The Baby-Changing Station

by Rhett Miller, Dan Santat (Illustrator)

Overview

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rhett Miller teams up again with Caldecott Medalist and bestselling artist Dan Santat in a laugh-out-loud rhyming story about an older sibling who gets an opportunity to trade his younger brother for cool stuff when he finds a magical baby changing station.

Before Joe rolled in / I was the ten-year-old King / of all I surveyed / Now that he’s here / It’s perfectly clear / That I / am in the way.
 
James is NOT a fan of his new little brother, Joe. His parents adore Joe and don’t have time for James anymore. What is an older sibling supposed to do?!

When James stumbles upon a baby-changing station that can exchange younger siblings for much more exciting things, he is faced with endless options. Should he choose the night-vision googles, a cool chemistry set, a guitar, or keep his baby brother? James is put through the ultimate test until he realizes that being a big brother is not so bad after all.

With sly humor, playful rhymes, and dynamic art, The Baby-Changing Station celebrates the timeless theme of older-younger sibling rivalry with a humorous magical twist perfect for readers of all ages. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316459327
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/02/2022
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	630,612
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Rhett Miller is a singer-songwriter known for fronting the popular rock band Old 97’s who has also released seven solo albums, most recently 2018’s The Messenger. In addition to songwriting, Rhett has branched out to write short stories, essays, and articles that have been featured in Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, McSweeney’s, the Atlantic, and Salon. His first children’s book was No More Poems, also illustrated by Dan Santat. When not on tour, Rhett resides in New Paltz, New York, with his wife and two children.
 
Dan Santat is the Caldecott Medal–winning and New York Times bestselling creator of The Adventures of Beekle, Are We There Yet?, and After the Fall as well as the illustrator of many other picture books, including No More Poems by Rhett Miller, the Crankenstein series by Samantha Berger, and Drawn Together and Lift written by Minh Lê. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife and two children.

Editorial Reviews

06/13/2022

Ten-year-old James thinks life with his baby brother, Joe, can’t get any worse: “Now that he’s here,/ It’s perfectly clear/ That I/ Am in/ The way.” At the tan-skinned family’s official pizza night, his exhausted parents announce that James will have to change Joe’s “loaded up” diaper in the restaurant restroom. The bathroom’s baby changing station, however, is no ordinary amenity: a screen offers Joe three chances to change the “crybaby” into “cool stuff”—such as a pair of six-string electric guitars—and erase all memory of the “dumb kid” so no one is the wiser. But each tempting choice makes James ponder a future without his brother as a comrade or co-conspirator (“More often than not,/ Siblings who rock/ Make the best bands, says my father”), leading him to realize that “though he’s my nemesis/ I see a world in which/ He and I someday are friends.” The idea of a kid taking on his parents’ duties may not sit well with all readers, but Santat’s (The Blur) generously scaled, operatically expressive pencil and watercolor art and Miller’s (No More Poems!) age-appropriate weltschmerz propel the story forward, making for a contemporarily poo-laden twist on a Faustian bargain. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Gates, Aevitas Creative Management. Illustrator’s agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"But each tempting choice makes James ponder a future without his brother as a comrade or co-conspirator (“More often than not,/ Siblings who rock/ Make the best bands, says my father”), leading him to realize that “though he’s my nemesis/ I see a world in which/ He and I someday are friends.” The idea of a kid taking on his parents’ duties may not sit well with all readers, but Santat’s (The Blur) generously scaled, operatically expressive pencil and watercolor art and Miller’s(No More Poems!) age-appropriate weltschmerz propel the story forward, making for a contemporarily poo-laden twist on a Faustian bargain."—Kirkus Reviews

"Miller's rhyme scheme and Santat's imaginative illustrations make The Baby-Changing Station an entertaining and surprisingly touching read."—Entertainment Weekly

From the Publisher

07/01/2022

K-Gr 2—James is not thrilled with the addition of an infant brother, Joe, into his family. He fantasizes about how to send this smelly, attention-stealing sibling back, especially when his parents force him to change a diaper. A relatable and humorous experience, each character's feelings and intentions are vibrantly depicted with digital illustrations in color pencil and watercolor. James, with comic-book style layered "phantom arms" holding diaper changing gear, is juxtaposed on the opposite page of Joe, clapping delightfully with a smile stretched wide. No words are needed to impart story or characterization here. James narrates his woes in first-person rhymes and near-rhymes. Most of the stanzas follow a Spanish sestet form; unfortunately, this form works best in shorter works and some of the slant rhymes interrupt the natural flow when reading aloud. VERDICT A funny new sibling story, but imperfect; recommended for larger libraries.—Rachel Zuffa

School Library Journal

2022-05-11
What if the baby-changing station in the men’s room could change a baby brother into something much cooler?

James—a 10-year-old with large brown eyes and a mop of green-tinted, dark hair—immediately catches readers’ attention by saying he has done something he feels badly about. No, James hasn’t actually done anything wrong, but he feels guilty about his jealousy of his new little brother and his thoughts of returning the infant through the U.S. mail. When baby Joe poops just as the family begins a meal at their favorite pizza house, the hungry, exhausted parents assign James his first “diaper duty.” Adults may bristle at this unexpected burden on James, but the funny art makes the task seem less onerous. Before leaving the men’s room, James is tempted by a mysterious screen that offers him the opportunity to exchange the infant for night-vision specs, electric guitars, or a chemistry set and promises to erase all family memories of the baby. James gains insight as he considers and rejects each offer; the baby’s final reaction provides warmhearted closure. The AABCCB rhyme pattern generally works; words such as subsequent, nemesis, and contention are clear from context. The family is tan-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Hilarious potty humor—with a purpose. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews