What Do You See?

What Do You See? is a familiar story of the journey of an infant becoming a toddler. Although it is familiar, that familiarity does not make this board book dull but rather captures the magic of it all. Author Sarah N. Harvey uses playful rhyming stanzas to take readers through the beautiful milestones of the early years of life. The story begins with the infant lying in her bed, pulling herself up and eventually, through many exciting changes, crawling into her brand new big-girl bed. The passage of time is beautifully depicted through the events described in the text but also through in the illustrations by Jane Heinrichs.

As the passage of time unfolds, the illustrations expand further and further until finally filling the entire two-page spread on the last pages. Similarly, infants’ worlds continually grow and expand as they experience the world around them. The connections and meaning they acquire as time passes are thrilling, colourful and detailed, just as the illustrations in this book. Additionally, the mother’s growing belly becomes increasingly noticeable until, on the final page, it becomes very clear that the toddler’s red crib across the room will be soon filled with a new baby. The toddler will not be replaced but rather has graduated to a new stage of life, making room for her sibling.

What Do You See? is also a seek-and-find book where the items in each rhyme can be found in the illustrations on each page. This feature creates an interactive read and also reinforces early reading skills, such as connecting text to the picture. Readers may also look around their own space and see what they can see, thus creating a personal connection to the toddler’s observations in the book. Overall, this board book is an excellent read-aloud for families. It would be a particularly helpful resource for families to ease the transition of a new sibling.