Available:*
Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607001449126 | Picture Books | WONG | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
"Look how tired this Mommy is Tired and frumpy Grouchy chumpy Oh, what a grump!" Then, for contrast, "Look at Baby Smart, good Baby Happy Baby." Baby loves to make gravy out of applesauce and ketchup and, when it's just right -- not too lumpy, not too bumpy -- suddenly, DUMP! It goes on Baby's head. Will Baby take a nap now? Mommy puts Baby gently into the crib. But when Mommy starts to tiptoe out, Baby cries and whimpers, cries and whimpers. So Mommy reads to Baby -- and reads and reads until...guess what! The surprise ending of this beguiling picture book will delight the very young -- and their tired but loving mothers. Janet Wong, a well-known poet, reflects on not only her own but every mother's experience in her rollicking rhyme. The bright watercolors of John Wallace, an English artist whose work is published both in the United Kingdom and the United States, complement the text to perfection.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-A poetic yet accessible text blends with appealing watercolor paintings to tell the tale of a bright-eyed baby and his exhausted parent. Poor Mommy is "Tired and frumpy/Grouchy chumpy/Oh, what a grump!" Baby, however, is busy "Making gravy/Applesauce and ketchup gravy" and then dumping it over his head. As his disgruntled mother scrubs the floor on hands and knees ("Sponging all the spots away/Wash and wash and wash/All day"), the child rides on her back and smiles. Finally, it's time for Baby's nap, but just as the mother is about to tiptoe out of the room, he starts to cry. The two sit together in a chair to share some stories, and before long, Mom is fast asleep. Quietly, the youngster settles more comfortably in her lap and closes his eyes. Filled with rhythm, repetition, and simple wordplay, Wong's language is inviting and fun to read aloud. The illustrations consist of a series of vignettes that depict the interaction between mother and son set against plain white backgrounds. The bright colors and clean lines will capture the attention of young listeners. Recommend this along with Amy Schwartz's Some Babies (Orchard, 2000) to tired parents who would like to share a laugh with their little ones.-Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Mommy has reached the end of her rope. She's "tired and frumpy/ Grouchy chumpy/ Oh, what a grump!" But Baby, of course, is just getting started, happily "making gravy/ Applesauce and ketchup gravy" and dumping it on his head and the floor. Exhausted Mommy declares naptimeÄbut Baby won't cooperate, at least not until Mommy herself drops off to sleep while reading Baby a book. This slice-of-life book should strike a chord with frazzled mothers of toddlers, especially the implacable expression of Wallace's (Tiny Rabbit) Baby and Wong's (Night Garden) repetition of the line "Baby's going to take a nap now" three times in a row, as if saying it would only make it so. Toddlers may be too wrapped up in themselves to be charmed by the parental sense of irony that informs the book, but Wallace's delicate watercolor vignettes with their sunny translucency keep the mood upbeat. Ages 2-5. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved