THERE’S A HOUSE INSIDE MY MOMMY

A tot’s wide-eyed anticipation of the arrival of his sibling is the focus of this gently humorous tale. Narrated by the soon-to-be-big brother, Andreae’s (Cock-A-Doodle-Doo, not reviewed, etc.) sprightly verses detail the various stages of pregnancy using terminology and descriptive passages perfectly suited for young children. With the literalism of youth, the tot describes his mother’s expanding middle as the house where the baby grows and likens her womb to a cozy bathtub for the infant. The narrator blithely addresses cravings: “He seems to want such funny things / But Mommy’s very kind, / So she eats all sorts of crazy stuff / And doesn’t seem to mind” and allays worries over morning sickness: “ . . . if I had a house in me / I’d feel all yucky too.” While Andreae fails to raise the specter of sibling jealousy or feelings of displacement, his uniformly upbeat attitude is a positive way to introduce the concept of a new addition to little ones. Cabban’s (Where There’s a Bear, There’s Trouble!, p. 1305, etc.) full-bleed, full-color illustrations on oversized pages deftly mirror the buoyant joyfulness of the tale. Vibrant background colors in deep tangerine and lemon yellow capture the eye and serve to convey an aura of exuberance. A sparkling celebration of a wondrous event. (Picture book. 4-7)