Nurture love of books with cute babies tales

May is a terrific month to celebrate babies of all kinds. It's still the spring season. New animal babies are now grazing in the field. And humans are gearing up to celebrate Mother's Day. Most important, babies just love to hear about babies.

Special note: Don't forget to read to your baby — even if it feels silly. The brains of infants and toddlers are continually developing new language skills — even if such young ones aren't quite ready to talk. Sharing stories, poems and songs with the birth-to-3 set will greatly enhance their reading readiness later on.

"Busy Piggies" by John Schindel and Steven Holt (Tricycle, 18 pp., $6.95, ages birth to 3) is a simple board book showcasing marvelous photographs of a lively gang of piglets. The simple text adds plenty of humor to this rumpus.

Looking for something really special for the very youngest? "Cheep! Cheep!" by Julie Stiegemeyer, illustrated by Carol Baicker-McKee (Bloomsbury, 22 pp., $9.95, ages birth to 4), is a gem. A family of chickens is fast asleep on their perch when they hear a "cheep." They all lean over and take a peep. Looks like the egg is hatching! Immediately, they prepare to welcome the new chick, even if they are a bit bumbling. Let's just say the cuteness factor on this book is higher than average.

"Baby Can't Sleep" by Lisa Schroeder, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli (Sterling, 32 pp., $12.95, ages birth to 4), but Daddy really wants to. So he helps Baby count sheep — only this doesn't make his child fall asleep. Then Mommy tries snuggling with Baby (it all works out in the end). Garofoli's sheep steal the show.

Some babies probably need to know what the best words are, especially when they are learning to speak. "Baby Talk: a Book of First Words and Phrases" by Judy Hindley, illustrated by Brita Granström, offers some good suggestions (Candlewick, 32 pp., $15.99, ages 2-6).

As Baby goes about his day, he delights in saying a few simple words. His baby friends know some fine words, too. Nicely put together, this book is a lot of fun.

Another tale for little ones — this one with imaginative language — is "Baby Shoes" by Dashka Slater, illustrations by Hiroe Nakata (Bloomsbury, 32 pp., $15.95, ages 2-6). Baby gets a new pair of shoes, "white as light, stripe of blue." But they don't stay clean for long! As Baby tromps through colored chalk, green grass, rotting plums, yellow paint and big puddles, his shoes become "colored bright in many hues." The upbeat pacing on this one should hold on to Baby's attention.

Finally, two recent books celebrate the happy ending — a true one — of an otherwise tragic tsunami story.

Jeanette Winter's version is a picture book titled, "Mama: a True Story in Which a Baby Hippo Loses His Mama During a Tsunami, but Finds a New Home, and a New Mama" (Harcourt, 32 pp., $16.00, ages 4-8). That pretty much sums it up. Only Hippo's new mama turns out to be a 130-year-old male tortoise! Winter mostly conveys the story through her colorful illustrations, using only the words "Mama" and "Baby" to convey a range of emotions.

For a more detailed account of this highly publicized tale, one that includes captivating photographs of Baby Hippo (now named Owen) and "Mama" Tortoise (known as Mzee), try "Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship," told by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu, photographs by Peter Greste (Scholastic, 40 pp, $16.99, ages 4-10).

On the morning of Dec. 26, 2004, a devastating tsunami left the baby hippo orphaned on a coral reef near the small coastal town of Malindi, Kenya. The local people struggled to save him, and after hours of grueling work, they succeeded. Dazed, angry and greatly weakened by the ordeal, the young hippo was difficult to handle. But his rescuers managed to transport him to Haller Park, a 150-acre animal sanctuary outside of Mombassa.

Upon arrival — much to the surprise of his caretakers — Owen immediately found solace in the company of Mzee. At first the tortoise didn't completely accept Owen's attention. It wasn't long before a strong bond formed between these two unlikely cohorts. Indeed, Mzee may well have saved Owen's life, as the frightened hippo was finally able to calm down enough to eat in his presence. This unique relationship between a mammal and a reptile continues to fascinate people from around the world.