Read about Dr. Hutton’s inspiration for the Baby Unplugged initiative and the science behind it in the journal Clinical Pediatrics!
“Hutton’s charming little board book, the newest in a series, encourages young children to explore the pleasures of real books with real pages…”
- Kirkus Reivews. Read a the full review here!
“Simple isn’t always easy to pull off; to stand the test of time, a board book needs to have a straightforward message, wide appeal, and entertaining pictures that are fun to look at over and over again. Luckily, John Hutton and Andrea Kang’s board book Pets fits the bill, with easy-tofollow illustrations, rhyming text, and a subject dear to most children’s hearts: pets…”
- ForeWord Reviews read the rest here!
“These books work on so many levels, with poetry to hear, pictures to talk about, and a powerful message. They give children just the sort of delightful and mind-expanding experiences they need, while leading parents to see the child’s world through a creative and joyful lens. Wonderful medicine for an overly electronic age!”
- Dr. Robert Needlman, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, revising co-author of Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care, author of Dr. Spock’s Baby Basics, and co-founder, Reach Out and Read.
“I love, love, love the book about books! How appropriate for this age who can’t seem to get enough lap time and reading time with their special someone. I think it is absolutely brilliant to create a book depicting such a real life concrete topic for little ones. I believe this is the first board book I have ever seen dedicated to and celebrating books.
I did have an opportunity to share the board books with some of my 2 and 3 year old friends and they devoured them, wanting them read over and over again. They loved the true to life pictures and vocabulary that after the second time around they were ‘reading’ with me. The opportunities for oral language practice and conversation from the books was wonderful as the children could relate to the back yard adventures and pets. I loved the diversity represented in the characters and again allowed the young children the opportunity to relate to them. When asked “who’s that?” while pointing to pictures in the book the children would name classmates who looked similar to the picture. How wonderful for them to see themselves in books.
I think they are a home run!”
- Jennifer Aquino, M.Ed., early childhood educator and Head of Lower School, Cincinnati Country Day School
“I have recently reviewed books in the Baby Unplugged series to my delight!
Blanket explores the bonding experience of the baby phase. It has simple pictures with natural scenes that peak an infant’s and toddler’s interest and useful word development patterns. It provides opposites schemes for preschoolers and simple, stylized wording for the early reader. The length is perfect for maintaining interest at all developmental levels.
Pets provides expressions of differences. the book expands knowledge base through pictures for repetition. There are simple, happy visuals and interesting wording to build attention and intonation.
Book gives excellent, exciting statements about books with colorful wording to enhance the ‘flavor’ and emphasis. This book also supports the early reader and word recognition. It invites counting, imagining, pretending…and going to sleep.
All in all, I found this series to be a well done example of tools useful in early childhood development. Baby Unplugged is a movement that adds to our wish to advance the best possible development for all children 0-3 and expands into preschool and early reader/word development skills. The patterns and concepts explored are more than just another board book and purposefully present topics and skill sets for this developmental level. I highly recommend them to parents, caregivers and child-lovers in general!”
- Dr Joe Leanza, MD, MHS, FAAP.
Springdale-Mason Pediatrics Associates
“Don’t let their simple beauty distract you from the wise and crucial message. Baby Unplugged reminds those of us who care for (read, ‘teach’) young children and their devoted loved ones what we really hope they will remember.
“In over twenty-five years of teaching, as well as writing with and for young children, I wish I’d had Baby Unplugged to recommend. These books delight, appeal, touch, and support the child’s natural tendency to explore and connect with her close-at-hand, splendid, day-to-day natural world. They bring us back to the child’s experience…personal, multi-sensory, calm and real.
I challenge you to stay uninspired after reading each one!”
- Shawn Dougherty, M.Ed., preprimary Montessori teacher
“I am so excited about these books. When you combine the bright colors and the simplistic drawings with the fun rhymes, you’ve got an engaging book that is perfect to read with infants and toddlers. This is the kind of book you can read while they wander around. Infants and toddlers love blankets, and this is a way to have some fun with them. If you’re child doesn’t have a favorite blanket before your ead this, they will afterward!…(and as for Yard) Don’t be surprised if your toddler wants to race outside after reading this book!”
- Terry Doherty, The Reading Tub Family Bookshelf
“As much as W and I love the blue manatee box and its packing noodle contents, we love the books that were inside even more. We got three of Dr. Hutton’s books (Ball, Pets, and Yard), and one book by Sandra Gross and Leah Busch called Toast To Counting, also published by blue manatee press. Hutton’s books feature simple language and illustrations, and all share the same basic message: playing and being creative (and active) is way, WAY cool….”
