IT'S HARD TO BE A BABY

A knowledgeable narrator describes the challenges of coming into the world, surviving your first years, and beginning to grow up.

The many babies depicted here in detailed multimedia illustrations are healthy, plump, and very well loved. They and their families are diverse in terms of race; some infants belong to same-sex couples. The narrator addresses the babies directly, detailing their lives in utero: “You just kicked your feet! Turned somersaults! Partied! And you got to be naked, which is the best!” Birth brought with it a host of problems: “You have to tell these people everything. When you’re hot. When you’re hungry.” The humorously authoritative voice continues: “But hang in there, babies. Good things are coming.” The babies will discover their hands and feet, they’ll start sleeping through the night, and they’ll learn to crawl and walk. There’s a bit of a surprise ending when the narrator is revealed. (Some readers may have even noticed the speaker lurking on earlier pages.) The illustrations depict harried grown-ups attending to these new arrivals. One especially amusing image shows a parent trying to hold a baby amid a chaotic plumbing situation; on another spread, parents struggle to get a stroller safely down the subway steps. Adults and many preschoolers will certainly smile with recognition at the experiences portrayed, though the book is a bit too sophisticated for babies themselves.

New big siblings will get a kick out of this—as will first-time parents.