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LOVE SONG FOR A BABY by Marion Dane Bauer

LOVE SONG FOR A BABY

by Marion Dane Bauer & illustrated by Dan Andreasen

Pub Date: Sept. 1st, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-82268-5
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

The lyrical verses of this tribute to all the things there are to love about a baby, begins as a mother tells her young son about his earliest days. Tiny hands, perfect toes, rounded features, and even burps become beautiful when viewed through a parent’s loving eyes. Text accompanied by a small illustration faces each full-page painting of the cherubic baby. From a portrait of the expectant parents, through the newborn weeks, to the first hesitant steps of the toddler, this follows the development of one small boy. The mother relates to her young child all the things that there were to love about him as a baby. A final painting features the family in an embrace. An expressive baby full of grins and bright eyes beams out from each oil painting. Parents and grandparents alike will recognize the shy smiles, impish looks, and proud grins. Unfortunately, the uninspired text seems a bit too icky-sweet for even the most tearful young mother. Instead of being simply repetitive, it quickly becomes droning. Fortunately, the beautiful illustrations need no addition for them to shine. (Picture book. 2-5)