01/07/2019
It’s a baby’s first birthday, and a parade of well-wishing parents and toddlers are gathering for an informal outdoor celebration. As the adults quickly recede into the background (they occasionally appear as arms and hands distributing a sun hat or ice cream), the littlest guests display a medley of moods, chronicled in succinct adjective-noun pairs by the team behind Hattie Helps Out. “Shy baby” regards a big, grey-spotted dog (a vivid character in its own right) with some trepidation, while “friendly baby” eagerly pets the hound’s nose; “twin babies” watch in fascination as a “brave baby” slides down the slide. The kids lean against each other while licking ice cream cones, gather around for cake and for an adorably chaotic group photo, and then moods rapidly deteriorate (“cranky baby,” “tired baby”). Everyone heads home, and the birthday baby is soon fast asleep. Blackwood’s line work and watercolors, set against crisp white backgrounds, offer a sketchbook immediacy that places readers in the thick of the action; her small subjects’ chubby bodies are as expressive as their faces. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)
"A spare, lilting text . . . introduces and describes the babies; they and the text’s sketchedin scenarios are fleshed out with humor and warmth by the pencil-and-watercolor-wash illustrations. . . . A sweet but realistic portrayal of a first-birthday celebration."
"The artwork perfectly captures the mood of the day as it shifts from happy anticipation and engagement to a fractious mood, reflected in the characters’ expressions and body language. With a diverse cast of endearing babies and their parents, this Australian picture book will have broad appeal among young children."
"The artwork perfectly captures the mood of the day as it shifts from happy anticipation and engagement to a fractious mood, reflected in the characters’ expressions and body language. With a diverse cast of endearing babies and their parents, this Australian picture book will have broad appeal among young children."
★ 02/01/2019
Baby-Toddler–A baby's first birthday party sets the stage for introducing the many emotions children express through their faces and body language as they gather to celebrate. Rendered in watercolor, the soft lines are an excellent pairing with the deceptively simple and repetitive text. None of the tykes are named, but are simply all referred to as "baby." For example, one spread shows a "fussy baby" tilting her head away from proffered food from another child with the comment "Come on, baby, just try it" while a dog swipes potato chips off the table. Later on, when a line of children are eating ice cream cones and one scoop falls, this same dog gobbles it up, leading to a spread of "poor baby!" as the youngster cries. Although the text is spare, it beautifully carries the story of a baby's first birthday while also expressing the varied feelings and reactions children are likely to experience. VERDICT A clear winner for toddlers and their parents, this is also a lovely addition for read-alouds. Highly recommended.—Rachel Zuffa, Case High School, Racine, WI
2018-10-28
It's a first birthday celebration for baby, and lots of baby friends join in the festivities.
The book opens on baby waiting expectantly to be lifted from the crib and progresses through all of the birthday fun, showing friends arriving, cake, and ice cream before closing with bathtime, snuggles, and sleep. Godwin and Bell's text focuses on the birthday baby and friends, and the story is told almost entirely through descriptions of the babies and Blackwood's illustrations of them. "Lazy baby" describes a sleeping friend, "brave baby" goes down the slide head first, and "sad baby" has just lost dessert to the dog. No pronouns are ever used to describe the babies, and while some wear dresses or tutus, there is no specific gender attached to any particular illustration—a nice touch, whether intentional or not. Some tots are browner than others (the protagonist presents white), and a pair of twins are cued as black via their hairstyles. Blackwood's illustrations nevertheless are lovely, with her customary delicately energetic line and a palette of mostly primary red, yellow, and blue. Adult readers will appreciate the two-page spread that so accurately depicts what it's like trying to take a photo of a group of wiggly little ones. Overall, this is a nice approach to the classic first-birthday book, offering a sense of play and nuance in both the brief text and the lovely illustrations.
A refreshing first-birthday book, with subtleties for adult readers and details for little ones. (Picture book. 2-5)
