I bought this book for my son when he was 12 months old and at 20 months old he still returns to it and enjoys it. In fact, he enjoys it so much that I've mended it with so much clear packaging tape that it could probably withstand a nuclear blast. I might have to order another copy. From an adult's perspective, looking at the book you might find the pictures silly, but maybe your kid will like them as mine does.
As for concerns by some as to whether the book teaches a better range of facial expressions... Well, isn't that where the parent steps-in and interacts with the child and teaches him or her about a broad range of emotions and expressions? We can't leave it all to books and television. What it does do is teach my child about books and that there are things to be enjoyed about them, as well as learned from them.
Here's a run-down of the book and its content. The overall size of the book is ideal for small hands to handle and the pictures are essentially pictures of a toddler, head and shoulders. The ethnic appearances of the children (if ethnic relevance is a concern for you) are mostly Caucasian (brown hair and blond), and if you include the photos on the covers of the book as well as inside there are a few that appear to be Asian, and a few that appear to be of African or of Indian descent. The topics covered are: happy, sad, puzzled, surprised, peek-a-boo (preceded by a picture of a baby happily semi-hiding under a basket), angry, worried, crying, laughing, hungry, kissing (shows one child kissing the cheek of another), dirty, clean, tired, and "fast asleep".
It would be nice if the book was a little more sturdy, but it's no different from any other board book in that area. Afterall, the publisher probably wants us to buy more books. Right?