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LAUGH-OUT-LOUD BABY

Enjoy it for the delicious, read-aloud text, but hide the illustrations.

Johnston captures the beauty of a baby’s first laugh and a family’s subsequent joy in this sweet celebration of one of life’s loveliest milestones.

On a crisp, winter’s day, a baby laughs. “That small spill of happiness / went rippling through the house— / a dazzle, a jazzle, a shine.” To share in this wondrous event, relatives and neighbors gather, but no amount of prompting can get this babe to giggle again. Later, with bellies full of food and conversation, “into a slot of silence… / ...rang a little mirthful sound,” causing more hilarity to ensue until the guests finally depart into the soft, falling snow. Tender and exuberant, playful and poignant, the text perfectly honors this merry occasion. Unfortunately, Gammell’s uniformly chaotic artwork is a poor match. Almost the full color spectrum is represented in each spread, with black used mainly to delineate shapes rather than shadows, thus hindering readers’ ability to perceive depth and focus. A few artistic choices also detract from the text, such as the baby’s derriere-exposing pants (cute the first time, but distracting the fourth); the needless sloppiness of the guests (spilled dishes and drinks); and a reappearing “LOL” sign (when other indicators point to an era gone by). Moreover, despite the author's note on the Navajo First Laugh Ceremony, there are no appropriate ethnic elements in the illustrations.

Enjoy it for the delicious, read-aloud text, but hide the illustrations. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4424-1380-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: June 26, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012

Categories:
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CARPENTER'S HELPER

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

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