- Dr. Kirstin H., PhD, founder, SquintMom.com
“My boys have loved the Baby Unplugged books – both my four year old and my baby! When I read the books, I like how they frequently have pictures of kids playing outside and exploring their world with all their senses. The way the books read in a way remind me of Dr. Seuss books, but that may just be because those were the books my grandmother read to me when I was young. They have a great flow and rhythm, where the words make as much music as they do explain what happens in the book. It’s really neat, and I don’t really mind reading them over and over – at least the first 5 times in a day.
To sum it up – these books are awesome!”
- JustJoanna, KiddiesCornerDeals.com blog
“Screen free under three,” is a direct and hopefully catching quote from Dr. John Hutton’s blog ‘Baby Unplugged.’ Dr. John Hutton is a man on a mission to educate parents, teachers, and all adults who interact with babies, that infants need more “real” time and less “virtual” time. Simply put, babies need to play with live people, toys and nature, not sit in front of a television screen or computer…
I was given the opportunity to read two of his books to my ten month old. The first, “Blanket.” This book describes different blankets in creative ways, illustrating people and babies interacting with these blankets. His book series, all board books, display various real items for children to learn about: Ball, Blanket, Beach, Book, Box, Pets and Yard. As I read this book to my son he pointed to the blankets and smiled with delight at the bright colors and people. Proof positive that he enjoyed the real illustrations and interaction with this book…
The most natural gift we can give our children is our love, attention, and interaction. These opportunities to be a part of the real world are all our children really need to grow strong, smart and healthy. A big thank you to Dr. Hutton for spreading sharing his vision so that our children can simply enjoy being with the world around them.”
- Meredith Ball, Bella Online, Natural Living Site
“I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Hutton. He is passionate about child literacy and educating parents about the risk associated with children learning from television. Furthermore, he also wants to make sure children are not at risk for learning disabilities and obesity.”
- Read the full interview by Salatha Helton, Examiner.com.
“As a writer for an early childhood education column, as well as, a teacher directly in the field of early childhood education, I believe these books deserve two thumbs up. I was lucky enough to catch a peek at two of the books within the series called Toast to Counting and Blanket. They have simple titles, but have so much packed inside to help aide in early learning.”
“Are you searching for the perfect board book to give to an infant or toddler? Beach, by Dr.John Hutton and illustrated by Andrea Kang, might fit the bill…The purpose of the series is to encourage hands-on early learning and play through books…Beach and the other books in the Baby Unplugged series use happy images and simple, rhyming text to encourage children to explore the real world using all of their senses. The concept is rooted in research on how children’s brains develop…I read this book with my six-year-old. We live on Long Island and love to frequent the ocean beaches here. We enjoyed the book, and we agreed it will make the perfect gift for her baby cousin, who lives in the center of the continental United States and does not get to see the beach often.”
- Elizabeth Gerold-Miller, Examiner.com, The Divine Gift of Motherhood, and Catholic Media Review
Review haiku:
“Books bugs and sunshine
Active minds engage in play
Unplug and be REAL!”
- Melissa Sabo, early childhood educator and naturalist
“My 10 month old daughter was given the book Yard by her Grammy (who is a firm believer that the DVD player in the car is a terrible innovation). This past weekend, we embarked on a 10 hour road trip. OK, it was supposed to be an 8 hour drive by the Garmin calculations, if only Garmin factored in nursing and diaper changing stops! 9 hours into the ride home, Clara was getting antsy. We started reading Yard and she was thoroughly engrossed. She loves the squirrels that skitter and zoom and the praying mantis that is going to school wearing its back pack (that is what we tell her). She actually ended up eating the corner of the book when I wasn’t looking (she loves the book THAT much)!
Keep up the good work!”
- An unplugged mom in North Carolina
“I expect that the modern argument for reading to children at a young age is commonly understood. However, simply reading is not enough and that is where these books play a significant role in helping you prepare your child for his/her successful childhood journey. I’ve found that while the “Baby Unplugged” Book Series by Dr. John Hutton allows parents to joyfully and easily engage in reading with their children using books that contain beautiful illustrations and words, they beg for conversation between adults and children about the ideas presented that speak to our senses, our fundamental human needs and the wonders of life around us. True gems to behold, embrace and make the most of.”
- Eric Dustman, M.Ed., Director, The New School Montessori
