Uneven but may win out readers just the same.
Lively, bouncy rhymes celebrate all the faces babies make.
Babies display a variety of expressions as they interact with grown-ups, pets, and other children. A baby with pale skin and blond hair smiles exuberantly, while a child with brown skin and soft, puffy dark-brown hair looks out from behind a curtain. But “even when you pout and frown, / you’ve got the cutest face in town,” reassures the unseen narrator. Love shines through, too, as the babies gaze into their grown-ups’ eyes. Ford’s illustrations of babies—brought to life with a vivid palette—convey a range of emotions through hyperbolic expressions, punctuated by cartoonish, sidewise mouths that at times seem artificial. The babies’ races are cued through skin tone, eye color, and hair color and texture; the Asian-presenting child is primarily distinguished through a shift in artistic style from exaggeratedly round, wide-open eyes for the others to smaller ones, an artistic choice that’s reinforced by the fact that the Asian-presenting child is exclusively shown looking downward or sleeping, further making the baby’s eyes seem smaller than those of the others. Wilson’s ebullient text celebrates the narrator’s love for the babies’ many faces throughout the day, amid a jaunty octosyllabic meter that skips a beat here and there (“Dream, my dear, of your happy place”).
Uneven but may win out readers just the same. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781338722741
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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
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
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