Peepo! - Allan Ahlberg

I was looking forward to reading Peepo! to my granddaughter because she'd loved the authors other book, The Baby's Catalogue. I read Peepo! myself because she was asleep when it was delivered and I found it a charming and beautifully illustrated, I couldn't wait for her to wake up so I could show it to her. What a let down though. I pulled my granddaughter onto my lap once she'd woken up and started reading the book to her, by the time we got to the fourth page she was wriggling to get down and wouldn't interact with the story at all. She's 13 months old and I thought she'd enjoy the die-cut peep holes which show a snippet of the drawing on the next page ...

My 'Peepo' book has been enjoyed by 3 - 7 year olds for different reasons. It's another great book by the Ahlbergs who rarely fail to grip the attention of children of different ages. ~The Story ~ It begins with a baby in his cot: 'Here's a little baby, 1, 2, 3. Stands in his cot, what does he see?' PEEPO! 'He sees his father sleeping in the big brass bed and his mother too with a hairnet on her head.' The story continues with the rhyme 1,2,3 what does he see? With the answer very cleverly written in rhyme of what the baby can see when in the kitchen, in the park, the living room ...

'Peepo' is one of the most unusual babies books I have come across recently. This isn't because of the large spy holes cut into alternate pages, but the subject matter. It is all about a baby, but a baby from the 1940's. The world of infant board books is generally peopled by mice that wear dungarees, multicoloured elephants, dogs that drink orangeade through curly straws, and talking geese. In the midst of this fictional menagerie sits this plump, contented 1940's baby, wearing sensible knitted nighties, and enjoying a nice day out in the park. My own baby loves this book. Together we've spent many hours in the company of this happy ...