School Library Journal Review
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 © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
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.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
