My one-year-old loves gripping these soft, durable bug buddies and putting them in/taking them out of the 8"-tall collapsible translucent jug. The squeaky ladybug is his favorite (and can usually be found in his mouth), but the crinkly butterfly, jingle-bell spider, and rattling grasshopper (all about 3" wide and machine washable) are super-cute, too! The play set pairs perfectly with
Hello, Bugs!, a high-contrast black-and-white board book featuring a flash of shimmering color on every page. The text is minimal (
"Hello, bee!" "Hello, snail!"…) but the images are engaging for fresh eyes eagerly taking in the world, and the sound effects are adorable (
"zuzz, zuzz" says the dragonfly, "scuttle, scuttle" goes the beetle). It's all big fun for ages 6 months and up. (CH)