Sandra Boynton is one of those authors I had never heard of until I became a mom.  I purchased my very first Boynton book, Moo Baa La La La because it topped the bestseller’s list on Amazon.  Then, I found a couple more at my local Goodwill, which were also hits… so I thought I couldn’t go wrong with Boynton, and have since accumulated quite the Sandra Boynton collection!  These are some of our favorites, and not-so-favorites, in the High Heels household…

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H I T S


1. Moo Baa La La La! – this was our very first Boynton book, and we quickly fell in love.  My daughter loved having me read from this over and over again, and I didn’t mind because it was fun role playing the animal characters and making all kinds of funny noises.  There is a wonderful sing-song quality to this book.

2. The Going to Bed Book – this was our second Boynton book, and another hit!  It is ideal for bedtime because it walks through a sequence of events that the animals do before they have to head to bed.  The illustrations are so charming and adorable.  A fun, lighthearted book for your little ones who are resistant to bedtime!

3. Barnyard Dance – I love reading this book as much as my kids love listening to it.  It’s a fun book with a great beat – Stomp your feet!  Clap your hands! Everybody ready for a Barnyard Dance! – We get really into it and do all the little motions as we read along.

4. Happy Hippo, Angry Duck – This book teaches emotion, and in case you couldn’t guess from the title, it is about a happy hippo and angry duck.  Whenever my daughter was in a bad mood, we would ask, “Are you going to be a happy hippo or angry duck today?” and it brightens her right up!

5. Pajama Time! – Another fun Boynton book with a great rhythmic beat.  It is a book about having a pajama party before bed.  Our favorite part is when it says Pajammy to the left, pajammy to the right.  Jamma Jamma Jamma P! J!  – I get all sorts of giggles from my kids and they have me read it again and again and again.  Who doesn’t like a dance party before bed?  This book is loads of fun for parents and kids alike!

6. Opposites – This book teaches children about opposites, with illustrations to go along with them.  It’s not as rhythmic or charming as some other books, but it’s really great for the young toddler set just learning about the differences between short and tall, big and small, quiet and loud, etc.  I find that I really have to be creative in changing up my voice when reading this book to get the point across of how things are opposite from one another.

M I S S E S

1. Doggies – I can’t stand this book.  Not only is it my least favorite Boynton book, but it is one of my least favorite board books in general!  It is supposed to teach your children numbers 1-10, and with each flip of a page a dog gets added with its respective dog sound.  It gets annoying fast.  Not a fan.

2. Perfect Piggies! – Very remiscent of a lot of other Boynton books – has some cute rhymes and pictures all around pigs, but  it wasn’t a favorite around here and we returned it.

3. Blue Hat, Green Hat – This book teaches about colors, and showcases different animals putting on different colored clothing.  On each page, one of them inevitably puts it on wrong and you say, “OOPS!”  The words are short and to the point, but this isn’t very fun to read.  Every page goes something like this – Blue hat, green hat, red pants, oops!

4.  Fifteen Animals – This book is about 15 animals… all named BOB.  It’s supposed to be silly, but it drives me crazy.  This book was not my cup of tea, but it still contains all the artistic charm of other Boynton books.

What are your favorite (or not so favorite) Sandra Boynton books?  Which other ones would you recommend?