BORN YESTERDAY

If we could hear the thoughts of an infant, we might not be surprised by the sardonic and precocious voice of this newborn’s year-long diary. Solheim’s cartoons in ink-and-watercolor vignettes provide humorous images of this hyperobservant baby’s discovery of everything from a tantalizing crib mobile to hands that can grab, feet that can be sucked, food that can be flung and the notion that “the up end of people is their hairstyles and the down end is their tootsie-wootsies.” Yet the best discovery of this aspiring new author is how crying or laughing can alter communication—especially when a big sister’s love makes her the best friend “For Ever.” Older siblings with a sense of how a new baby can change the dynamics of a family may appreciate this baby’s adjustment to life while recognizing that younger brothers or sisters can be the most admiring and supportive of friends. (Picture book. 5-8)