TICKLY TOES

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.