A cozy read.
A new-baby book about a beloved old baby blanket—and a new one, too.
Bella (illustrated as a white girl with brown hair) loves light-blue, star-patterned Blanket, which she’s had since she was a newborn. By the time her baby brother (also white) is born, Blanket is stained and smelly, muddy, and painty from all of the love she’s given it over the years. New Baby has his own blanket (his is light blue with white stripes), and although she loves him dearly, she thinks “she would love him even more if… / …he didn’t cry as much.” Bella tries to soothe New Baby, but it’s not until she does her favorite happy dance that he stops crying—when Blanket floats into his reach and he grasps it. “ ‘Oh dear,’ said Bella. She wasn’t sure what to do.” Rather than simply taking Blanket away from him, Bella encourages New Baby to bring his blanket to all sorts of fun activities that will make it as loved as hers is. “And when you have grown as big as me, Baby, you will love your blanket ALMOST as much… / as I love you,” Bella tells New Baby as they cuddle under both blankets, together. While the pictures do little to expand on the text, their soft aesthetic creates appealing characters at the heart of the story.
A cozy read. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-074-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young...
This title previously published in the U.K. takes a cozy look at all kinds of kisses.
Walsh’s rhyming text is full of cutesy rhythms: “Kisses on noses, kisses on toes-es. Sudden kisses when you least supposes.” Sometimes the phrasing stumbles: “Who likes to kiss? I do! I do! Even the shy do. Why not try, too?” But toddlers and young preschoolers will probably not mind. They will be too engaged in spotting the lively penguin on each spread and too charmed by Abbot’s winsome illustrations that fittingly extend the wording in the story. Patient dogs queue up for a smooch from a frog prince, cool blue “ ’normous elephants” contrast strikingly with bright red “little tiny ants” and a bewildered monkey endures a smattering of lipstick kisses. Be the kiss small or tall, one to start or end the day, young readers are reminded that “the very best kiss… / is a kiss from you!” Perhaps no big surprise but comforting nonetheless.
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young tyke or sharing with a gathering for storytime. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2769-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
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