WHAT BABY WANTS
by Phyllis Root & illustrated by Jill Barton
Mama is tired and wants to go to bed, but Baby won’t sleep. The other members of this large, rural extended family volunteer to baby-sit. Baby’s not happy; what does he want? A grandmother brings him pretty flowers, but they prickle his nose. A grandfather bears a soft goose, but it tickles his nose. An uncle offers a whole flock of sheep to keep the baby warm. In the end, the little brother knows just what Baby wants—to be cuddled off to sleep. Root’s well-paced text has rhythm and repetition, punctuated by the loud wails of the baby. Barton lets loose on the mounting hilarity as the relatives’ solutions grow more outrageous. The comic scenes of escalating pandemonium feature Baby in full bellow and animals swarming through the house. (Picture book. 4-8)