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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607003413500 | Picture Books | BARRETT | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
In a perfect gift for new and expectant parents (and siblings), a gentle story pays tribute to the wonder and emotion of a family's first quiet days with a newborn.
The house is hushed. The lights are low.
We're basking in a newborn glow.
Inside the cozy house, a baby has arrived! The world is eager to meet the newcomer, but there will be time enough for that later. Right now, the family is on its babymoon: cocooning, connecting, learning, and muddling through each new concern. While the term "babymoon" is often used to refer to a parents' getaway before the birth of a child, it was originally coined by midwives to describe days like these: at home with a newborn, with the world held at bay and the wonder of a new family constellation unfolding. Paired with warm and winsome illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, Hayley Barrett's lyrical ode to these tender first days will resonate with new families everywhere.
Author Notes
Hayley Barrett says that fond memories of her own days spent nesting and cocooning with her husband and each of their newborns inspired her to write Babymoon. She lives in eastern Massachusetts.
Juana Martinez-Neal is the Peruvian-born daughter and granddaughter of painters. Her debut as an author-illustrator, Alma and How She Got Her Name , was awarded a Caldecott Honor and was published in Spanish as Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre . She also illustrated La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, for which she won a Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, Babymoon by Hayley Barrett, Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry, and Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, which won a Robert F. Sibert Medal. Juana Martinez-Neal lives in Connecticut with her family. Visit her online at www.juanamartinezneal.com.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Baby-Toddler-Arresting yet cozy illustrations and a spare, poetic text work together in this lovely book that will work well as a baby read-aloud, even if its content may speak more to the parent than the child. A loving couple bring home their new baby and spend their first day(s) together reveling in their love and their new life as they get to know each other. The lyrical text works perfectly in rhyme and meter to create a soothing image of the newness of a first-time family experience. The gentle cadence invites reading aloud at bedtime or in a storytime, but the real draw here are Martinez-Neal's illustrations. They are done in acrylic, colored pencil, and graphite and have a glowing softness to them. The mom is all rounded edges, with medium brown skin and lushly flowing dark hair. Dad and baby have a slightly lighter complexion and are equally appealing. The backgrounds are spare, keeping the focus on the family and their facial expressions, which glow with love. Each parent gets a page to themselves with baby, the mom's spread depicting her gazing lovingly down at her nursing infant. The book draws the viewer into this cozy world of newness and love. While the text is likely to speak more to the parents than the children, the flowing language will work well to soothe both baby and parent. VERDICT A great gift for new parents, this would make a lovely addition to any library's baby storytime shelves.-Amy Lilien-Harper, Wilton Library, CT © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
During their "babymoon," two new parents learn the rhythms of caring for their newborn. The moments shared between the family members are tender, joyful, and sometimes anxious: "Here together. So much to learn./ We muddle through each new concern./ We're reassuring, building trust-/ believing that we'll soon adjust." A scruffy dog and cat gaze on the new arrival with subdued interest as the human pair comforts, bathes, and changes the infant. The child's mother and father are rendered as comforting yet vulnerable figures with rounded bodies and enclosing arms; the child sports dark hair and wears hues of yellow. A graceful celebration of the uncertainty and delight of new parenthood. Ages 2-5. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.