BIG MAMA’S BABY

When a pet reaches full size, you don’t just hand it walking papers—even when it’s a bull and even when you don’t live on a farm. That’s the dilemma Borgo drops in Big Mama’s lap, which also happens to be the place Baby likes to park his “huge, soggy head.” Big Mama has raised Baby since he was a newborn on her little property in the Texas hill country. But now he’s huge, much too big for Big Mama. Cote paints a lovely landscape, with sweeping vistas and hazy golds and lilacs of midday and Van Gogh nights. Lovely, too, is the bond between Big Mama and Baby, which has all the usual ups and downs of trying to care for a large farm animal. Borgo adds a touch of narrative tension when the neighbors get into busy-body mode with useless advice. Still, there’s no denying that Big Mama has a half-ton situation on her hands. While the youngest readers will see the solution, they will also recognize the joy and affection Big Mama and Baby find in each other. As kids are known to ask: “Can’t we keep him, Mama?” (Picture book. 4-7)