Babies LOVE them. My little one still enjoys this book and he is 9 months now. He picks this one and the Peter Linenthal book "Look, Look" before any of the other ones we have. Only thing I noticed with Hoban is the repeat of the duck shape in this book and another one.

Better than toys 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My baby was really stimulated by the book. The additional color of bright red was an extra bonus. We used it during tummy time, mommy's meal time, as well as reading time.

boring 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I did not like this book as much as the other books I ordered, this one was kind of boring. My baby didn't seem too interested in this book.

Editorial Review:

Share these familiar objects with your baby. It is never too early to look and talk together!

Shapes, Shapes, Shapes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fun! 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 21 people found this review helpful.

This is such a fun book that teaches children to look around their world for objects and shapes. Another one my children love is 'What Is Round?'

Editorial Review:

Whenever you are -- inside or outside -- there are shapes to discover. And with Tana Hoban's help you will begin to see them. Look around. How many circles, squares, stars, triangles, hearts, and rectangles can you see?

They are everywhere!

I Read Signs (Reading Rainbow Books)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent pre-reader 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I found this book was an excellent pre-reading excercise for my preschooler. She just loves to see and recognize the signs as we are driving. This also makes it a great book to bring along for car trips of any length. I am buying a copy for her friend who loves all things car & truck. I know this will make a great gift for boys as well as girls ages 3+.

Wonderful for toddlers 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

We got this book for my first child when she was about a year and a half old, and it became an instant favorite. She loved being read the signs in this book over and over.

Astonishingly, she read her first word at about two years old thanks to this book; when we were on a trip in a different state, in a restaurant she'd never seen, she pointed to a sign on the wall and read out "Exit only!" She was reading us "Exit" signs everywhere for months after that, though it was of course a long time before she started reading other words or being able to read phonetically.

Now she's a teenager headed for college, I have a second child about a year and a half old, and I'm buying this book for him...

Editorial Review:

Thirty familiar signs fill the pages of this handsome book, and invite the viewer to COME IN! "Right on target."--Booklist.

26 Letters and 99 Cents (Mulberry Books)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Show children the world they know... 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

There is no better way to teach children than with concepts they can grasp. Hoban's photographs allow the concreteness of money and letters to be real and not just a picture on a page in a book.

I have my classroom stocked with multiple copies of this book.

What a Fun Book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book has excellent examples of both upper and lower case letters in bright, fun colors that really got my three year old interested in learning them. The use of coins to teach counting is great and as the photos are actual size, I'm certain in the future I will be using real coins as a companion to the book. This is a really attractive book that would make a great gift.

Great Children's Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Children take interest in this book. They are attracted to the numbers and letters with their bold shiny colors. They learn about the value of coins. They learn the names of 26 objects and what letter they begin with. This is a great book for your 3 to 6 year old or any preschool or kindergarten teacher. The students in my classroom loved it as much as my own child. Let it be a classic for you too.

Editorial Review:

If you know the 26 letters of the alphabet and can count to 99 -- or are just learning -- you'll love Tana Hoban's brilliant creation. This innovative concept book is two books in one!

Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great baby or toddler book 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

My daughter really enjoys this book. It is simple and gives toddlers a chance to learn their colors. We've read it so many times my daughter who is two can now read it herself!

Not as Popular the Black/White Books at Our House 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

As my son grew older and more interested in colors, I looked for a book that would delight him as much as "Black on White" (also by Tana Hoban) had when he was an infant. I thought this book would fill that description, but it didn't quite fit the bill. It has great photographs, but no text.

Despite the catchy, rhyming title, each page shows only a picture of the item: No rhyming text is involved. Although my son likes the brightly colored pictures, he is more interested when I read books with rhythmic texts, such as "Blue Hat, Green Hat" by Sandra Boynton.

Our household's all-time-favorite toddler book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We have six children, and this is/was the hands-down favorite of all our children as toddlers. We received it as a gift when our 13 yo was a baby, and now our toddler twins are enjoying it. I believe our children learned their color names from this book. They also like Hoban's "Black on White." I wouldn't hesitate to buy this for any under 2's you might have.

Editorial Review:

A first book of colors presented through everyday objects. Full-color illustrations.

Is It Larger? Is It Smaller?

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

We Love Tana Hoban! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Tana Hoban's photographs are delightful and engaging for toddlers and adults alike! The bright, eye-candy photographs in this book are conversation provoking and each time you look at the book with your little one, you'll find new subjects to talk about! An excellent introduction to the concept of sizes as well as colors, shapes & moods! A favorite at our house, for sure!

Editorial Review:

Tana Hoban introduces the youngest viewer to the idea of size relativity. "Hoban demonstrates once again her mastery of elements of composition, such as color, texture, and balance."--Horn Book.