Baby Parade

February 1, 2013
This story will make more than one child parade across the house. It really ought to feel repetitive. Every page is phrased the same way: "Wave to the baby in the bright yellow backpack" or "Wave to the baby in the purple socks and purple sneakers." Even the pictures look the same. Each face is an oval with two dots for eyes, like a child's drawing. And yet, the babies look nothing alike. One child is about to stomp on his cupcake. Another is methodically walking his toy duck. Every detail suggests an entire personality and family history. (It takes a daring parent to dress a baby in purple socks and purple sneakers.) A quick glance at the last few pages, with nearly a dozen babies parading across a lawn, might make a person think that Tolstoy was wrong: Every happy family is happy in its own way. It may be impossible for readers to walk down a busy street without thinking they are part of a parade after reading this book. The final pages of the book show the babies "[c]rawling," "[s]tanding" and then "walking!" It feels like a real triumph. This book is a great choice for anyone who's ever felt like they deserved a parade. (Picture book. 1-5)

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March 1, 2013

PreS-A simple tale involving colors and movement. Vibrantly illustrated spreads show a diverse variety of babies wearing different colors and patterns, traveling to a picnic in a park. The shift from describing the colors of each baby's conveyance or clothing to the spare action verbs when they congregate at the park is a bit jarring. However, the colors and patterns; familiar objects; and happy, round faces are likely to appeal to young audiences. The forward motion and sense of purpose cumulate in a spread showing all the participants in this baby parade. A sweet addition for toddler storytimes.-B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2013
Preschool This sweet picture book taps into two things babies love: other babies and waving. The opening spread presents a long line of cherubic-looking tots, each being pushed, carried, or pulled in a red wagon by a family member. From there each spread focuses on a single child with the simple words wave to the baby in the orange pouch, or wave to the baby in the bright yellow backpack, and so on. Once everyone has been acknowledged, the final spreads see the babies crawling, then standing, and finally walking. O'Connell (The Baby Goes Beep, 2003) strikes just the right interactive note for toddlers, as they get to wave to each baby in turn, and she emphasizes the babies' pride at being independent as they come to form their own baby-only parade. Nicely complementing the text are Poole's bright full-bleed illustrations featuring a multicultural cast of round-faced babes with pindot eyes appearing on fun patterned backgrounds. Share this at toddler storytimes for lots of waves and smiles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
"Wave to the baby in the big red wagon. / Wave to the baby in the soft orange pouch." One by one, babies are carried, pushed, and pulled as listeners are encouraged to wave to them all. The babies then crawl, stand, and walk to a party. The festive illustrations feature friendly looking little ones, but the rather bland text is something of a party pooper.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)