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 Booklist Review
A happy baby wakes up on his or her first birthday. Later, many babies, children, and parents (to say nothing of the dog) gather for an outdoor celebration featuring playtime, ice cream, and birthday cake. The text briefly describes the babies based on their actions at the moment, such as Bossy baby, Friendly baby, Neat baby, and Busy baby. And that works just fine because, for other young children, the babies' and toddlers' actions and interactions will be the most riveting part of this cheerful picture book. The babies crawl, climb, and devour ice cream cones (sometimes with help from the dog). After cake is served, the tone shifts to Wriggly baby. Cranky baby. Tired baby. Created with shaded pencil drawings, watercolors, and digital elements, the artwork perfectly captures the mood of the day as it shifts from happy anticipation and engagement to a fractious mood, reflected in the characters' expressions and body language. With a diverse cast of endearing babies and their parents, this Australian picture book will have broad appeal among young children.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
It's a baby's first birthday, and a parade of well-wishing parents and toddlers are gathering for an informal outdoor celebration. As the adults quickly recede into the background (they occasionally appear as arms and hands distributing a sun hat or ice cream), the littlest guests display a medley of moods, chronicled in succinct adjective-noun pairs by the team behind Hattie Helps Out. "Shy baby" regards a big, grey-spotted dog (a vivid character in its own right) with some trepidation, while "friendly baby" eagerly pets the hound's nose; "twin babies" watch in fascination as a "brave baby" slides down the slide. The kids lean against each other while licking ice cream cones, gather around for cake and for an adorably chaotic group photo, and then moods rapidly deteriorate ("cranky baby," "tired baby"). Everyone heads home, and the birthday baby is soon fast asleep. Blackwood's line work and watercolors, set against crisp white backgrounds, offer a sketchbook immediacy that places readers in the thick of the action; her small subjects' chubby bodies are as expressive as their faces. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Baby-Toddler-A baby's first birthday party sets the stage for introducing the many emotions children express through their faces and body language as they gather to celebrate. Rendered in watercolor, the soft lines are an excellent pairing with the deceptively simple and repetitive text. None of the tykes are named, but are simply all referred to as "baby." For example, one spread shows a "fussy baby" tilting her head away from proffered food from another child with the comment "Come on, baby, just try it" while a dog swipes potato chips off the table. Later on, when a line of children are eating ice cream cones and one scoop falls, this same dog gobbles it up, leading to a spread of "poor baby!" as the youngster cries. Although the text is spare, it beautifully carries the story of a baby's first birthday while also expressing the varied feelings and reactions children are likely to experience. VERDICT A clear winner for toddlers and their parents, this is also a lovely addition for read-alouds. Highly recommended.-Rachel Zuffa, Case High School, Racine, WI © Copyright 2019. 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
In this Australian import, its a babys first birthday, and theres going to be a party. Eight of babys friends arrive (at what appears to be a park), along with their families. A spare, lilting textShy baby. / Friendly baby. / Sunny baby. / Hat on, baby!introduces and describes the babies; they and the texts sketched-in scenarios are fleshed out with humor and warmth by the pencil-and-watercolor-wash illustrations. Watch out, baby! sees a strong baby pushing another one on a riding toystraight toward a pond. Oh nopoor baby! shows the birthday babys ice cream falling off the cone and being slurped up by a dog. As the party progresses, cheerful baby-sized mayhem is the order of the day, from playground play to some trouble sharing to enjoying birthday cake, culminating with a pile of babies all being told to say cheese for the camera (and all ignoring the directive). As for the birthday baby, the day ends with a bath, bedtime, and sweet dreams, baby. Throughout, the nine little ones can be distinguished through distinctive clothing, hair, coloring, etc.; a few seem to be intentionally gendered (including the strong baby; you go, girl), but most are indeterminate. The inviting, scribbly illustrations on double-page spreads featuring generous white space allow for lots of audience engagement. A sweet but realistic portrayal of a first-birthday celebration. martha v. Parravano March/April 2019 p 59(c) Copyright 2019. 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
It's a first birthday celebration for baby, and lots of baby friends join in the festivities.The book opens on baby waiting expectantly to be lifted from the crib and progresses through all of the birthday fun, showing friends arriving, cake, and ice cream before closing with bathtime, snuggles, and sleep. Godwin and Bell's text focuses on the birthday baby and friends, and the story is told almost entirely through descriptions of the babies and Blackwood's illustrations of them. "Lazy baby" describes a sleeping friend, "brave baby" goes down the slide head first, and "sad baby" has just lost dessert to the dog. No pronouns are ever used to describe the babies, and while some wear dresses or tutus, there is no specific gender attached to any particular illustrationa nice touch, whether intentional or not. Some tots are browner than others (the protagonist presents white), and a pair of twins are cued as black via their hairstyles. Blackwood's illustrations nevertheless are lovely, with her customary delicately energetic line and a palette of mostly primary red, yellow, and blue. Adult readers will appreciate the two-page spread that so accurately depicts what it's like trying to take a photo of a group of wiggly little ones. Overall, this is a nice approach to the classic first-birthday book, offering a sense of play and nuance in both the brief text and the lovely illustrations.A refreshing first-birthday book, with subtleties for adult readers and details for little ones. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
