Moimoi—Look at Me!

Book excerpt: Meet moimoi—the colorful creatures who can soothe your crying baby! What are moimoi? Playful moimoi have bold stripes and big, bright eyes. Babies find them captivating and will even stop crying to look. Parents in Japan swear by moimoi and have purchased over 500,000 books! How do you say it? “Moi” (もい) is a fun nonsense word that rhymes with “koi.” You can change how you say it to match what the moimoi are doing—as they dance, grow, and even sing . . . Where do they come from? At the University of Tokyo “Baby Lab,” Dr. Kazuo Hiraki tested many different high-contrast designs. Babies looked at moimoi for twice as long as the competition. Your newborn or toddler will love moimoi, too!