A sweet but lightweight portrayal of the ritual of welcoming a new baby.
A racially diverse adoptive extended family welcomes home a new baby.
In rhyming quatrains, the family members successively introduce themselves to a White newborn who is never named or gendered. They include White heterosexual parents, siblings (one Black and two White), two White grandparents, a White aunt, a Black uncle, and two cousins who appear to be mixed-race. As each relation bids the infant welcome, the verse captures their various personalities and reactions, but always, the common thread is utter joy. While the text’s cheerful, singsong cadences are likely to hold children’s interest, the rhymes occasionally scan awkwardly or sound forced. The omniscient narration maintains a somewhat distant perspective throughout the story. Kheiriyeh’s illustrations are rendered in acrylic, oil paint, ink, and oil pastel, with a light pencil line. Collaged hand-painted paper and appliquéd feather details add a touch of inventiveness. The elongated proportions and curved contours of the characters make them feel larger than life; however facial features lack nuance. The bright pinks and blues of the home’s cheerful interiors and of the clan’s clothing both create and challenge gendered associations. Family members and neighbors present a wide range of skin tones, hair textures, and body types.
A sweet but lightweight portrayal of the ritual of welcoming a new baby. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3886-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer.
Peppa hopes to join her classmates in a Halloween pumpkin competition in this adaptation of a story from the popular British television program Peppa Pig.
With the help of Granny and Grandpa Pig, Peppa turns her giant pumpkin, which is the size of a compact car, into a jack-o’-lantern. The trio is flummoxed when it comes time to transport the pumpkin to the competition, so they call on Miss Rabbit and her helicopter to airlift the pumpkin to the festivities as Peppa and her grandparents ride inside. Peppa arrives just in time for the contest and wins the prize for best flying pumpkin. The scenes look as if they are pulled directly from the television show, right down to the rectangular framing of some of the scenes. While the story is literally nothing new, the text is serviceable, describing the action in two to three sentences per page. The pumpkin-shaped book and orange foil cover will likely attract youngsters, whether they are Peppa fans or not.
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-33922-2
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
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