Baby Beluga (Raffi Songs to Read)

I first saw this book on vacation in Alaska and loved it! The illustrations are quite vivid and the story is so cute! I have read this to my son everyday since he was born. He loves looking at all of the animals and enjoys when I sing the story. This book will hold his attention longer than any other in his library. Baby Beluga is a definite must have for your tot's library!

Honestly, I don’t like this book. I bought it because it’s part of a program that my daughter (16 months) is in. However, my daughter LOVES this book. She brings it to me multiple times a day to read(sing) to her. She then dances around in a circle and points at the pictures the entire time I read it. She loves it.

I find it difficult to sing, but I sing it about a million times a day, because of course we do anything for these little people. So I guess if she likes it and it makes her happy, I like it too.

We love this book and song. Raffi songs are the best and so catchy for little ones. My daughter (3 yrs old) just loves this book and has me sing it to her in the bath! Thank you for offering a book like this.

I have to admit I didnt' know who Raffi was. My daughter was singing "OH BABY " over and over again. We realized she had learned the Baby Beluga song in day care. The whole class is nuts over it. I got the book and the CD so we could sing in the car and she could sing a long with the book in the car. It is one of our car must-haves. The song is sweet.

My daughter is crazy about this book, and she has been since she was about 8 months old. I think the fact that you can't help but sing the story when you read it makes it much more interesting. I've never actually heard the whole song before, so I can only guess if I'm singing it correctly. She loves it though. As always, the cardboard pages make for a very durable baby book.

Classic song with beautiful illustrations. I appreciate the extra Artic animals and people that are not in my daughter's other books - walrus, polar bear, seal, eskimo, etc. Fun book to sing to young children.

Ok well maybe I don't know the words to this song as well as I thought I did. It was a childhood favorite so I thought I sure knew the words. From the thirds page, the words are different from what I knew and it goes downhill from there. Most of it doesn't even go along with the rhythm if you're trying to sing along. Maybe it's just me, but this book irritates me too much and for that reason, it will be donating next time a sort through and donate stuff.

We LOVE Raffi. This book is beautifully illustrated and perfect for Raffi fans. However, it is extremely concerning to me that a picture of whales would accompany "where the dolphins play." Seriously? It's hard to believe because the book has great illustrations. I was so disappointed. My two year old immediately noticed and questioned it. Ugh! I'm shocked more reviews/people aren't seriously bothered by a children's book inaccurately depicting an animal.
In the end, fine for my animal loving two year old who already knows every animal on the planet...he won't be confused...BUT not so great for my little one who still needs to learn his animals.
Side note...I was so disturbed and angered by this page that I looked it up. Turns out there is a dolphin that looks like a whale....but I'm pretty sure the picture in this book is just of whales. Even if it was intended to be this particular kind of dolphin, a standard gray dolphin should have been used...as this book is written for young children who may just be learning about animals.

Update. My friend fixed it!

If you like Raffi, this book is cute. Nice art, and the words follow the famous Raffi song. I wanted to address the confusion on the "way down yonder where the dolphins play" page. It shows orcas and some folks have complained that the book image does not match the words and will confuse their children. While I can understand the concern, a quick Google search will show that orcas, or "killer whales" are members of the dolphin family. So the image is not a mistake, orcas are in fact dolphins.

We were given this book at my baby shower from a friend who is definitely a Raffi fan. It's a beautiful book and my 16-month-old definitely enjoys the pretty colors and the easy-to-flip pages (we have the board book edition). To me, the words aren't that great - they're alright... but I'm not familiar with Raffi. For those who are, I'm sure this will be your favorite children's book since all the other features of the book are lovely to me! If you're like me and have never heard of Raffi prior to seeing this book - it's beautiful, definitely worth a read, but it might not be as meaningful to you as it is to others.

"Baby Beluga" tells the story of a little Beluga Whales daily adventures in the "deep blue sea." The beautiful illustrations and charming story captured my attention instantly. Not familiar with Raffi, and his music, I was unaware of the popularity of the song, by the same title, until noticing the back cover, where it is mentioned. I have since purchased the CD, and CAN NO LONGER read this book; I have to SING it! "Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea, swim so wild and you swim so free. Heaven above and the sea below, and a little white whale on the go."
The editorial comments regarding Ashley Wolff's illustrations are harsh. As an artist, I regard the work to be first-rate! The mostly analogous color palette (ocean blues and greens) is bright and true to life, while the expressions are communicative and warm. Perhaps, a little more contrast between the Beluga Whales and the sea is in order, but that is a personal preference. Besides, compared to ANY of the severely cold computer-generated images available in books today, the illustrations in this book are superior. "Baby Beluga" is a delightful book independently, although, combined with the music; it is IRRESISTIBLE! One-year and up.

