A Jane Eyre Counting Book

An erudite friend, seeking a gift for a brand-new niece, stumbled upon a Jane Eyre counting book from a series called Baby Lit. This board book, written by Jennifer Adams with illustrations by Alison Oliver, is clearly intended for wee ones but has an amusingly literary bent. 

Each two-page spread contains a number, a category, and illustrations, mainly in classy subdued hues. For instance, "4 towers" depicts Thornfield Hall with numbered banners flying from the battlements, and "8 drawings" shows simplified versions of what we can infer are works drawn by Jane (with subjects ranging from Mr. Rochester to Pilot).

I'm not sure what message a toddler will get from the "9 pearls" page, which bears the image of a necklace and the quotation "I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart." Start their emotional maturation young!

While this board book is not a serious work of literature, it's amusing for a Jane Eyre fan, and it would be a fine gift for any developing young mind.