Review by Booklist Review
In rhythms reminiscent of those in Margaret Wise Brown's Runaway Bunny, a mother's endearments to her baby begin, If I were a sailor, I would sail the world with you, / With sails of cotton candy and a handy penguin crew, and close with And if I were a genie, / I would make your dreams come true. . . / Because you are my baby / I would do anything for you. In between, Mother assumes a variety of professions, including train engineer, mountaineer, and geologist. North's rhyming text is occasionally forced, but her imagined motherly roles offer occasions for visualization of Baby's reactions (one spread shows him catching a winning touchdown in his footy pajamas). Hall's watercolors have a golden tone, as if suffused with late afternoon sun, and his retro, subdued palette anchors a naive style that calls up Syd Hoff's cartoons. The sentimental text is balanced by simple geometric shapes that evoke rockets, sea life, and airplanes adventuring happily together in uncluttered spreads.--Del Negro, Janice Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hall, whose editorial portfolio includes covers for the New Yorker, makes an impressive picture book debut. As Mom imagines how a variety of professions would enable her to "do anything" for her baby (and his ever-present teddy bear), Hall's radiant, double-page watercolors showcase his gifts for dramatic sweep and comic telling detail. When Mom declares, "If I were a mountaineer, I would take you to the peak/ Of Everest and Fuji, a new summit every week," Hall creates a stunning, top-of-the-world landscape, planting cartoon characters atop mountain peaks striated in translucent ribbons of navy, rose, purple and turquoise. When Mom fancies herself a headliner in a Hong Kong stadium rock show (her skirt is demure but her boots have stiletto heels), Hall gives Baby industrial-strength ear protectors and places a burly, glaring roadie at the edge of the stage to hold back the Deadhead-esque crowd. Every one of these wry but always inviting images buoys the sometimes clunky couplets by North (also making her debut), and lifts a familiar premise far above the ordinary. Ages 3-6. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
If I were a sailor, I would sail the world with you." So begins this catalogue of special things a mother would do for her child if she was a mountaineer, rock star, diver, quarterback, etc. This rhyming testament to a parent's endless love is more about mom than babe, but muted retro-style brown-hued watercolors keep it from becoming unbearably schmaltzy. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young mother expresses her love and commitment to her inquisitive baby through a limitless variety of possible vocations. From sailor to mountain climber, castle builder to geologist, pizza chef and astronaut, mom's universe will always include her child's participation. "If I were a diver, we would tour the ocean floor--Shipwrecks, crab holes, coral reefs, and much more to explore." Watercolors reminiscent of Ross MacDonald's style set in darker and lighter russet shades add a softened tone to the rhymed text. Despite the depiction of a young genderless baby with endless wide-eyed wonder, author and illustrator present one powerful-thinking mom providing a world of intriguing choices for both little girls and boys who would, nevertheless, not wish to be called a baby. Yet as nighttime falls and all is said and done, mom's magic of love allows for every child's wishful sleepy dreams. An energetic and inspiring testament to motherhood. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
