MY BABY & ME

Reiser and Gentieu’s collaboration is perfectly pitched to enchant toddlers and babies. “I can read. / Here’s my book. / I can show you. / Look, look, look!” Delivered with all the sassy bravado of a newly minted older sibling, Reiser’s simple, rhyming text offers toddlers confirmation of their inherent superiority over their infant siblings, while neatly interjecting subtle evidence of tender affection. The cheery offering culminates with the celebration of one thing infants and toddlers can do together—hug. Gentieu’s crisp photographs of multicultural infant/toddler sibling pairs are the real focus. Sliding between extreme close-ups of the children’s faces and broader perspectives, the subjects appear against monochromatic backgrounds. Such simplicity adeptly keeps readers’ attention attuned to the nuances of expression between siblings. Babies will enjoy the bright photos while toddlers will savor their moments of triumph. (Picture book. 1-5)