Ultimately a book that many new parents will reach for as they revel in their love of baby.
This tribute to a loving family will undoubtedly resonate with many doting parents.
First Mama, then Daddy, then other besotted relatives “reach” for Baby with lots of love. Cuddling, tickling, hugging, reading and playing punctuate their interactions in a rhyming text that delivers a mood of happiness and security as it asserts how important Baby’s family is. The antepenultimate spread states, “Baby is reaching for everything new,” with spot art depicting him reaching for assorted things. This sets the stage for a satisfying, if rather cloying and adult-centered, conclusion showing Mama and Daddy putting Baby to bed with the assurance that, although “Soon Baby will reach for the moon and the stars… For now you’re still ours!” A mobile of a moon and stars hangs above the crib, asserting Mitchell’s skill at extending text as it echoes the prior page’s night sky. Details like this and the pink stuffed dog (unmentioned by the text) who accompanies Baby throughout the book assure visual interest as the soft watercolors match the text’s gentle tone. A further nice illustrative touch shows readers an extended family that just happens to be multiracial.
Ultimately a book that many new parents will reach for as they revel in their love of baby. (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-55453-456-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
A lovely package, this quiet title will be best as a gift book for new moms eager to read aloud to the newest members of...
A mother’s observations of her new baby lead to a series of sweet comparisons to various animals.
“When I met you, you were small and trembling, and I thought you might be a little bunny. / I held you close so you were warm.” Teen author Marr (Made for You, 2014, etc.) uses playful yet comforting language in her picture-book debut. The baby’s squirming kicks remind her of a “lost kangaroo”; a lifting of the child’s head makes her think of a “curious lizard”; and the little one’s howl seems like that of a “lonely wolf.” Each of the child’s behaviors leads to a tender action taken by the mother: tucking the baby in, offering milk, and giving a bath. Each time a new creature is introduced, White gently changes the dominant color in the muted pastel palette of her watercolor and gouache illustrations. That hue is also reflected in the hand-lettered text, giving the overall design of the book a vintage feel. When the baby smiles, the mother knows “You are not a bunny-roo-lizard-wolf-kitten-piggy. You are my baby.” The final page shows the curled-up infant asleep in a pile of blankets.
A lovely package, this quiet title will be best as a gift book for new moms eager to read aloud to the newest members of their families. (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-16742-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
Guess how much you’ll be reading this.
Parent and child share a day of small adventures and cozy snuggles.
That the two happen to be tortoises is totally beside the point. Die-cut holes and shaped edges turn nearly every page flip into a surprise. Following a parental “Good morning, Baby” to greet the youngling’s “Wake up, wake up, I want to play… / The sun is up, it’s a brand new day!” the two reptiles ramble off to munch on leaves, weather a sudden rain shower, discover a flock of butterflies, climb a hill, watch the moon rise, and, at last, weary little one perched on top, settle down to snooze again. The paper engineering is ingenious. Turning a seemingly arbitrarily shaped page with a special window framing a pink butterfly fills the spread with many jewel-toned insects; even though the tortoises never change position, the scene is completely transformed. Hegarty’s rhymed narrative features lots of tender sentiments—“Wherever you are, wherever you go, / Baby, I’ll always love you so”—while steering clear of any gender references. In Elliott’s peaceful, grassy settings the wanderers’ small smiles and shared glances likewise create a sense of loving intimacy. This is likely to become a victim of its own appeal, being as the paper stock is rather too flimsy to survive much contact with toddler hands. Still, a clear winner for sharing with audiences of one or dozens.
Guess how much you’ll be reading this. (Novelty. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-3509-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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