BABY UNPLUGGED

In Hutton’s picture book, a baby experiences the world unplugged from devices.

When a baby is born, the child and family exist in the moment together. No cellphones ring and no pictures are taken—the family is fully unplugged and present with each other. As friends gather, they spend time together unplugged as well. The narrative continues, observing that unplugged babies learn words they hear around them and have adventures by interacting with the physical world. Bedtime is unplugged for better dreams: “Unplugged moon and stars above. / Unplugged time with you is love.” Hutton’s repetition of unplugged emphasizes the digital-free environment, especially for the young lap learners who will hear it over and over in rereads. The rhythms scan well throughout, with stanzas that limit the vocabulary used to keep the text and rhymes concise. Brown’s gentle digital illustrations have a watercolor feel and use red or blue outlines rather than black to give the shapes soft edges. Several babies are introduced throughout, giving a sense of universality across diverse families. Brown also cleverly acknowledges that technology is present—just not in the child’s life. On the front and back cover, as the central families take the subway, cellphone users are around them; when friends visit, one parent keeps a phone face-down on her knee. The device is there, not centered but ignored.

The appeal of babies and happy families will encourage readers to embrace the screen-free message.