Review by New York Times Review
These books give babies a generous helping of their erv favorite subiect: themselves. BUSY BABIES Written and illustrated by Amy Schwartz Building blocks, removing socks, with their mamas, in pajamas - almost anything you can picture a baby or toddler getting up to makes an appearance in this casually rhyming book. The result is a clever catalog of baby life, featuring a pleasing array of families of all backgrounds. Schwartz ("A Teeny Tiny Baby") gives babies lots to stare at, and grown-ups may find themselves just as delighted by her exquisite illustrations. Her delectable babies have big heads, small features and even smaller feet and hands, and they wear outfits of detailed perfection. 32 pp. Beach Lane. $17.99. (Picture book; ages Oto 3) ? IS FOR BABY ByAtinuke. Illustrated by Angela Brooksbank. Who needs the whole alphabet when one letter can tell a story as entertaining as this one, set in a colorful, lively West African village? "B is for baby," of course, but each page adds a "B" word as the baby girls brother rides his bicycle to visit their Baba - grandpa - in his bungalow. Turns out the tyke has stowed away in a basket of bananas, making for a funny, happy reunion. Atinuke and Brooksbank ("Baby Goes to Market") have created an appealing package of rhythmic repetition and vibrant images. 40 pp. Candlewick. $16.99. (Ages 0 to 5) YOU ARE NEW Written and illustrated by Lucy Knisley "When you're new," asks this delightfully assured debut children's book from the acclaimed graphic novelist Knisley, "what can you do?" The comforting answers explain a baby's world to her ("You can fit in tiny spots / You get carried quite a lot") while also preparing her for adventures and challenges ahead ("You might not know just want to do ... / That's O.K. when you are new"). But it's the memorable digital art that makes this book a true standout - the sweet-looking babies who crawl and traipse through these pages have a refreshing hint of comics-style edge. 42 pp. Chronicle. $17.99. (Ages 0 to 3) ANIMAL BABIES LIKE TO PLAY By Jennifer Adams. Illustrated by Mary Lundquist. The animal babies in this adorably drawn alphabet book include a bunny, a jaguar and a quail. They play with jacks and go fishing. They build with blocks and bake pie. Its simpler than it sounds - they are all babies, wearing zip-up animal suits. As Lundquist ("Cat & Bunny") works through the letters, she also delivers a low-key message that playing is fun by yourself, and also with friends. Eagle-eyed babies might even spot Zebra hiding in the background of other letters' pages. 32 pp. Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins. $17.99. (Ages 0 to 5) BABY DAY By Jane Godwin and Davina Bell. Illustrated by Freya Blackwood. Birthdays come once a year, but the excitement around them lasts ... possibly forever? Accordingly, this clever book about a first birthday party can be enjoyed any old day. Adorable babies tumble, squawk and dribble their way to the festivities. Cake time comes, the crowd begins to melt down, and the birthday kid is on to a bath, story and bedtime. Blackwood's loose pencil lines and brushy bright colors lend a lovely naturalistic look. 32 pp. Atheneum. $17.99. (Ages 0 to 3) UP UP UP DOWN Written and illustrated by Kimberly Gee Opposites loom large for babies, and Gee brings the concept to adorable life. Her action-packed visual vignettes refreshingly feature a brown-skinned baby and caretaker dad who dramatize the obvious ("no" and "yes") and the more subtle ("yay" and "uh oh"). Her touch is feather-light, with many telling details to spot. 32 pp. Putnam. $16.99. (Ages 0 to 4) HOORAY FOR BABIES! By Susan Meyers. Illustrated by Sue Cornelison. The pages of this celebration of baby life teem with tiny friends of every stripe, doing baby stuff together. With the little ones collectively narrating ("We raise our sippy cups up high and give a baby cheer") and practically no grown-ups in sight, Meyers ("Everywhere Babies") and Cornelison ("Lost and Found Cat") have created a buoyant mood of baby-centric fun. 32 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $14.99. (Ages 0 to 3) READ TO YOUR BABY EVERY DAY Edited by Rachel Williams. Illustrated by Chloe Giordano. This treasury of 30 classic nursery rhymes runs through the standards - Old Mother Hubbard, Humpty Dumpty - including many you'll be tempted to sing, like "The Muffin Man." Williams keeps old-fashioned words ("I saw a ship a-sailing") but pares down some longer verses to just one stanza, to fit a baby's attention span. Best of all are Giordano's illustrations, done in heart-stoppingly delicate embroidery. 32 pp. Frances Lincoln. $16.99. (Ages 0 to 4) MARIA RUSSO is the children's books editor of the Book Review.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [June 2, 2019]
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In an alphabet book that takes place in an airy woodland setting, babies dress in footsie-style animal costumes. The babies-more distinguishable by their costumes than by their similar facial features-appear playing games, singly or in groups, joyful or feeling gloomy. A "fox baby" is seen walking a dachshund across a small bridge. In a little boat on a small pond, a "monkey baby makes a wish. Narwhal baby catches fish" (the fishing line is tied to the narwhal's horn), and an "iguana baby" with spikes from head to tail laments his fallen ice cream. Adams makes playful use of alliteration in her verse, while the nifty animal costumes may provide readers with creative inspiration. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS-Dressed head-to-toe as "baby" animals, kids find active ways to spend their day appearing in animal alphabetical order. "Alligator baby wants to play./Bunny baby says, `Okay.'" There is very little story here, and the text simply restates what happens in the pictures. In some cases, the text would be indecipherable without the illustrations. (For example, "Vulture baby says, `You haven't caught one yet?'" is pictured with another child chasing butterflies.) Several of the depicted activities are beyond the scope of the preschool audience (playing jacks, skipping rocks), and the early elementary set will find the "baby" theme distasteful. Disappointingly, the animals seem arbitrarily selected, and the text relies entirely on the illustrations to hold it together. Lundquist's gouache and pencil illustrations are gentle and whimsical, just like the subjects of her pictures. She effectively uses minimalist backgrounds, making details in the forefront pop with color. VERDICT Other than the illustrations, there is little else to recommend this book. With so many alphabet books on the market, this one can be passed over.-Richelle Rose, Kenton County Public Library, KY © Copyright 2018. 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 Kirkus Book Review
Diverse babies clad in animal costumes enjoy learning the alphabet and playing in the outdoors.This rhyming book with babies dressed as animals is both cute and familiar. In alphabetical order according to the costumes they wear, each baby engages in an activity. "Giraffe baby likes skipping rocks. / Hippo baby likes building with blocks." The illustrations are sweetly rendered in a mix of line drawing and watercolor in an array of muted colors. Many of the babies interact as the couplets play out, as when the jaguar baby persuades the iguana baby to remain with the group despite the disappointment of a fallen ice cream cone. The full cast of characters can be seen popping in and out in backgrounds, which will prompt children to flip back and forth as the text identifies previously seen babies. This will make for a very engaging and thoughtful storytime read-aloud even if all of the animals aren't necessarily recognizable to lap-sitters and little learners. The Ulysses butterfly baby and X-ray tetra baby are likely to be new to young readers, for instance, and their concept-forced specificity contrasts with the generic identification of most other babies, such as the dog, turtle, and whale babies. Significantly, the monkey baby is depicted with light skin and sits in a boat with a dark-skinned narwhal baby.Fans of Anne Geddes' work in particular will be drawn to this delightful picture book. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