My mother in law bought this for my then 9 month old daughter. At 1 year it remains a favorite. She regularly pulls it out of the book box and hums while she turns the pages, knowing it is one I always sing. We also have Down By the Bay, which pales in comparison both in the song itself and the style of illustrations. The illustrations in Baby Beluga are beautiful and rich. The only exception would the the "Way down yonder where the dolphins play": the drawing is Orca whales :-P I believe all the animals on the other pages are found in the arctic, so perhaps the illustrator was being consistent? I imagine it would be odd to have dolphins randomly in the arctic ocean. It still make me smirk every time I sing that page.

Love this song; great for any parent that wants to encourage children to connect love of nature with learning. Bought as a present for a cousin's impending child. One of my favorites popularized by the awesome Raffi, and fun to read/sing to a youngster from infant to preschooler! Pictures are perfect for those ages, and a great way to get children to connect the word symbols with the sounds. Thanks!

We got this book used at a yard sale. It was well loved by my daughter and is now loved by my son. The artwork is beautiful and I wish more of the Raffi song books had used the same illustrator (we own most of the books now because our kids loved them so much). The song is catchy and sweet, too.

Baby Beluga holds a special place in my heart. Simply by chance, it was the first book I ever read to my son. I have always hoped to share my love of reading with my children some day, so reading it with him was emotional for me. The illustrations and story are just so sweet. I can't imagine a better book to share with your little ones.

Growing up listening to Raffi, this was a "must have" for our little one's library. We all love the lyrics and the illustrations. We actually sing it every day before nap! The only question we have about the art is whether or not the animals on the dolphin page are dolphins. Overall, it's really not a big deal considering all the amazing animals and landscapes portrayed. We are glad we got the board book so all of us can enjoy this childhood classic!

Perfect little book! Just like the song!! Giving this to my baby for his first birthday in a few weeks. Wonderful having thick board pagea and the photos are very cute in it. He loves books, loves this song and will love this baby beluga board book!

While the song is adorable and the pages are nice and sturdy, what I really like about this book are the illustrations. They are vibrant and clear and my son loves looking at this book over and over again. He is 16 months, so it is easy for him to point out animals and ask what they are. I like how the whale goes from being a baby, to a larger whale in the book and how different pages are shown with different perspectives. One page has a view from where the bird is flying in the sky--so the bird is large and the whale is small because he is swimming in the sea below. Another page has a broad view of the icebergs, sea, sky and northern lights. I am very impressed with the clarity and creativity of the illustrations in this book--and of course the song itself is fun to sing!

Whether you know Raffi's music or not, this is a great little book. My children love it. We have had it long enough that our oldest now reads it to the younger ones.
There seems to be a natural interest among many children about things that live in the ocean. This book fuels that interest.
The book is fun, well illustrated, and a joy to read. Do your children ask you to read them some books over and over again? Mine do, and this is one that has had the covers nearly read off of it!
If you haven't seen this book, give it a try. It's also a good book for beginning readers to work on.
Top notch! 5 stars!

I came across this book appropriately enough at an aquarium which is definitely an appropriate place to find this book.
The illustrations in this book are engaging. I am not an art critic, but children under 5 will be captivated by the drawings.
I was glad that they mentioned on the back of the book that Raffi also did Wheels on the Bus or I probably would not have had a clear tune in my head. Once I put the tune in my head, I liked the book even more.
My oldest nephew liked it, so next time I'll have to show it to my youngest nephew to see if he likes the little white whale on the go.

Great book!! I've been teaching toddlers for about seven years and they LOVE this book during circle time. After having my son (and having the words memorized by heart) I started singing it to him as a lullaby at bedtime and he loves it. Now, with another child on the way, I am finally purchasing the book for my home so that my older son and I can sing the song to the baby together with the visualization as well.

The book "Baby Beluga" is special to me because it is a story of my favorite sea creatures' daily adventures "in the deep blue sea". It inspired me to want to swim like Baby Beluga (a little white whale whose skin shines brightly in dark places and is gentle to people).

"Baby Beluga" reminds me of the warm feelings I had when my parents read and sang it to me when I was little. Sometimes, it would even put me to sleep!

My parents gave me this book to help me to have great feelings when I meet new friends, and feel happy and secure in my environment. When I went on trips, this book was the one to come along.

The famous song writer "Raffi" put his book to music, which helped me to learn rhythm, rhyming, speech, and listening skills. The book is a sing- along book. The reader can sing a song with the words on each page and it helps the kids see and hear the words in a rhyming way.

The illustrations by Ashley Wolff are amazing. All the sea buddies - like mama Beluga, the seals, the walrus, the narwhal, the fish, the birds, the elk, the polar bears, the dolphins, and even the Eskimo had smiles on their faces. They seemed happy to see Baby Beluga.

