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I USED TO BE THE BABY by Robin Ballard

I USED TO BE THE BABY

by Robin Ballard & illustrated by Robin Ballard

Pub Date: April 1st, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-029586-4
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

This effort would fall into the “new sibling issues” category, the premise laid out on the first page, “I used to be the baby, but now I am big. I have a baby brother, and I help Mommy take care of him.” Through several examples, big brother offers solutions to new baby woes. When baby is sad in the stroller, brother holds his hand. When baby doesn’t enjoy bath time, big brother blows bubbles to amuse him. The payoff comes after the baby has gone to sleep and big brother gets some alone time on Mommy’s lap. The artwork is attractive with its array of bright watercolors and distinct outlines. The characters and household objects have a pudgy, roly-poly appeal. In fact, the illustrations, not the text, subtly betray big brother’s natural reactions to the new arrival. In the smaller panel of the layout, for example, he vies for mother’s attention during bath time with such antics as tugging on her hair and wearing a towel on his head. The facing page has a larger illustration of the behavior that remedies the situation: blowing the bubbles. Ballard (My Day, Your Day, 2001, etc.) does well enough outlining some of the ways in which the family will be altered with a young addition and scratches the surface of some of the emotional issues surrounding such an upheaval. Though this child is meant to be a model, he seems more patient and helpful than many children would be. (Picture book. 2-6)