Hey Little Baby!

February 13, 2012
“What will you find in this marvelous world?” asks debut author Leigh in this celebration of a new arrival. The answers are defined by proximity—the round-headed, redheaded baby discovers his hands, his feet, his nose, his mouth, and his voice. But each of these breakthroughs points to a host of future possibilities—hands can be used to build a mighty sand castle, feet can carry their owner to school, and a voice can sing around a campfire; with each flash-forward vignette, readers will notice that the protagonist is maturing, reaching adolescence in final pages. Leigh opts for cooing over specificity (“What will you smell with that nose? What will you smell with that darling nose?”), but Côté’s (Ella May and the Wishing Stone) mixed-media sketches easily carry the narrative load. The pleasures she imagines her hero growing into are simple, familiar ones—first love, splashing in puddles, encounters with cute wildlife—and the combination of her sunny palette and graceful black outlining gives each page an openhearted exuberance. And seldom has the mother of a newborn looked so soigné. Ages 2–6.

February 15, 2012
With a melodic and motherly voice, this gentle and captivating picture book welcomes a little baby into the world. As a tiny infant finds his hands, Leigh's first picture book captures parental hopes and dreams for their newborn with a simple, repeating form. "What will you make with those hands? / What will you make with those beautiful hands?" The future is unveiled, and Cote's illustrations show him using his hands to build with blocks, make art, and create a sandcastle with a friend. This cherished little baby goes on to find his "darling" nose, his "delightful" mouth and his "lovely" voice. Simple and spare illustrations with the look of watercolor and ink depict the curious new baby. As the infant discovers each new body part, the illustrations show the smiling, nearly-naked tot. With the turn of a page, the joyful and active years to come are depicted with little white space, full of the adventures of childhood. Each time he explores something new, he grows up a little more in "the future," eventually giving flowers to the sweet friend from his sandcastle-building days. That she looks just like his mother may confuse some children but emphasizes that the forecasts are his parents' dreams based on their own recollections. A lovely choice for new babies and their parents. (Picture book. 2-6)

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March 1, 2012

PreS-A baby is warmly welcomed to the world by his doting parents, who fantasize about what he will be able to do as he grows. "Hey little baby, you've found your hands. What will you make with those hands? What will you make with those beautiful hands?" Softly hued mixed-media illustrations reveal several possibilities: on one spread, a young child holds aloft a LEGO plane he has created, stands proudly near an easel displaying his painting, and helps another child build a sandcastle. The simple refrain is repeated throughout the book-"you've found your feet," etc.-while the pictures show what the child might do with his nose, feet, mouth, and voice as he develops. Children will enjoy seeing what the growing child may accomplish and how his abilities compare with theirs.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Preschool-K In a simple story and soft pastel mixed-media illustrations, a gender-unspecified baby learns about the five senses and becomes familiar with his or her body. Whenever baby discovers something newnose, mouth, feet!the baby's parents wonder how the little one will use each body part in the future Hey little baby, / you've found your mouth. / What will you taste with that mouth? At present the baby's mouth is used to gum a teething ring, but as the illustrations suggest, the possibilities in later years include using it to taste the rain; to enjoy a slice of watermelon with a friend; or to chomp on an apple (while a nearby baby bird uses its mouth to eat a worm). The narrative is well-paced and works nicely with the rounded, muted illustrations, making for a gentle read-aloud for the youngest child. Use this as a conversation starter with preschoolers expecting a new baby sibling, or as an opportunity for prereaders to bring their own imaginative narrative to the illustrations.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)