Star Baby

October 1, 2005
PreS -A mother and child play, cuddle, eat, and call dad at the office. At the end of the day, baby is asleep, with both parents smiling by his bed. Words carefully follow the action on each page. The steady rhythm makes the story fun to read aloud. -Phone, baby/Talk, baby/Laugh, baby/Look. Read, baby/Clap, baby/More, baby/Book. - The acrylic artwork is stylized to accentuate the soft, rounded shapes. The effect is sometimes comforting, sometimes cutesy. It also distorts the figures. Some of these distortions are whimsical and appropriate, but others are less effective. Overall, the book is a sweet read to share one-on-one. It would have special appeal for traditional families and those who can relate to the lifestyle shown here." -Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2005
PreS. There are many good-night books, but this is a chipper wake-up volume. A chubby little baby is awakened by his equally plump mother, who greets him, "Hi, baby / Up, baby / Sun, baby / Shine . . . Smile, baby / Laugh, baby / Hug, baby / Mine." Using this simple rhyme scheme, the book follows baby and mother throughout the day, always involved in very babylike activities--counting toes, playing peekaboo, lunching, burping, rocking, swinging, and calling Daddy at work. Sometimes the child appears to be a baby; when dressed, he seems more like a toddler. But it's great that Kono offers characters who look like real people. She sets mother and child against spaces that seem to curve and roll, an impression of movement that works well with the up-and-down rhyme. Fun for babies to listen to and for mothers to read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)