Usborne Books durable, fun

Usborne Books are suddenly front and center on my radar.

I found my first one ("Trucks: Usborne Touchy Feely") at a Goodwill Store.

I bought it to read to a 1-year-old grandchild who had been blase (in that casual way that only babies can manage) about all his other books. He got hooked on "Trucks," and I got hooked on Usborne.

The board books are built to last even with rough handling and chewing. My grandchild and I have tested them rigorously.

Many touch-and-feel books have small surfaces for touching, but these books present generously large surfaces for those tiny hands that can't aim very well.

Although the materials include the customary fur and cloth, they also include surfaces I haven't seen in other books.

Corrugated and raised-dot vinyls and other interesting lumpy and bumpy materials make every page interesting and fun.

Usborne may be best known for their toddler titles, but their lineup includes more than 2,000 fiction and nonfiction titles. Some of their titles for older children are Internet-linked and Internet referenced.

There also are wipe-clean activity cards ("50 Secret Codes," "100 Things for Little Children to Do on a Trip"). Whether it's lift-the-flap "On the Beach," "First Experiences: Going to the Doctor," "Phonics Readers: Fat Cat on a Mat" or a picture book from Australia called "Sophie's Big Bed," the unifying feature is quality.

Unlike most publishers, Usborne conducts book fairs, fundraisers, matching grant programs, book shows and teacher appreciation. Usborne books also are available through bookstores and online.

Read additional columns by Fran Hawk

The Web site www.thebookafair.com invites visitors to "Shop for a Cause," with proceeds from book purchases contributing to books for Florence Crittenton and Lowcountry Orphan Relief. For more specific local information, contact andrea.demille@gmail.com.

Is this a column that looks like an advertisement, or an advertisement that looks like a column?

Whichever, whatever, you'll understand my over-the-topping when you meet these books.

Reach Fran Hawk at fran books@yahoo.com.