I wonder if this was one of the reasons that I'm drawn to the ocean and the swimming pool? Maybe I enjoy the freedom that the sport has to offer?

I would recommend this book to other parents for their children because it has no violence, just gentle illustrations, gives the reader a loving feeling, teaches about the creatures that live in the ocean, and how we can preserve the ocean so that these sea mammals and fish will always have a beautiful home to swim in.

Before we even knew of this book we had been playing Raffi's "Baby Beluga" CD for our small boy. I had noticed the book in stores but thought it was silly to have a book for a song we already knew.
And then we found the book in the public library.
Hello! Our two year old was so excited. He adores sea creatures so he would have liked the book even if it were just illusrations of fish and whales, but it thrilled him to discover that his song was in this book! He often sings full phrases of the song to us. He has memorized many of the words and has for a long time been taken with the line "Moon is shining and the stars are out" which to him is THE correct way to discuss any night sky in any picture, even if no stars or moon are visible.
I digress. The book is a hit. Last time we went to the library our son put in his order. He wanted "Baby Beluga" and "Caps for Sale". Unfortunately "Baby Beluga" was out, so we had to wait by the phone till it came in.
This evening I went to say goodnight to our son while my husband was reading the bedtime stories, and I caught him singing "Baby Beluga" as they read the book together--a sweet sound in the ears of a wife who rarely hears her husband sing.
The words are simple imagery; the pictures have introduced our youngster to other sealife, like seals, walruses, narwhals (the ones with the unicorn tusk)... but we like the book mainly because of our son's enjoyment. It's simple to sing, and it's a sweet lullaby full of joy.
I'm sure our little guy imagines himself to be the little beluga whale in the song. After all what toddler doesn't love to be surrounded by those who hold him dear? We can all use a little dose of adoration.

I love this book and the accompaning CD. My grandsons who are now 13 had this book when they were infants, and were still singing the songs when they were 5. I gave it as a gift to my God Daughter, and this one was a gift for my first Great Grandson. Raffi writes stories and songs that children should grow up with. I am positive I will give this book and CD again.

I first discovered this book in a Music Together class, and wow, do toddlers love it. It is a simple, catchy song with colorful, classic pictures...an instant hit! Lyrical and rhythmic, this book is a great addition to any toddler's library. It is important for toddlers to hear rhyming language and music as they learn to speak, and this book would be a great way to serve that purpose, plus it's simply lots of fun.

Beluga whales are beautiful creatures and, sure enough, they do seem to always smile. Raffi has introduced little children to the arts & humanities in a gentle and easy way. We all know his song and the illustrations of the happy beluga and other sea animals help to make the big world a bit more friendly. Baby Beluga lives in a happy space--we hope the same for our own babies!

I first bought this book at the bookstore. I am drawn to anything ocean related and the cute illustrations caught my eye. I had no idea what a hit it would become! I started off reading the book and my 4 month old daughter loved it. I then downloaded the song from itunes and learned the rhythm of the words. Now, my daughter is totally, absolutely obsessed with the book and song - together or individually! It's been a life saver! She will instantly stop crying when I pull the book out, play or sing the song, or even mention "Baby Beluga"! Now, I am buying several more books for her friends.

My 3 year old daughter loves this book so much we've actually bought a second and third book to keep in varying places because she takes it everywhere and needs to find it at a moments notice! She sings the song constantly and this book has peaked her interest in other sing-a-long books. Highly recommended!

Great book!! I've been teaching toddlers for about seven years and they LOVE this book during circle time. After having my son (and having the words memorized by heart) I started singing it to him as a lullaby at bedtime and he loves it. Now, with another child on the way, I am finally purchasing the book for my home so that my older son and I can sing the song to the baby together with the visualization as well.

The book "Baby Beluga" is special to me because it is a story of my favorite sea creatures' daily adventures "in the deep blue sea". It inspired me to want to swim like Baby Beluga (a little white whale whose skin shines brightly in dark places and is gentle to people).

"Baby Beluga" reminds me of the warm feelings I had when my parents read and sang it to me when I was little. Sometimes, it would even put me to sleep!

My parents gave me this book to help me to have great feelings when I meet new friends, and feel happy and secure in my environment. When I went on trips, this book was the one to come along.

The famous song writer "Raffi" put his book to music, which helped me to learn rhythm, rhyming, speech, and listening skills. The book is a sing- along book. The reader can sing a song with the words on each page and it helps the kids see and hear the words in a rhyming way.

The illustrations by Ashley Wolff are amazing. All the sea buddies - like mama Beluga, the seals, the walrus, the narwhal, the fish, the birds, the elk, the polar bears, the dolphins, and even the Eskimo had smiles on their faces. They seemed happy to see Baby Beluga.

I wonder if this was one of the reasons that I'm drawn to the ocean and the swimming pool? Maybe I enjoy the freedom that the sport has to offer?

