This Is Our Baby, Born Today

May 16, 2016
Bajaj (Abby Spencer Goes to Hollywood) traces the first day in a baby elephant’s life, an event celebrated by family members, other animals, and even elements of nature itself. The soft, gently repetitive text quickly establishes a soothing message of love and acceptance: “These are Aunts,/ caring and grand,/ who circle the Baby/ born today.” (There’s a hint of “The House That Jack Built” to the episodic structure, minus the cumulative aspect.) Bajaj focuses on a female-centric cast of elephants, subtly referencing their matriarchal societies, and glancing mentions of monkeys and peacocks give a fuller look at the book’s Indian setting. Working in pen, ink, and bright watercolors, Wheeler (Wherever You Go) evokes a lush environment of towering banyan trees and dense vegetation, helping create another personified character in the setting (“This is the Lagoon,/ calm and waiting,/ to bathe the Baby/ born today”). It’s an intimate and celebratory look at the early days of an elephant’s life, and a reminder that human births are pretty special, too. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary.

June 1, 2016
When a baby elephant is born, "wrinkled and gray," not just the herd, but the whole world rejoices, from morning to night. From the proud Mama to the grand Aunts, from the "fertile and firm" Earth to the ancient Banyan tree, everyone and everything around the new baby elephant joins in celebration and care for the Baby "who warms the hearts of the world today." Glowing with warm golds and greens and shadowed with deep blues and greens, the gorgeous artwork lushly illuminates the day of an elephant's birth as it is cared for by its family and surroundings. The expressions on the elephant faces are sheer joy to behold; the elephant smiles are realistic and yet radiate affection. Seemingly simple, this gentle rhyming story works on two levels: the playfulness of the young elephant and its friends ensure that young children will be able to see themselves in the story, and given the depiction of the natural scenes, at least some young readers will become fascinated with the lives of elephants as well. An author's note at the end provides background from the Indian-American author's own life and also draws attention to the present-day need to protect elephants from poaching and the loss of habitat. The soft cadence of the rhyming verses and the joyous pictures of the elephants will make this a bedtime favorite. (Picture book. 2-5)

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July 1, 2016

Toddler-PreS-"This is the Baby, wrinkled and gray. This is the Baby born today." A newborn elephant is celebrated in a timeless manner by its herd and other animals in a wild Indian environment. Repetitive phrasing highlights the extensive roles played in the baby's world by not only the herd but also the lagoon, a banyan tree, peacocks, and white monkeys with black faces. The landscape, created by dip pen, India ink, and watercolor, is peaceful and lively. Scenes of the baby happily splashing in the water and sitting high atop a rock while gazing at the nighttime stars are especially fun and sweet. VERDICT Rich vocabulary and engaging artwork are sure to delight readers and young listeners.-Gaye Hinchliff, King County Library System, WA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2016
Preschool-G Of all the beloved newborns in the world of picture books, this adorable elephant baby might be the most universally acclaimed. The lilting text begins, This is the Baby, / wrinkled and gray. / This is the Baby / born today. / This is the Mama, / loving and proud, / who birthed the baby / born today. Though the text seems to be setting up a House That Jack Built cumulative construction, the verses that follow use the structure without repeating content from previous verses. Each turn of the page introduces a new entity, such as the aunts, the earth, the sisters, the banyans, and the stars, and briefly notes each one's supportive relationship with the baby. Beginning at dawn with the mother elephant nudging her smiling baby to stand, the ink-and-watercolor illustrations trace the ever-smiling elephants' day. Wheeler's artwork is distinguished by precise, graceful drawings and radiant watercolors. An author's note concerns a black wooden elephant remembered from her childhood in Mumbai and notes the dwindling number of Asian and African elephants today.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)