A lovely addition to the bedtime storybook shelf.
Every milestone in a baby’s life calls for celebration.
A mother and father tickle their baby’s tummy, sing songs, and offer treats and toys. They are met with only mild reaction, despite their charm and appeal, as depicted in Barroux’s signature illustrations. But when they wiggle and count and kiss his toes, this tea-colored baby laughs and squeals joyfully. Then: an amazing discovery. The baby pulls off those toe-confining booties, kicks and curls, stretches and reaches and grabs those toes! The tot glows with accomplishment and surprise and enjoys the whole endeavor enormously. Of course the proud parents encourage it all and beam with joy at this success. In an 8-inch-square format, Barroux’s large-scale, double-page spreads appear almost life-size, and the baby seems to be looking directly out at the readers. Rendered in acrylic and outlined in pencil, the deceptively simple cartoons perfectly match the action and convey all the emotions of this happy family. Hood’s bouncy, singsong rhymes beg to be read aloud as they speak directly to the baby in the story and to little listeners snuggled up for a bedtime story and perhaps a toe-tickling of their own.
A lovely addition to the bedtime storybook shelf. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-894786-52-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.
Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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