Review by Booklist Review
K^-Gr. 2. A weary mom implores her active toddler ("baby, please, baby, please") not to write on the wall, not to eat sand, tease, and more. This sweet, rhythmic picture book, by filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, humorously portrays the age-old struggle between dynamo and disciplinarian. Mom and baby's day begins at 3 a.m., as we learn from the small clock that precedes the text on each spread: "Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please." Hours later, the duo moves on to a breakfast of dry cereal at 8:45 ("Not on your HEAD, baby baby baby, please!") and toddles through a day of general glee, mischief, and foot-dragging. Nelson artfully captures the giddy exuberance of toddlerhood with close-up, kid's-eye perspectives on the diaper-clad heroine with her doe-brown eyes, tight-curled hair, luminous golden-brown skin . . . and serious spunk. Of course, at the end of the very long day, the baby settles into a gentler "Kiss me good night? Mama, Mama, Mama, please." Who could resist? --Karin Snelson
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Many grownups will recognize the title as the comic carnal plea uttered by Lee in his film, She's Gotta Have It. Now, Lee and his wife/co-author have turned those words into a G-rated parental entreaty-directed at an inexhaustible toddler," wrote PW. Ages 2-5. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-At 3:01 a.m., an exhausted parent begs a riled-up youngster to "Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please." At a quarter to eight, the plea is for the child not to dump cereal on her head. Throughout the day, the toddler is asked to share a ball, eat some peas, and sleep tight. Baby is asked to not eat sand, be a tease, or splash. After being put to bed at 8:00 p.m., she comes into her parents' bedroom two hours later and asks, "Kiss me good night? Mama, Mama, Mama, please." The litany of pleas will strike a chord with parents and caregivers, and will amuse children with its repetition and rhyme. Bright, full-bleed illustrations evoke the child-centered mayhem of this frazzled yet loving family. Baby, with her caramel-colored skin and corkscrew curls, sometimes appears unnaturally proportioned, her head too large and her limbs contorted, but the overall effect is humorous and action-packed.-Anna DeWind Walls, Milwaukee Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A simple rhyming text chronicles an exasperated mother's typical day with her toddler: It's time to go, / please, baby, / please. / Don't be so slow, / baby baby baby, please. Readers will be relieved when, at book's end, the child sets straight her nay-saying mom's priorities. Nelson's slightly caricaturing oil illustrations adroitly capture the fine line many toddlers walk between monstrousness and adorableness. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Parents and caregivers will recognize the ritualistic pleading that takes place when spending the day with a toddler. Sounding like a broken record, a mother pleads with her daughter to share her toys, eat a balanced meal, and finally go to sleep. As she plays on her mother's tummy, up way past her bedtime (the clock radio shows 3:01 a.m.) her mother pleads, "Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please." When she dumps the contents of her breakfast, "Not on your HEAD, baby baby baby, please!" Each page features an impish grin and impossibly beautiful eyes peeking out from under a tangle of perky curls, but the angelic expression does not change the fact that this little one is all devil. A tiny clock records the time of day at the beginning of the line of text on each double-paged spread, but it's the rambunctious tot who captures all of the focus. Vivid illustrations of this African-American family full of love and patience for their strong-willed daughter will evoke laughter as the parents attempt, with mixed results, to guide their charmer's behavior. Sure enough, the closing line turns the tables as the little girl asks for a kiss, ". . . Mama, Mama, Mama, please." Richly colored and meticulously detailed paintings highlight the tiny, but determined imp with curls that literally spring from her head. The repetitive text, sunny illustrations, and entirely familiar scenarios will make this a favorite of parents and children alike. (Picture book. 1-4)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