I would recommend this book to other parents for their children because it has no violence, just gentle illustrations, gives the reader a loving feeling, teaches about the creatures that live in the ocean, and how we can preserve the ocean so that these sea mammals and fish will always have a beautiful home to swim in.

Before we even knew of this book we had been playing Raffi's "Baby Beluga" CD for our small boy. I had noticed the book in stores but thought it was silly to have a book for a song we already knew.
And then we found the book in the public library.
Hello! Our two year old was so excited. He adores sea creatures so he would have liked the book even if it were just illusrations of fish and whales, but it thrilled him to discover that his song was in this book! He often sings full phrases of the song to us. He has memorized many of the words and has for a long time been taken with the line "Moon is shining and the stars are out" which to him is THE correct way to discuss any night sky in any picture, even if no stars or moon are visible.
I digress. The book is a hit. Last time we went to the library our son put in his order. He wanted "Baby Beluga" and "Caps for Sale". Unfortunately "Baby Beluga" was out, so we had to wait by the phone till it came in.
This evening I went to say goodnight to our son while my husband was reading the bedtime stories, and I caught him singing "Baby Beluga" as they read the book together--a sweet sound in the ears of a wife who rarely hears her husband sing.
The words are simple imagery; the pictures have introduced our youngster to other sealife, like seals, walruses, narwhals (the ones with the unicorn tusk)... but we like the book mainly because of our son's enjoyment. It's simple to sing, and it's a sweet lullaby full of joy.
I'm sure our little guy imagines himself to be the little beluga whale in the song. After all what toddler doesn't love to be surrounded by those who hold him dear? We can all use a little dose of adoration.

I love this book and the accompaning CD. My grandsons who are now 13 had this book when they were infants, and were still singing the songs when they were 5. I gave it as a gift to my God Daughter, and this one was a gift for my first Great Grandson. Raffi writes stories and songs that children should grow up with. I am positive I will give this book and CD again.

I first discovered this book in a Music Together class, and wow, do toddlers love it. It is a simple, catchy song with colorful, classic pictures...an instant hit! Lyrical and rhythmic, this book is a great addition to any toddler's library. It is important for toddlers to hear rhyming language and music as they learn to speak, and this book would be a great way to serve that purpose, plus it's simply lots of fun.

Beluga whales are beautiful creatures and, sure enough, they do seem to always smile. Raffi has introduced little children to the arts & humanities in a gentle and easy way. We all know his song and the illustrations of the happy beluga and other sea animals help to make the big world a bit more friendly. Baby Beluga lives in a happy space--we hope the same for our own babies!

I first bought this book at the bookstore. I am drawn to anything ocean related and the cute illustrations caught my eye. I had no idea what a hit it would become! I started off reading the book and my 4 month old daughter loved it. I then downloaded the song from itunes and learned the rhythm of the words. Now, my daughter is totally, absolutely obsessed with the book and song - together or individually! It's been a life saver! She will instantly stop crying when I pull the book out, play or sing the song, or even mention "Baby Beluga"! Now, I am buying several more books for her friends.

We love this book! With the accompanying CD of the same title, we can "sing" this book to our 11 month old twins which makes it unique in their minds. Now, after a few readings, they have started to say "baby baby" when they see the book or hear the baby beluga song.

This book is soooooooo.... cute. My daughter loved it! This has become one of her favorite animals.... A MUST HAVE BOOK FOR EVERY CHILDS LIBRARY. Also in the back of the book are the words and music notes. A great children's book, beautiful pictures, and simple to read.

I first saw this book on vacation in Alaska and loved it! The illustrations are quite vivid and the story is so cute! I have read this to my son everyday since he was born. He loves looking at all of the animals and enjoys when I sing the story. This book will hold his attention longer than any other in his library. Baby Beluga is a definite must have for your tot's library!

Classic song with beautiful illustrations. I appreciate the extra Artic animals and people that are not in my daughter's other books - walrus, polar bear, seal, eskimo, etc. Fun book to sing to young children.

We love this book and song. Raffi songs are the best and so catchy for little ones. My daughter (3 yrs old) just loves this book and has me sing it to her in the bath! Thank you for offering a book like this.

My daughter is crazy about this book, and she has been since she was about 8 months old. I think the fact that you can't help but sing the story when you read it makes it much more interesting. I've never actually heard the whole song before, so I can only guess if I'm singing it correctly. She loves it though. As always, the cardboard pages make for a very durable baby book.

those are killer whales-not dolphins! lol! that’s the only page that’s wonky, but it annoys me. I’ll have to explain to my lo when he’s old enough to understand those aren’t dolphins! otherwise that’s just confusing. we are a baby beluga fam, so i was thrilled to get this book for my 14 month old, just wish that page was correct.