Laugh-Out-Loud Baby

July 30, 2012
A baby’s inaugural laugh—“That small spill of happiness,” as Johnston (Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea) felicitously puts it—is so infectiously joyful that it makes everyone in the tyke’s rural, tumbledown community come running. But laughing on demand is clearly not baby’s thing—even when visitors try “smiling like pumpkins” and the seemingly surefire “coochy-coo.” What will it take to get the giggles going again? Unfortunately, both the question and its answer fall flat. Johnston’s rustic lyricism is well matched to Gammell’s (Mudkin) luminous mixed-media illustrations, which portray an entire town of quirky personalities (the baby’s father sports a top hat and a ponytail, and thrift shop ensembles prevail among his friends and neighbors); there’s an undeniable mood of genial comic chaos. But the story feels woolly and unfocused—it’s one of those books that forces readers to flip the pages backward to keep track of what’s happening. Even more critically, the grownups’ desire to make the baby laugh one more time never translates into narrative momentum or comic urgency. Ages 4–8.

July 15, 2012
Johnston captures the beauty of a baby's first laugh and a family's subsequent joy in this sweet celebration of one of life's loveliest milestones. On a crisp, winter's day, a baby laughs. "That small spill of happiness / went rippling through the house-- / a dazzle, a jazzle, a shine." To share in this wondrous event, relatives and neighbors gather, but no amount of prompting can get this babe to giggle again. Later, with bellies full of food and conversation, "into a slot of silence... / ...rang a little mirthful sound," causing more hilarity to ensue until the guests finally depart into the soft, falling snow. Tender and exuberant, playful and poignant, the text perfectly honors this merry occasion. Unfortunately, Gammell's uniformly chaotic artwork is a poor match. Almost the full color spectrum is represented in each spread, with black used mainly to delineate shapes rather than shadows, thus hindering readers' ability to perceive depth and focus. A few artistic choices also detract from the text, such as the baby's derriere-exposing pants (cute the first time, but distracting the fourth); the needless sloppiness of the guests (spilled dishes and drinks); and a reappearing "LOL" sign (when other indicators point to an era gone by). Moreover, despite the author's note on the Navajo First Laugh Ceremony, there are no appropriate ethnic elements in the illustrations. Enjoy it for the delicious, read-aloud text, but hide the illustrations. (Picture book. 3-8)

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August 1, 2012

PreS-K-A baby laughs out loud for the first time, and it sends his family into a frenzy of joy and celebration. Ma declares that the event calls for a Laugh-Out-Loud Party; family, friends, and community members are all invited. The baby is passed around as everyone tries to make him laugh again and again. It's only once the house has a moment of silence that the baby lets loose with another giggle, much to the merriment of the guests. Eventually, the baby tires out and finally sleeps, holding his laughs inside until the next day. The rollicking text begs to be read aloud with phrases like "a dazzle, a jazzle, a shine" and exclamations such as "whoopee-doodles!" Johnston uses alliteration in brilliant ways that keep the text flowing; she also doesn't shy away from larger vocabulary words, putting them in context so their meaning is understood. Gammell's signature artwork is lively and fun. Problematic is the brief endnote indicating that this story is inspired by a Navajo tradition where a family celebrates a child's first laugh with the First Laugh Ceremony. This story does not seem to depict any Navajo; the central family appears to be Caucasian. The art and text have a Southern down-home feel that belies the ceremony's origins; the lack of cultural authenticity is puzzling and disturbing.-Laura Lutz, Pratt Institute, New York City

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
Preschool-G Aren't babies a wonder? Johnston and Caldecott Awardwinning Gammell (Song and Dance Man, 1988) capture the joy of hearing a baby laugh for the very first time. When a little boywhose drooping pants reveal an adorable baby cracklaughs out loud, the family stands stock-still to listen to the sweet noise. Mama suggests a Laugh-Out-Loud Party so that aunts, grandpas, cousins, and neighbors can get in on the miracle, and each tries to set the baby off with snorts and giggles of his or her own. Of course, babies don't perform on demand, and Baby chuckles in his own time (but when he does, Whoopee-Doodles! Our baby LAUGHED! ). Johnston's rollicking text is full of poignant phrases and into that quiet rang a little mirthful sound and plenty of jolly guffaws, while Gammell's illustrations, in his signature watercolor, pencil, and pastel, feature a quirky family from another era living in a crooked clapboard house brimming with love. An author's note points out that the Navajo celebrate a child's first laugh with a ceremony. Sharing this with a child can't help but provoke . . . well, you know. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Johnston has more than 100 books under her belt, while Gammell has won both the Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors, ensuring a wide, built-in audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)