Baby's Got the Blues

"I'd like to eat some pizza,/ Macaroni, or beef stew,/ But I haven't got a single tooth,/ So I can't even chew," wails the baby bluesman that Shields (Wombat Walkabout) and Tobia (the Anna Hibiscus books) introduce. Stinky diapers, unsteady legs, and doing time "behind these bars--Is it a crib or is it jail?": who wouldn't feel oppressed? Of course, life isn't really that bad: the baby has a not-disinterested older sister (the princess crown anchored to her head is a nice touch of birth order assertion), a hipster mom (with a snake tattoo!), and the good sense to know that "blues" also rhymes with "I love yous." This portrait of a very modern family--with its skillfully distilled domestic scenes; warm, saturated colors; and empathic, round-headed characters--will remind some of the work of Helen Oxen-bury. Best of all, the text is eminently singable by anyone with even a passing familiarity with Muddy Waters; it could quickly become an all-ages anthem for anyone connected to a newborn. Ages 3-7. Illustrator's agent: Mandy Suhr, Miles Stott Literary Agency. (Mar.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 2--"You think babies have it easy?" Not according to the tiny narrator who relates the trials and tribulations of being a helpless babe. When the little one wakes up soggy, there's "no way to say,/'Won't somebody change my diaper?'" When confronted with an enticing spread of pizza, macaroni, and stew, all that baby can eat is strained green goop because "I can't even chew." Baby can't run and jump with the older kids and resents spending time in its crib-"or is it jail?" Each of these complaints culminates in a heartrending blues refrain tailored to the situation. Wet-soaked baby sings, "B-A-B-Y,/ baby,/Got those damp old baby blues." Orange-sleeper-clad infant hangs forlornly over the crib bars whining, "B-A-B-Y,/baby,/Got those locked-up/baby blues." No need to feel sorry for this baby. While the guitars in some of the large illustrations rendered in ink and pencil and assembled digitally reinforce the blues theme, the pictures also reveal an attentive mom and an older sister happily looking on. Mom scoops baby out of the crib "with a 'Kitchy-kitchy-koo!' B-A-B-Y, baby,/Don't you know/we all love you?" This is a story that will enable slightly older children to look back and reminisce about bygone days.--Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Shields and Tobia bring an earthy, hip sensibility to these faux-plaintive lyrics sung by a baby with a bad case of the blues. ... Mom has a snaky tattoo; neighbors are as diverse as New York City; and just like babies everywhere, this one cheers up the minute he gets a cuddle.
—The New York Times

The brilliant incongruity of a baby and blues music (usually featuring soured romance, bum luck and booze) hits all the right comedic notes. Baby's refrain, repeated after each demoralizing episode, howls out for a singalong: "B-A-B-Y, baby, Got those...baby blues." Tobia's pen-and-ink illustrations beg for repeat visits too, with their refreshing portrayal of a bustling urban family. ... Eye-squinting details (polka dots on the underside of a stuffed bunny's ears, a paisley pattern on a blanket, etc.) and vivid colors energize these wonderfully ordinary scenes of moms and small children.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This portrait of a very modern family — with its skillfully distilled domestic scenes; warm, saturated colors; and empathic, round-headed characters — will remind some of the work of Helen Oxenbury. Best of all, the text is eminently singable by anyone with even a passing familiarity with Muddy Waters; it could quickly become an all-ages anthem for anyone connected to a newborn.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The amusing text is ramped up several notches by Tobia's terrific artwork. ... Whether full page or vignettes, the delightful pen-and-watercolor artwork focuses in on baby, who is down in the dumps because he needs a diaper change or has to be a spectator as the older kids play ball. ... Finally, the baby blues are drowned in hugs and kisses. What could be happier than that?
—Booklist

The text follows the classic bluesy form, including a classic chorus ("B-A-B-Y, baby"), and it's both funny and accurate in the details of infant frustration (some of which continue well beyond babyhood). The art gives viewers a hook in the form of baby's older sister, who's squirming away from the diaper change and zipping around with the freedom that the baby yearns for, thereby cleverly turning the book into a celebration of all the things post-baby kids can do that babies can't. ... Kids plagued by attention-grabbing new babies will find this a sly and lively reminder of their own superiority and their siblings' lovability.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

No need to feel sorry for this baby. While the guitars in some of the large illustrations rendered in ink and pencil and assembled digitally reinforce the blues theme, the pictures also reveal an attentive mom and an older sister happily looking on. Mom scoops baby out of the crib "with a 'Kitchy-kitchy-koo!' B-A-B-Y, baby, /Don't you know/we all love you?" This is a story that will enable slightly older children to look back and reminisce about bygone days.
—School Library Journal