Love Song for a Baby

"Come hear a song about a baby, / a very special baby./ Come hear a song about you," begins this heartfelt ode to a baby's first experiences. Bauer's (My Mother Is Mine) simile-laden, simple verses boast songlike rhythms, always ending with the phrase, "we loved you" (e.g., "When you came into our arms, / slippery as salmon, / puckered as prunes, / loud as a lion, / already we knew, / we loved you"). Andreasen (A Quiet Place) in perhaps his most intimate work yet, creates oil paintings that soften the baby's features in a series of cascading parallel lines to form an almost impressionistic view of the child. After Bauer extends the invitation with the opening lines, the artist shows a toddler clearly the baby at the book's center poised as if about to hear about his or her babyhood. In the next spread, Andreasen shows the father placing his ear on the mother's very expectant belly; he then uses succeeding illustrations to portray the baby's development, from smiling newborn to endearing toddler. Feathery and heavy brush strokes add texture to paintings that exude an antique quality with their ruddy hues and creamy, pale pink matte borders. The accoutrements of infancy (blocks, pacifier, bib and booties) appear in vignettes beneath each text block to complement the facing illustrations. With its warm words and joyful portraits, this accessible volume will be a favorite among young listeners. Ages 1-5. (Sept.) Copyright 2002 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-K-The bright-eyed wonder of babies is fully captured in this loving tribute graced with outstanding illustrations. Each page is a close-up of a single Gerberesque infant whose gradual growth is subtly re-created. The paintings are highly textured; visible brush lines create a sense of movement, of vibrancy just barely contained. The sensation of what it feels like to hold a baby, to touch one, radiate from the page, a joy that adults will surely relish remembering. Children may not have such a visceral reaction to the art, although they will sense the magic. The narrative is framed by an older child who is asked to "Come hear a song about a baby, /a very special baby./Come hear a song about you." This title celebrates all the things parents do with an infant, the snuggling, the clapping, the drying of tears. And why? Because "we loved you," a phrase that is repeated at the end of almost every stanza. This may not be a book that youngsters will ask for again and again, but whenever they're in need of comfort or reassurance, it will relax all defenses.- Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.