Let's Talk!

by Angela C. Mattke M.D., Rachel Hurd-Wood, Esme Lee (Illustrator)

Overview

An interactive celebration of toddlers’ growing social and communication skills with playful sliders, lift-the-flaps, and touch-and-feel textures. Written and designed with the pediatric experts at Mayo Clinic.

Let’s Talk! is a vibrant celebration of the social and language milestones toddlers experience between 18 and 24 months. Co-created with Mayo Clinic pediatrician Dr. Angela Mattke, this interactive board book is designed to support both toddlers and their grownups. Through colorful scenes and relatable moments—like stacking blocks, playing pretend, and learning to take turns—this book encourages early conversations, emotional expression, and social connection. With simple phrases and familiar routines, Let’s Talk! helps kids reach key developmental milestones, while having fun along the way.

Milestones featured in the book include:

• Using simple phrases
• Using two- to four-word sentences
• Recognizing names of parts of the body
• Recognizing names of familiar people and objects
• Learning to take turns
• Playing socially with other children
• Showing a preference for certain people and toys
• Walking alone
• Singing and dancing

Expert insights gently guide parents while celebrating each child’s unique pace of growth.

Backed by trusted Mayo Clinic expertise, the Healthy Milestones series combines playful sliders, lift-the-flaps, and touch-and-feel textures to support early learning and connection. These interactive board books turn everyday moments into opportunities for exploration, language, movement, and bonding between little ones and their grownups.

Mayo Clinic Press Kids creates empowering health and wellness content in partnership with pediatric experts. Proceeds from the sale of every book go to benefit important medical research and education and Mayo Clinic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798887703800
Publisher:	Mayo Clinic Press
Publication date:	05/12/2026
Series:	Healthy Milestones
Pages:	18
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	1 - 2 Years

About the Author

Dr. Angela C. Mattke is a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children’s in Rochester, Minnesota. She is the medical editor of Mayo Clinic Guide to Raising a Healthy Child, and she consulted on ABCs of Taking Care of Me and I'm a Doctor from Mayo Clinic Press Kids. She is also a pediatric expert contributor to MayoClinic.org. Passionate about connecting with families, she has hosted several Mayo Clinic Children’s podcasts and actively shares pediatric insights across Mayo Clinic’s social media platforms.

Rachel Hurd-Wood is a writer and actress with twenty years of experience in film and TV. Her credits include Peter Pan and she’s worked successfully as a screenwriter. She has worked on script development and creative consulting for Goldfinch Studios and has had prose and poetry published in The London Magazine. Often surrounded by young children, she is perfectly placed to know what appeals to them. Her flair for narrative and excellent instinct for what captures children’s imagination brings a fresh voice to her writing. She is based in Peterborough in the UK.

Esme Lee is a Brighton-based illustrator who began her creative journey as a print designer after graduating from the University of Brighton. Her work now focuses on children’s book illustration, where she brings stories to life with bold colors, playful compositions, and a strong graphic sensibility. Esme’s illustrations are known for their narrative charm and visual clarity, often blending whimsy with emotional depth. She draws inspiration from everyday moments, folklore, and the natural world—especially when accompanied by her beloved pet duck, who has a particular fondness for cucumber.