In lyrical prose a mother describes the miraculous new world surrounding her newborn. All is new to the infant and thus all is fair game for explanation, from the mundane to the metaphysical: a telephone ringing, a father’s sudden sneeze, the vast cosmos beyond the window. Siblings and the occasional relative mingle in the pages, welcoming the infant into their lives. With a deft touch, Henderson examines the world through the untarnished eyes of a novitiate. “Look, there are shadows/of daylight and darkness/scattered and dappled all over the wall.” Filled with images that tug at the heartstrings—a fragile, tiny head cradled in a father’s large but infinitely tender hands—Binch’s delicate watercolors capture the wonder of a newborn’s first days. An affecting tribute to the grace and limitless possibilities of a new life, suitable for children curious about new siblings, but just as appropriate for new parents attempting to articulate those early overwhelming sensations. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8037-2434-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1999
PLB 0-517-80012-8 Rockwell (who illustrated Anne Rockwell’s Halloween Day, 1997, etc.) focuses on a young boy as he and his family prepare for the birth of his baby sister. The precocious narrator confidently discusses the growth of the baby in his mommy’s womb and describes visits to the obstetrician to hear the baby’s heartbeat. Also covered are the arrangements for the boy’s care while his mother is in labor, the hospital visit, and baby’s arrival at home. The young narrator reflects on how his baby sister is not yet used to the concept of day and night and when she, at one point, becomes inconsolable, he fetches a favorite toy to soothe her. In a refreshing departure from other books about siblings, this one does not address negative feelings of anxiety, trepidation, or jealousy. Instead, the approach of the text is optimistic, reflected in Rockwell’s bright, cheerful illustrations. Age-appropriate pictures cover fetal development, including a wonderfully informative spread entitled “How a baby grows,” charting the period from conception to term. An upbeat, encouraging account. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-517-80011-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
From Rylant (In Aunt Lucy’s Kitchen, 1998, etc.), a gentle rhyming book for the very young. Mrs. and Mr. Bunny and their numerous offspring find a charming bungalow in a deep gully near a river and move right in. The bunnies set about making the house a home: painting it a pale green, planting a garden, and installing a carrot weathervane. Soon the interior is cozy too, as Mrs. Bunny knits bunny quilts, moves a comfortable rocker into the parlor, and invites bunnies to snuggle on a big couch while she reads poetry aloud. Mr. Bunny helps with bath time, takes the little bunnies fishing, and finds time to sit on the porch swing with his offspring, watching fireflies. The story ends as softly as it begins, in watercolors that are warm and full of childlike humor. Children will identify with the thumb-sucking middle bunny, the bed-bouncing bunny in striped pajamas, and the baby who tosses his bottle out of the crib for the father to pick up. A fetching bedtime book, as snug as they come. (Fiction. 4-6)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201092-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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