Catch That Baby!

April 4, 2011
Coffelt (Fred Stays with Me!) and Nash (Betsy Red Hoodie) make winning collaborators as they tell the story of Rudy, whose name provides a great rhyme as he tears off his clothes and races through the house after his bath ("Nudie Rudy!" he cries) and another when he finally emerges in clothesâpants on head, legs in his shirtsleeves, socks on hands. "Cutie Rudy!" he announces. Nash's large, comic bookâstyle panels are embellished with go-fast lines, rakish shading, and wry side jokes (a box of food on the stove is labeled "Silage"). Coffelt's text, mostly a series of exclamations, combines the charm of the toddler who refuses to wear clothes with the love of a cheerful family consisting of mother, father, older siblings, a helpful dog, and even grandparents working in the greenhouse. Despite the central motif of gleeful nakedness, Rudy stays decent throughout, thanks to handy plants, legs, and well-placed dogs. Coffelt and Nash steer clear of treacle, but don't indulge in so much irony that readers can't feel the love, making this one a treat. Ages 4â8.

May 1, 2011

When bathtime is over, the whole family pitches in to help catch "Nudie Rudy," who hides to delay having to get dressed.

Rudy is an adorable one-toothed toddler who just loves to be naked. As he dashes through each room of the house, more and more family members good-naturedly join in the chase to corral him and put his clothes on. They run fast, but Rudy somehow manages to evade them with his gymnastic feats, ability to find great hiding spots and his shouted mantra, "Nudie Rudy!" By the end, Mom and Dad, brother and sister and grandma and grandpa have all joined in the chase. But by then, another burst of independence has transformed the tot from Nudie Rudy to Cutie Rudy, and the family gathers round to shower him with love. With yellows, blues and oranges predominating, the colors and style of Nash's digital illustrations lend them a retro '70s feel. Clever placement of props and body parts allow Nudie Rudy some semblance of privacy, although there are glimpses of his bare bottom: Be prepared for uproarious giggles.

Hysterical fun to share with the older siblings of all the Nudie Rudys out there, and for those Nudie Rudys as they outgrow this stage...but parents beware the power of suggestion and urge to imitate. (Picture book. 4-8)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2011

K-Gr 2-When Rudy doesn't want to get dressed after his bath, a fun game of catch that naked baby commences. Zipping about with his dog at his heels, "Nudie Rudy" manages to elude his mother, father, siblings, and grandparents. In the greenhouse, the game morphs into "finding" the baby, and the family makes its way back through the house with Rudy hiding behind the furniture. In the grand revealing of "Cutie Rudy," the child has clothed himself using his own personal dress code. The cartoon illustrations feel retro in both style and color. Each picture has a simple black border whether there is one per page or several. The characters speak using word balloons, while the narrator's words are in black boxes with white text. Rudy's genitals are cleverly concealed at all times by his leg, the dog, a plant, a table, etc., but his buttocks do make a full-moon appearance. This playful tale provides a positive look at a multigenerational family interacting in a loving way, and the book has a place either in storytime or one-on-one sharing.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2011
Preschool The title, along with a cover featuring a naked baby (back angle), giggling for all hes worth, gives a broad hint about whats inside. The book begins with Rudy taking a bath, but once his mother tells him its time to get dressed, he has only two words for her: No dressed! and the chase is on. While Mom yells, Catch that baby! Rudy has his own catchphrase: Nudie Rudy! He tumbles past siblings, runs by Dad, plays hide-and-seek under the table and around the chairs, until finally the dog finds him, now dressed. Well, dressed if you dont mind socks on hands, sweater on legs, and jeans on head. With minimal text and alternating between a comic-style format, full-page art, and double-page spreads, the arts the thing here. Ebullient in tone and sassy in spirit, this is a romp where both family and action seem quite real. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, although the tushie is ever present, other, uh, private parts are covered by the couch, the plants leaves, and the dogs tail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)