I Touch

by Helen Oxenbury

Helen Oxenbury's brilliant board books have delighted a generation of babies. Now from the most widely loved of artists comes a reissue of a board book to help very young children explore their worlds. In I Touch, a baby strokes a beard, pats a cat, and snuggles with a blanket. Full of character and humor, this charming book forms a winsome introduction to the senses.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

10 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Married to John Burningham

Born in 1938 and growing up in Ipswich, England, Helen Oxenbury loved nothing more than drawing. As a teenager, she entered art school and basked in the pleasure of drawing, and nothing but drawing, all day. During vacations she helped out at the Ipswich Repertory Theatre workshop, mixing paints for set designers. It was there that she decided her future lay in theater design.

While studying costume design, however, Helen Oxenbury was told by a teacher, "This is hopeless, you know. You ought to go and do illustrations--you're much more interested in the character, and we don't know who's going to play the part!"


But sets and scenery, not books, remained Helen Oxenbury's preoccupation for several more years as she embarked on careers in theater, film, and TV. After marrying John Burningham, another of the world's most eminent children's book illustrators, and giving birth to their first child, at last she turned to illustrating children's books. "When I had babies," Helen Oxenbury says, "I wanted to be home with them and look for something to do there."


Today, Helen Oxenbury is among the most popular and critically acclaimed illustrators of her time. Her numerous books for children include the Greenaway Medal-winning ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND and its companion, ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, both by Lewis Carroll; Smarties Book Prize-winning FARMER DUCK by Martin Waddell; SO MUCH by Trish Cooke; as well as her classic board books for babies. More recently, she collaborated with author Phyllis Root on the jubilant, no-nonsense tall tale BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD. "As I read Phyllis's text, I imagined Big Momma as part Buddha, part housewife," she says. "It was intimidating to create a whole world, but very enjoyable."


And what does she love most about her work? Thinking up new ideas? Seeing the finished book? Not at all. For Helen, "The best part is when I think I know what I'm doing and I've completed a few drawings. In fact, when I get about a third of the way through, and I feel I'm on my way, then I'm happy. It's like reading a good book--you don't want it to end."


Helen Oxenbury and her husband make their home in London, where the illustrator works in a nearby studio. She is also an avid tennis player.

Reviews

[Hendrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with grandma and mommy tonight, this book was simple, but it had cute pictures! I touch all those things the baby does in the book!

[Kiersten Koch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book discusses the different objects that the main character touches. He touches items such as animals and beards. This book is good for beginning readers as they are all simple words to learn and there is only one word per page.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

In elegant simplicity and charming illustrations accompanied by one word descriptions Oxenbury presents a toddler touching a ball, a man’s beard, an earthworm, a cat, a splash of water from a faucet, and a soft comforting blanket.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

My baby is obsessed with cats, so she gives this one 5 stars.

[briz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to practice "GENTLE, GENTLE!".

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extremely simple board book (only six words) about some things that a baby touches.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really easy to read beginners book. There is a word on every page with something a child can touch and feel. As well as, pictures to go along with these things.

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

boriiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggggggggg

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie pulled this off the shelf at story time so we brought it home. It is a very simple book depicting a toddler touching a few things and labeling them. It is not a touch and feel book, though, which could be misleading. A good choice if you are looking for something straightforward, without a big plot or distracting bells and whistles, so to speak.

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for sharing with babies and toddlers. I'd use this with PreK, reading it then listing other things they touch. Also read Oxenbury's I See and I Hear, then break a classroom up into small groups and have create their own books just like these and more (I See, I Hear, I Touch, I Smell, I Taste).

[Margaret Chind]

Reprinted and/or excerpt included in The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud.

[Morgan]

This book is for beginning readers working on sight words. It names different things that have different textures, from Beard to Cat.

This book would be great for sight words. You could talk with student's about what these things feel like and have them describe the feelings. This gives a great opportunity for community building and students getting to share their own experiences.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this, as well as a few others from this series, with my son as part of his preschool activities. Good for toddlers and preschoolers.

[Lana · Rating 1 out of 5]

The beard was the best part. This was lame, even for a baby book.

[Marilyn]

She knows the word CAT.

[Peter Gavin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It makes no sense