Destined to be tucked in with a shower gift to gently reassure anxious new moms that they and their babies will be perfectly...
Toddlers will get the message: your birth was eagerly anticipated; you are wanted and loved.
Framed as a tour of the home, each spread describes some part of a domicile and the activities that are at the center of a baby’s life. From the “welcome home” sign and balloons on the front door of a clapboard structure to the adoring gaze of the new, dark-skinned parents on a possibly urban stoop, each baby is welcomed with love. Both children and caregivers are ethnically diverse. The age, skin tone, and amount of hair on the baby’s head vary from spread to spread, creating an inclusive vision of the ideal family. For example, a brown-skinned man with curly hair and beard is shown reading to a slightly lighter-skinned child with straight brown hair. The previous spread shows a red-haired white child playing outside. Another page features a child with East Asian features and just a few wispy black tendrils of hair blowing out one birthday candle. Although the homes depicted seem universally secure and comfortable, the text allows for some elasticity in interpretation. The final spread describes home as “A place where you’ll always find / As much love as we can give.”
Destined to be tucked in with a shower gift to gently reassure anxious new moms that they and their babies will be perfectly happy . (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: June 27, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0103-7
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
A lovely package, this quiet title will be best as a gift book for new moms eager to read aloud to the newest members of...
A mother’s observations of her new baby lead to a series of sweet comparisons to various animals.
“When I met you, you were small and trembling, and I thought you might be a little bunny. / I held you close so you were warm.” Teen author Marr (Made for You, 2014, etc.) uses playful yet comforting language in her picture-book debut. The baby’s squirming kicks remind her of a “lost kangaroo”; a lifting of the child’s head makes her think of a “curious lizard”; and the little one’s howl seems like that of a “lonely wolf.” Each of the child’s behaviors leads to a tender action taken by the mother: tucking the baby in, offering milk, and giving a bath. Each time a new creature is introduced, White gently changes the dominant color in the muted pastel palette of her watercolor and gouache illustrations. That hue is also reflected in the hand-lettered text, giving the overall design of the book a vintage feel. When the baby smiles, the mother knows “You are not a bunny-roo-lizard-wolf-kitten-piggy. You are my baby.” The final page shows the curled-up infant asleep in a pile of blankets.
A lovely package, this quiet title will be best as a gift book for new moms eager to read aloud to the newest members of their families. (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-16742-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
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