HA HA, BABY!
by Kate Petty & illustrated by Georgie Birkett
When baby stops laughing, his funny family assumes something’s wrong. Immediately everyone tries to get him to crack a smile. Ma tickles baby’s tummy and toes, but that just generates a scowl. Pa tosses baby in the air and flies him like a plane, but baby just glares. Grandma laughs and plays peek-a-boo, but baby just turns away. Grandpa blows bubbles to tease a laugh, but baby just harrumphs. The dog performs every trick he knows while the cat chases her tail in a circle, but baby just yawns. In the end, baby’s big brother finds the perfect solution. Simple, colorful illustrations alternate between close-ups of the recalcitrant baby scowling, glaring, harrumphing, yawning and bawling and the hilarious antics of family members cajoling the grumpy infant to laugh. Indeed, Ma in red-and-white striped stockings, Pa in a fedora hat, Grandma in a fairy godmother costume and Grandpa in pirate togs should easily trigger laughs from little readers, even if baby refuses to smile. (Picture book. 2-4)