Baby's Firsts

boardbook

Synopsis

Author

Nancy Raines Day made a wish on pennies in a wishing well to become a writer, and ten years later, her first picture book came out. She and her husband live on an island, where she thinks up ideas while walking on the beach and swimming in the ocean. Baby's Firsts is her ninth picture book.

Illustrator

Michael Emberley has been writing and illustrating children's books since 1979 and is perhaps best known as the illustrator of Robie H. Harris's books on human sexuality: It's Perfectly Normal, It's So Amazing, and It's Not the Stork. He has a sister and father (Rebecca and Ed) who also make children's books, and a wife (Marie-Louise), who writes and illustrates children's books.

Praise

Day focuses on the new experiences of babies and their parents during the first 12 months of life. The title starts in the hospital when a mom holds up her naked little boy with his dad standing next to her and covers other milestones like the first burp, change, and laugh. Text and illustrations work well and show moms and dads taking care of babies. For example, there is a page with text that says, “First meal.” On one page, a mom is breastfeeding her child. On the opposite page, a dad feeds his baby with a bottle. Expressive cartoon artwork conveys the joy and exhaustion of being a new parent. In the illustration where the baby is on the lap, the parents are in bed with mom fast asleep, while dad stays next to her entertaining the wide-awake baby. VERDICT: This title will have an audience in public libraries because of its universal theme. Sure to be a staple in baby storytime.—School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN:  9781623542467