The birth of a baby-"the one and only ever you"-causes jubilation throughout creation in this quietly celebratory picture book from newcomer Tillman. Polar bears dance, giraffes weave to the sound of brass horns, and "the moon smiled with such wonder/ that the stars peeked in to see you/ and the night wind whispered,/ `Life will never be the same.' " Tillman successfully sidesteps the soft-focus sappiness that can accompany this genre. Her writing has the authenticity of whispered conversation; occasionally, she pauses in her exaltations of the baby to address the subject directly: "I think I'll count to three so you can wiggle your toes for me." Her strong, assured paintings truly set this book apart. The pictures subtly radiate golden glints of moonlight, and her almost sculptural rendering style gives her characters a hefty physicality that counterbalances the ethereal sentiments being expressed. Although one suspects that grown-ups will be most taken with the topic and treatment, this is one of those rare baby books that should make both skeptics and sentimentalists of all ages happy. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
The whole world is gobsmacked over Kate and William’s little boy. In fact, I don’t think there’s been this much worldwide buzz about a baby since those panda twins were born. Of course, my first thought was for the royal infant’s bookshelf. Here’s what I’d stock it with, if I had my way: 1. The […]
Baby, it’s cold outside! So, if you’re like the rest of us, and frigid winds make you want to curl up with a cup of cocoa and get your storytime on, you’ve made it to the right place! Not all picture books are created equal, so we’ve rounded up our favorites to hit the shelves […]
You’ve mastered the art of soothing your baby with the five s’s from Harvey Karp’s The Happiest Baby on the Block, so now it’s time to build out that board book library to make sure yours is the sunniest, most colorful collection on the whole street (babies really do gossip about this amongst themselves). Check […]
There’s no better feeling than opening that very first book to read to the brand new baby cuddled in your arms. It’s amazing to see how their eyes light up at the sound of your voice, or how they slowly drift to sleep at the melody of the words. Every parent loves that feeling. There are so many incredible books […]