Ten board books, each one 2.75 inches square, each one a category of first words, all of them living in a carrying case painted to look like a little bookshelf with a teddy bear on the top rail. It is the rare baby gift that solves a real problem: books a baby can hold entirely alone, and somewhere for them to go afterward.

The categories are the ones a child needs first. Farm animals, forest animals, ocean animals, safari animals, fruits and veggies, toys, transportation, food and drink, clothes, and around the house. Every word is paired with a watercolor painting rather than a photograph, so the set stays beautiful on a nursery shelf rather than screaming primary colors at the room.

Tabitha Paige is a licensed speech language pathologist, and the word choices are functional rather than decorative. These are the nouns that turn into sentences.

The handled case makes it a travel set as much as a shelf set. Diaper bag, car seat, restaurant, waiting room. Ten books that weigh less than one full sized picture book and buy you an actual half hour.