Review: Mesmerised

I still remember laboriously creating and printing out shapes and spots and intricate line patterns when my daughter was a baby over a decade ago. It was an absolute joy to see Ella stare with eyes like saucers at the black and white images - her little brain scrabbling to make sense of the shapes before her. I could almost see the synapses in her brain firing.

There's little doubt high-contrast images are highly beneficial to the development of babies, particularly in their first 6 months, and the clever Katey Love knew just that when she began producing these striking books for babies.

Her company, Books for Newborns, has created a beautifuly-produced board book for babies featuring striking (and very stylish, if I may say so!) black and white images for baby to ogle.

From fish and dragonflies to cat's paws and bubbles, this book doesn't rely on stereotypical images. It instead relies on fine design and clever choices.

As Katey says - "At birth, a baby’s eyesight is quite blurred. Black and white images with sharp outlines are much easier for baby to see in these first few months of life when it is hard for them to focus, and hard for them to differentiate colour."

As a baby’s eyesight will continue to develop over the first 6 months, gradually enabling them to see bright colour and see for longer distances, Mesmerised can help to nurture that development.

Love it.

Learn more about Katey's book or buy your own copy right here.
Title: Mesmerised
Author/Illustrator: Katey Love
Publisher: Books For Newborns, $11.95 RRP
Publication Date: 2010
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780646531168
For ages: 0 - 2
Type: Board book