I Used to Be the Baby

by Robin Ballard, Robin Ballard (Illustrator)

Overview

"I used to be the baby, but now I am big." So begins this story of a not-very-big sibling who suddenly finds himself with a baby brother. He willing shares his toys with the baby, he plays with him, and he knows when to be quiet. He sings a cheerful song when it is needed, and he teaches his brother many useful lessons. But sometimes even the biggest of us likes to be the baby — and in this loving family, that is no problem at all!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060295868
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/26/2002
Edition description:	1 ED
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Robin Ballard, was born in Los Angeles and attended the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. After several years in Washington, D.C., she now lives with her husband and sons in Switzerland. Ms. Ballard has written many popular books, including When We Get Home, When I Am a Sister, and Good-bye, House.

Robin Ballard, was born in Los Angeles and attended the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. After several years in Washington, D.C., she now lives with her husband and sons in Switzerland. Ms. Ballard has written many popular books, including When We Get Home, When I Am a Sister, and Good-bye, House.

Editorial Reviews

"I used to be the baby, but now I am big. I have a baby brother, and I help Mommy take care of him," begins Ballard's (My Day, Your Day) reassuring tale of brotherly love. The big brother narrator alternates between observations of various situations ("He always wants to take my toys") and proposed solutions ("I will give him some of his"). One spread, for example, presents a small framed vignette of the baby trying to chew the pages of a book ("He tries to eat my books"). Immediately to the right, a full-bleed pen-and-ink and watercolor illustration that takes up two-thirds of the spread shows big brother and baby sharing board books while their mother, in the background, shuffles by with the laundry ("He can have his own books, and I will read to him"). The format repeats throughout until the baby is tucked into his crib at night. In a comforting conclusion, the final illustration shows the narrator enjoying some alone time with his mom: "I am the big brother. But sometimes I like to be the baby too." Ages 3-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-This book presents a day of family activity, with the focus on the relationship between a boy and his baby brother. For each event, there is the downside as well as the gracious solution. "He doesn't like riding in the car. I will sing him a song. He is sad in the stroller. I will hold his hand. -He doesn't like baths. So I blow bubbles for him to watch." Some of the problems are due to baby's own fears; others are a result of his sibling's behavior. When the text reads, "Sand can hurt your eyes," the accompanying illustration shows the boy throwing sand over his shoulder, right onto baby's head. While an oblong boxed vignette shows the unhappy interaction between siblings and the mother's woeful patience, a full-page-and-a-quarter illustration shows the family working as a team. A thin black line outlines each detailed scene and the round, open-faced characters, while smooth expanses of watercolor richly fill the pages. There is a feeling of serenity to the art, even when the little one is distraught. There's none of the inevitable frustration or anger that an older sibling might feel, and the book could be criticized for the ease with which the brother becomes so helpful. Yet, in accentuating the positive, this title does present many feel-good ideas. Certainly there's no harm in basking in its intentional idealism.-Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

This effort would fall into the "new sibling issues" category, the premise laid out on the first page, "I used to be the baby, but now I am big. I have a baby brother, and I help Mommy take care of him." Through several examples, big brother offers solutions to new baby woes. When baby is sad in the stroller, brother holds his hand. When baby doesn't enjoy bath time, big brother blows bubbles to amuse him. The payoff comes after the baby has gone to sleep and big brother gets some alone time on Mommy's lap. The artwork is attractive with its array of bright watercolors and distinct outlines. The characters and household objects have a pudgy, roly-poly appeal. In fact, the illustrations, not the text, subtly betray big brother's natural reactions to the new arrival. In the smaller panel of the layout, for example, he vies for mother's attention during bath time with such antics as tugging on her hair and wearing a towel on his head. The facing page has a larger illustration of the behavior that remedies the situation: blowing the bubbles. Ballard (My Day, Your Day, 2001, etc.) does well enough outlining some of the ways in which the family will be altered with a young addition and scratches the surface of some of the emotional issues surrounding such an upheaval. Though this child is meant to be a model, he seems more patient and helpful than many children would be. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews