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BABIES DON’T EAT PIZZA

Name: BABIES DON’T EAT PIZZA
Author: Dianne Danzig
ISBN: 978-0-525-47441-8

THE BIG KIDS’ BOOK ABOUT BABY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

by Dianne Danzig and illustrated by Debbie Tilley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2009

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Yet another title to add to the already oversaturated new baby brother/new baby sister market. The hook? A systematic examination of every possible fact a new sibling should know about the incoming little sib, all in a svelte 32 pages. By discussing everything from baby behavior to how a brother or sister can help parents out, the book hopes to prepare children as thoroughly as possible for the tiny newcomer on both a factual and emotional level. The author has taught “sibling preparation” classes for years and knows whereof she speaks. Yet one can’t help but wonder if this is merely a more exacting version of the similarly named Babies Can’t Eat Kimchee, by Nancy Patz, illustrated by Susan L. Roth (2006). There is undoubtedly a glut of new-baby books out there, and though it’s perfectly nice, Danzig’s prose and Tilley’s serviceable illustrations just don’t have enough pizazz to separate this one from the pack. Parenting tips on further sibling preparation appear at the end of the book. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0-525-47441-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2008

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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HANSEL AND GRETEL

by Stephen King ; illustrated by Maurice Sendak ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 2, 2025

Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.

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Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.

In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.

Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025

ISBN: 9780062644695

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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BECAUSE YOUR DADDY LOVES YOU

by Andrew Clements & illustrated by R.W. Alley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2005

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Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)