Baby Book Review – Where’s Spot?

“No!!” “No!” “No!”

The nightmare no parent can escape. The day their child learns to say and use ‘No’. Repeatedly.

But, there is actually one instance when it’s kind of cute (!!) to hear your little one say ‘No’ over and over. And that is when you read Where’s Spot with him. This classic board book about a Mommy dog looking for her son Spot at dinner time is a great choice for infants, older babies and toddlers alike. That’s because it has enjoyable elements that they don’t outgrow for a long time.

When your baby is really young, you’ll probably have to do all the lifting and turning in this lift the flap board book. On each page, you and your baby will help Spot’s Mom look for Spot inside the clock, under the bed, under the stairs and rug. As you lift each flap and ask the question ‘ Is he (here)?’, your baby will be delighted to hear you say ‘ No!”. The suspense builds as you look for him in various places, discovering other hidden animals along the way, before finally finding Spot just in time for supper.

As your baby grows, he’ll be excited to lift the flaps himself and say “No” as you turn each page together. (Don’t be surprised if a few flaps go missing after some time. There’s only so much patience and gentle handling you can expect from a toddler! Use your hands to cover Spot’s probable hiding places instead to make it all the more fun for your little one to lift your palm and look for Spot.)

Soon your toddler will probably be able to ‘read’ the sentences from memory and answer the question himself. “Is he behind the door?” ” No! “. This is a fun phase. Because, you don’t really have to do much except sit back and watch him do all the reading, lifting and discovering. And although you both know that he knows where Spot really is, it’s fun to watch him wonder if he’s behind the door or under the bed.

My little girl received Where’s Spot as a gift when she was about 5 months old. She enjoyed it through her first and second year. Although she is 3 now and has probably outgrown it, and although the now tattered book has seen better days….I still don’t have the heart to discard it…just yet. Every time I look at the familiar blue and yellow cover, I’m reminded of the countless times my daughter and I have looked for and found Spot together. There’s just something about that memory that I haven’t still outgrown myself.

Also,

- It’s a compact sized book – light and easy to carry, may fit in your bag. So is a good choice for a road trip or long flight.
- If supper time is a struggle with your child, you could use the simple hide and seek concept in this book to get your kid to eat. Play a mock hide and seek game and every time you ‘find’ him, he has to come back and eat a bite or a spoonful.