Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This picture book by Kalman (Bold & Brave), based on journal entries, records moments of beauty and mystery for a new grandchild, the "darling baby" of the title. "Today a thousand tiny silver fish jumped out of the water at the same time. They arced over the water and quickly dove in again, disappearing in the wet green sea." In her signature style, Kalman paints the fish soaring like spray from a fountain. Some experiences are shared with the child: naps on a blanket, parties with "cheery cherry pie." (A man wonders how to take the pie home: "I will put it in my hat," he decides.) Everything is fair game, even the turtle that the narrator finds on the beach before realizing that it is dead: "One minute I was so happy. The next, so sad." Though "darling baby" is still young ("I will carry you because you can't walk yet"), the book hints that it is never too early to teach a child how to see, and Kalman, bringing intensely personal reflections and paintings alive in brilliant colors, assembles vignettes that represent the work of noticing: "The water has been blue and green and gray and black and pink." Ages 4--8. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary. (June)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--Kalman turns a diary into a deeply personal and intimate picture book, yet also explores the common human experience of a grandparent spending time bonding with a new grandchild. A handwritten irregular text and gouache paintings with a bold color palette bring life into beach scenes; Grandma imparts wisdom through whimsical observations both mundane and profound, and by addressing the baby directly, develops a sense of immediacy that seems to invite readers into a private world. The ebb and flow of life and death is presented as part of the natural process. Pitch perfect pacing is aided by the shift in colors from day to night scenes. This love letter from grandma to grandchild captures the beginning of their relationship and also serves as a reminder that it is in the sharing of experiences that long-lasting and deep relationships are forged. VERDICT Kalman strings together elegant yet simple vignettes into an ebullient and sophisticated family album, and the result will resonate with readers young and old.--Eva Thaler-Sroussi, Wellesley Free Library, MA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A grandmother records beach days spent with her grandchild in lyrical language and expressive artwork. Kalman's notes from her shore summer with Darling Baby turn into a gorgeous recounting of shared discoveries (seashells, stones, silver fish, rabbits) and experiences (a lightning storm, a bustling party, a nap on the lawn). Vivid full-bleed spreads deliver Technicolor experiences in vibrant strokes of pigment and words as well--Kalman incorporates hand-lettered text (in alternating emphatic caps and romantic script) into these charming paintings, allowing her voice and her images to seamlessly cohere. Readers bask in Kalman's bright visions of summer's sweetness absorbed alongside a child just greeting the world. The pair, at either end of mortality, find stones and shells and note that "Oskar the dog looked unhappy in his sweater." Kalman's ebullient illustrations, delightful portraiture, and idiosyncratic phrasing imbue the quotidian with complex (sometimes mysterious) meaning and weight. When waves pull a dead sea turtle back into "the vast ocean," she tells the babe, "I think that is a good thing. At any rate, it is a thing. I am telling you this because I know you will understand." Readers old and young will recognize the profound mutuality felt between grandmother and grandchild throughout this enchanting book, straightforward in affect but brimming with love. Its small trim emphasizes the intimacy of their relationship. Incantatory pictures and words project a fresh world for people of all ages. (Picture book. 3-6, adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
