Moo Baa La La La is a book written by Sandra Boynton, the same author who wrote my daughter's favorite book/cd Rhinoceros Tap. This book, which is about sounds that farm animals make, is a gift to my son from his grandmother.
 
Moo, Baa, La La La is a board book perfect for toddlers and pre-schoolers - they can’t tear the pages apart, but it’s easy to flip them even with their small hands. It has pastel-colored pages and interesting illustration where the characters have round, wide eyes and funny facial expressions, which make it appealing to both boys and girls. You and your kids will surely get a laugh - we did!
 
The book has a pretty catchy rhyme; easy for both the parents and the kids to remember. After you’ve read it frequently enough, you would be able to recite and have your son/daughter fill in the missing animal sound even without the book,.
 
"A cow says Moo. A Sheep says Baa. Three Singing Pigs say La la la...."
 
After reading this to my son Andre everyday for a week, I was pretty amazed when I heard him say "Moo" or "Baa" and even "Ya ya ya" everytime I paused before the end of each sentence. He was only 9 months old then.
 
One other great game that you can play with your child is identifying the different farm animals on the book. This is something I've done quite often with my son. Although the illustrations are on the cartoony side, you can always cross reference these with real-life pictures of the animals from other books.
 
Tips when reading this book:
- Read regularly to your kids and be patient. They would often ask you to read the books that they love over and over again.
 
- Let them dictate their pace. When my son was less than a year old, he'd let me read the entire book first then ask me to read it again, only this time, we'd just stop at the part when the pigs say "La La La." Sometimes Andre would just flip the pages; other times he'd point at some of the animals and imitate the sounds. According to Organic Baby Resource, don't insist that you finish the entire book right away. Best if you let them explore on their own.
 
- It's all about adding personality to the animals. Be animated when you say the sounds and let out the inner actor/actress in you. This will keep them engaged. You may not get an award but hearing your child's reaction and seeing their faces light up is priceless. I find this a fun and relaxing activity -- just being able to lounge in the sofa with the book on your hands and your baby on your lap. Nothing can top that at the end of an exhausting day.
 
 
Resource:
Organic Baby Resource: Introducing Baby Books: For Learning and Bonding
http://www.organic-baby-resource.com/baby-books.html
 
Photo courtesy of The Reading Nook